Family Connections:
Five minutes with Chloe Cross.
Chloe Cross is nineteen years old and lives in Bristol with her mother Karen Braunton and brother, James. This is her third year competing in trials sport.
Chloe: “My first trial was the Wells Miller Cup Trial at Binegar Quarry near Wells. I took up riding trials because my family are real enthusiasts of the sport. My Granddad, Frederick Cross was involved in trials for many years as a rider, organiser and landowner. The Sammy Miller Trial was held on Tithe Barn where he lived. The National Tuck / Cross Side-car Trial was partly named in his honour”.
“I guess I was inspired by my Dad, Jeremy Cross, who has ridden trials since he was a schoolboy, competing in the Scottish Six Days and the Scott time and observation trial as well as many national events”.
“He is secretary of the Wells and District Trials Club. My brother, James rides trials, enduro and motocross and my younger sister Tabitha competes in show jumping, but has recently been riding my bike so there might be another trials rider in the family soon”.
Chloe rides mainly in the Wessex and South West ACU Centres. Her favourite club is Somerton, she finds it a friendly club with some great venues and pays tribute to their beginners’ route, which she found very encouraging for a rider starting out in the sport.
Chloe: “I think I have inspired a couple of girls to start riding in our centre and it is really nice to see them competing. The men and boys who ride, help us out a lot which I’m always very grateful for as sometimes due to work commitments I have to ride without my Dad being there”.
Chloe works over forty-five hours a week for the Highcroft Vets in Bristol & Bath, who also sponsor her with tyres and some parts for which she is very grateful.
Chloe: “I don’t really have any other hobbies other than swimming in the morning before work and keeping fit at the gym two to three evenings a week. My ambitions for trials are to ride as much as I can as I love riding my Gas Gas 125 and just see where it takes me. I’d like to move up a class in the British Championships next year but my priority is to have fun.
I love trials because I meet lots of great people visit beautiful places and get to ride my bike every weekend”.
Links:
Wells & District Motorcycle Trials Club
Chloe Cross – Trials in the Family! is copyright Trials Guru, 2016
Images: Copyright:
Heath Brindley/R2W Trials, Bristol
Sarah Turner, Redruth
TRIALS GURU 