It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Surrey-born trials enthusiast, Malcolm Henry Smith, formerly of Norleigh Kennels, Ardersier, Inverness on Monday 14th September, 2026 aged 84 years.

Malcolm was brought up on the family farm at Dunsfold, Guildford, Surrey within ear-shot of the airfield where more recently filming for BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ programme was produced. He grew up in a farming and outdoor environment with younger brother Mike who ventured into the motor trade. Malcolm became interested in shooting and gun-dog training in which he earned his livelihood. He was friends with Roger Kearsey, not only a shooting consultant but a semi-factory trials rider for BSA and Matchless.

His gun dog training and shooting management to him far north to the Scottish Highlands where he and his wife Margaret brought up their two daughters, Daska and Tracey in a farmhouse that had been in the management of Cawdor Estates. Malcolm was a well-known face at the many agricultural and game shows when he delivered gun dog handling demonstrations during the summer months. He was responsible for shooting activities on the Dunmaglass Estate near Inverness.

Malcolm as a teenager frequented the mighty Comerford’s dealership in Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton especially on a Saturday morning when the many deals were done by the knowledgeable sales staff who also competed on the following day. Malcolm splashed out on a second-hand 225cc DMW trials machine and that started his interest in motorcycle trials, taking part in many local events around the Guildford area. This continued when he took up residence in Nairnshire and he became involved with setting up a trials section in the Grampian MCC. The club were predominantly motocross based, so eventually, Malcolm and the trials members decided to form a new club in Inverness and the Inverness & District Motor Cycle Club was formed and quickly affiliated to the Scottish ACU in 1978. The new club benefited from Malcolm’s experience and his connections with local estate owners, game-keepers and estate factors.

One such connection was the Alvie Estate near Aviemore where club member, Ray Sangster had run the idea passed the Laird, Jamie Williamson. This eventually commenced the relationship with the estate which has lasted almost fifty years. It was Malcolm that became the club’s Landowner’s Liaison specialist as he understood completely how these areas were looked after. The relationship matters were handed down and forms part of the co-operation that lasts to this day.

Malcolm was of course Chairman of the Inverness & District and he oversaw the conversion to a limited liability company in December 2005, given the need to protect committee members and the club from any litigation that could arise. He remained chairman until his retirement in 2017 at which time he was made a life member.

Malcolm also had association with the Scottish Six Days Trial, an event he took competed in 1985 on a 250cc Honda TLR. Unfortunately the machine suffered gearbox failure later in the week, forcing his retiral. Undaunted, Malcolm returned as an official observer and continued to support the event for a further twenty years or so. He became the team leader of an SSDT official bike team comprising: Ewen MacPherson, Louis McLeod, John MacLennan, Ron Ward, Ian Seeger-Horner and Norman Pickles. Much fun was had during the Scottish week on an annual basis. One such tale was when Malcolm, on a usual wet day on the hill, decided to have a snack on a pork pie. He was looking forward to this with a cup of tea from his flask, he unwrapped the pie, bit into it but shock horror, the pie was green inside! Malcolm felt physically sick and threw the pie into the heather in disgust. Later he decided to have a sandwich, but horror, the sandwich was green as well. The team roared with laughter as Malcolm had been sheltering under a large ‘green’ golf umbrella and it was the light coming through the green fabric that was colouring his snacks!

As club chairman, Malcolm noted that a number of Scots riders had been unsuccessful in securing an entry in the Pre65 Scottish Trial one year. He gave this some thought and decided to put it to the committee to organise a pre65 trial at the Alvie Estate, so that those riders could have a trial with the old bikes. It was this one day trial that eventually became the Highland Classic Trial, named after the Highland Two-Day Trial that had been run by the Highland Car and Motor Cycle club as far back as the early 1950s. Malcolm’s idea bore fruit and it is now the Highland Highland Two-Day Trial that is still run on the Alvie Estate today.

Malcolm also competed in the Pre65 Scottish and Highland Two-Day on a machine he managed to buy with factory history. It was a 250cc James, registered as 286FON and was ridden in the SSDT and many national trials by factory supported rider, the late Mick Dismore from Farnham.

Malcolm kept up his many friendships that he had made in Surrey, one of which was the DOT specialist, Roy Enticknap whom he met annually at the Telford Off-Road show.

Because there was the famous American rider also called Malcolm Smith, Malcolm became known for a while as ‘Malcolm Smith UK’ and his wife Margaret had this painted on the side of his crash helmet!

Trials Guru’s John Moffat paid tribute to Malcolm Smith: “I moved to Inverness in 1993 and joined the local club, having known Brian MacLean from the club through my late father who was Scottish ACU Secretary. My father knew Malcolm Smith, as he had attended AGMs as a delegate of Inverness & District over the years. Having entered a couple of club trials, I attended the club’s Annual General Meeting that year and before I knew where I was, Malcolm had proposed that I joined the committee and things progressed from there! Malcolm Smith was without doubt a major guiding light in the club, people respected him, he had experience and wisdom and he gave things adequate attention and thought, when acting as chairman. Many times members came up with good and not so good ideas. Malcolm would let the member have their say, then he would go quiet and say: “Well, I have listened to your idea, now who is going to do this then?” If the person wasn’t prepared to do something about carrying out the work, then Malcolm would simply say: “Right, no takers, we move on!” That was Malcolm’s style as he was a do-er, he worked hard for the club and the sport. I wish we had more ‘Malcolms’ in the sport today.”

Trials Guru send sincere condolences to Malcolm’s daughters and family at this difficult time. Funeral arrangements were not available at the time of writing.