Category Archives: SSDT

SSDT

500 entries for 2018 SSDT

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DL - Leanachan - Kimages
Dougie Lampkin (Vertigo 300) seen here on ‘Leanachen’ in 2016, will no doubt be back to try and add another SSDT to his tally – Photo Credit: Kimages/Kim Ferguson

 

With entries now closed for the annual Scottish Six Days Trial in May 2018, reports indicate that the event is almost 100% oversubscribed with Secretary, Ms. Mieke De Vos looking at a pile of over 500 entries.

This happened as far back as 1972 when the event was massively oversubscribed to a similar magnitude and saw the commencement of the now famous ‘ballot of entries’.

At that time, the then Secretary, the late Jim McColm and the SSDT Committee of the day pondered what to do and a ballot system was put in place.

The 2018 ballot will take place between now and the festive season, with all successful and non-successful entrants being informed between 25th December and January 1st.

The Dutch born SSDT Secretary, Mieke De Vos urges entrants not to make contact with the SSDT administration before 1st January, if you have not heard any news.

No doubt there will be a flurry of social media activity between now and the new year with successful entrants gleefully declaring their acceptance and unsuccessful entrants drowning their sorrows.

However remember that with all large events there is an attrition rate of around 10% who have to withdraw their entry prior to the event for a variety of reasons. So don’t be overly despondent.

Full details of this most famous of all trials can be found on the SSDT website, www.ssdt.org

As for Trials Guru? Yes we will be there!  –  May 7-12, 2018  – WATCH THIS SPACE!

 

SSDT

Gordon’s Record is Shared

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Gordon Jackson’s fifty six year record of the famous one dab win of the Scottish Six Days Trial has been equalled by Dougie Lampkin (300 Vertigo) who lost his one mark in the shadow of the hill on which Jackson lost his solitary dab.

Dougie Lampkin Lower Mamore
Dougie Lampkin on ‘Lower Mamore’ where he surrendered a solitary mark to win the 2017 SSDT – Photo Copyright: Iain Lawrie, Kinlochleven

Jackson’s dab occurred at the top sub-section of the Grey Mare’s Ridge sections, observed by David Johnson back in 1961 when he was riding his now equally famous AJS 350 (187BLF).

Lampkin was clean for five days but had to surrender one mark on the ‘Lower Mamore’ section on May 6th, 2017.

Gordon Jackson spoke directly to Trials Guru on May 11th and said:

“I was kept informed during the week that Doug Lampkin was still clean and my friend Gordon Blakeway phoned me ten minutes after Doug’s dab and I knew that I was sharing the record, but it hadn’t yet been beaten. If anyone was going to do it, it would have been Doug Lampkin and in my opinion he is the greatest trials rider ever, having twelve world titles to his credit and now eleven Scottish Six Days Trials.

I know that one can’t compare riders of different eras, that would be like comparing Valentino Rossi with Mike Hailwood. Doug Lampkin came close to beating my record of which I am proud, but if he had, I can’t think of a better bloke to do it. I admire him and know how much pressure he would be under last week.

I would of course have been slightly disappointed if my record had been beaten, but I don’t mind sharing it with Doug”.

Interesting parallels and facts – SSDT 1961 and 2017:

Jackson was twenty-nine years of age when he won the SSDT in 1961 and Lampkin was forty-one years of age when he posted his solitary one mark win in 2017. Both riders are now firmly in the record books and proud of their achievements.

Other interesting points are that they both carried a number plate in the 160 bracket, only six numbers apart! Jackson was allocated 166 and Lampkin number 160, both of course leading the event from start to finish. Coupled to that the 1961 and 2017 trials both started and finished on Monday 1st May and Saturday 6th May!

GLJ 2011
Gordon Jackson with his famous AJS 187BLF on which he won the 1961 SSDT on one solitary mark! (Photo: Trials Guru)