Vesty Report 2025
5th Annual Vesty Trial
2nd November 2025
For the 5th edition of the Vesty Charity Trial Lancashire’s Red Rose Classic Trials club moved the event to the well known Ramsgreave venue where they laid on 3 laps of 15 sections, with clubman, expert and 50 / 50 routes. In order to use some of the best beck sections 12 and 13 were completely different for the 2 routes.
Sections 1 to 4 were in the woods at the top of the venue, the first 2 on the banks with 3 and 4 up the gulley. As expected the banks became harder as the day went on, going from easy to very hard, especially on the expert routes.
Section 5, up the beck at the bottom of the venue had steep exits for both routes, and section 6 twisting up and down the banks in a coppice was also expected to get harder but stayed very rideable. Section 7 was the regular one up the stream with a rooted exit for all classes next to the gate.
Section 8, 9 and 10 were up and down the stream banks before heading to the river for section 11.
For sections 12 and 13 both routes were straight up the stream with an exit up the left bank, but the experts sections were further up the stream than the clubman and 50/50, and included a big rock step and very steep climb out.
Section 14 and 15 were the final ones at the top of the venue and were also 50/50 sections.
On the expert course the winners of both the Pre 65 and twinshock classes contrived to loose 5 marks each, Liam Robinson winning pre 65 on his Greeves whilst Darren Mitchell won the twinshocks on his Bultaco. Liam lost a 2 on the twisting second section after it had cut up and became a real challenge on the last lap and a 3 on section 5, while Darren lost 5 single dabs. Chris Gascoigne took runner up in pre 65, 2 marks behind Liam, with French visitor Charles Coutard in 3rd a further 2 marks back on Vesty’s Bantam.
Speaking of Vesty , he could only muster 4th in the Expert Twinshock class on 16 marks lost as Tom Green and John Holdsworth got between him and the class winner. In the pre trial interview with Phil Haygarth’s 2Wheels- OffRoad YouTube Channel (Remember: “Life’s too short not to watch 2Wheels – OffRoad” !) Vesty said he wanted some traditional smelly Lancashire mud, but as his clogged front wheel ground his 125 Bulto to a halt on section 2 I think he may have changed his mind!
On the 50/50 route Howard Gully lost the least marks, winning the twinshock class on 6 marks lost, loosing 4 in the rut of section 1 and a 2 on section 4.
The Pre 65’s on this route had entries in both the over and under 250 classes. Andrew Dennis took the larger class on 14 and Tony Calvert the smaller on 9.
The ever popular Clubman route had only 1 rider rode a big banger, Adrian Mellor taking his Trifield round for 13 marks. In the under 250 class Norman Tarbuck won convincingly on his Bantam.
Clubman Twinshock was a close finish with the top 6 separated by only 6 marks, though Alex Martin had a 2 mark buffer over Pete Moore, 13 to 15.
