The annual Scott Trial, 2017 is being held over the Swaledale moors on Saturday, 21st October.

Organised by the Richmond Motor Club (Yorkshire) Ltd, it promises to be a challenge of man (or woman) and machine over approximately 75 miles of open moorland, streams and beautiful Yorkshire Dales countryside.

The event has been run for 103 years, but this of course is it’s 92nd event, due to the intervening war years, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, plus the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001, when no events were run.

The Clerk of Course this year is once again, Paul Robinson, a local joinery contractor and trials enthusiast, he promises that the event will be a challenge, with some changes to the route to keep the riders on their toes.

The trial starts near to Feldom Ranges, outside Richmond DL11 7LS and the first rider starts at 09:00 prompt with riders leaving at twenty second intervals thereafter.

Start official is the ever enthusiastic local Councillor, John Blackie of Richmondshire District Council who is a keen supporter of the Scott Trial.

Councillor Blackie makes sure he is at the start early to have a cup of tea and a bacon roll before taking up his duties on the start ramp.

Trials Guru’s John Moffat will be on hand to do some snappy interviews of riders as they approach the start ramp, always a ‘tense’ time for competitors.

Diane Horner stood down as event secretary at the end of last year’s trial, so Ken Wallis has taken on the job for 2017. Ken is certainly no stranger to the Scott as the start field is provided by his family. His wife Chris was a previous secretary also.

If you are planning to attend, please remember to buy a copy of the official programme, it costs £5.00 and will be available at the start field where a team of ladies will happily take your money in exchange for a copy of the programme which has 88 pages packed with information for spectating, where to see and how to get there. A full entry list of riders and teams are included at the back of the programme along with last year’s results and all the award details that the riders are competing to win.

There are also interesting articles and photos about the event’s history and the people who organise it and those who allow the trial to cross their property. It is indeed a great souvenir to remind you of a fantastic day’s sport in North Yorkshire.

If you want a copy sent directly to you at a slightly higher price, due to postage and packing, then this can be done by visiting the club’s official website: RICHMOND MOTOR CLUB

Remember, all proceeds from the sale of the official programme go to the local ‘Scott Charities’, so please ‘dig deep’ and help the club raise as much money as possible for these very worthy causes.

Copies of the programme will be available from Saturday, 7th October at local shops and businesses, petrol stations etc.

If you are planning to hang around Richmond after the event, the awards presentation takes place in the Richmondshire Cricket Club, near the town centre. It starts around 8.15pm with the Charity Auction, again proceeds go to the ‘Scott Charities’. The final results will not be known until they are read out by the presenter and handed over by the guest of honour, a well-known former British Trials Champion from the 1970s.

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