The Scott Trial, for those who don’t know, is held near Reeth in Yorkshire, England by the Richmond Motor Club (Yorkshire) Ltd. A competition run over a moorland course of approximately 70-75 miles, consisting of one lap. It is the most challenging of one-day trial events in the UK, possibly the world, its appeal is universal to both club riders and international professionals.

David Tye on his factory BSA in the 1954 Scott Trial – Photo: Ray Biddle, Birmingham, England.

Annually this event raises a size-able amount of funds for the ‘Scott Charities’, a range of local charitable associations and trusts which helps local communities. Much of the funding comes from an auction at the presentation of awards on the Saturday evening.

The event itself began in 1914 when Alfred A. Scott who manufactured ‘Scott’ motorcycles in the town of Shipley, set up a test of his products ridden by workers at his factory. It was a  reliability trial event to help publicise and prove his machines to the buying public. Of the 14 competitors who entered only 9 completed the course. The First World war intervened, but it was re-started in 1919 and continued by the Scott factory until 1926 when it was taken under the control of the Bradford & District MC. The trial was based near Harrogate at a village called Blubberhouses, then moved again to Swainby in Cleveland, not too far from where it is based today. The event organisation passed to the Middlesbrough and Stockton Motorcycle Clubs.

From 1950 the Scott moved again to Swaledale where it has remained until the present day and it is held within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Prior to Richmond taking over the reins in 1990, the Darlington & District Motor Club had organised the Scott. But throughout it’s history the event maintained its stature as the ultimate test of man and machine against the elements and course not just on observation but on reliability and against the clock. Scott competitors are always conscious of the clock ticking on as they traverse the moors of North Yorkshire. There are several re-fueling stops along the way, staffed by teams of enthusiastic volunteers not just from the Richmond Club but by people that are happy to be part of this great event.

The course sports 76 observed sections and it is quite usual to see more than one rider in the section at one time, which is a feature of this event. There is at least one observer and also a ‘checker’ who notes only the riders numbers down as they enter the section. There is a team of officials on machines who make sure that all is well and they collect the observers books as soon as the last rider has left the sections. There is a small but very efficient results team back in Reeth who record all the observers scores into a computer for results production. The eventual winner is a closely guarded secret, until revealed at the presentation of awards and as the results are read out on the Saturday evening, you can feel the tension building within the Richmondshire Cricket Club pavilion where the awards ceremony takes place.

And of course on 18th October 2014 the Richmond Motor Club (Yorkshire) Ltd will host the celebration of 100 years since Alfred A. Scott organised the very first SCOTT TRIAL.

See you in Swaledale….

The Scott Trial winners – Year by Year:

18th October 2014 – Who will be the Scott 100 winner?

‘Trials Guru’ wishes to thank the members and committee of the Richmond Motor Club (Yorkshire) Ltd; Bruce Storr, Clerk of the Course and his team; and Neil Sturgeon for the use of his images.