Archive - Thursday, 15 February 2001


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Austermuhle fifth as local doctor comes to the rescue

Martin Crosswaite won Sunday's national 'Colonial Trial' in the Rosedale valley, but only after a tremendous contest with Twickenham international competitor Sam Connor and local ace Ian Austermuhle, who lives only a hundred yards from the trial headquarters in the centre of the village.

Austermuhle, twenty and a student in geography at North Lancashire University at Preston, met the two main exponents three weeks ago in the John Hardaker national trial at Commondale where just one penalty point decided that Connor was the winner. Ian was only two penalties away from winning the coveted trophy but on Sunday the story was different after an indifferent start.

Having picked up a lot of penalties early in the trial, the Rosedale man fought back to take fifth place, but again only four penalties separated Ian from a podium finish on his GP Beta machine.

Saltburn's Deryck Jones took the clubman class while York's Mick Sharp was awarded the Inter prize from Helmsley's Jonathon Frost. Special awards from the organising club went to Peter Sharp, Mike's brother (AJS Trophy), Mark Coulson from Wellbourne (Stones Trophy) and Elliott Acaster from Hull (Adrian Barker Shield).

British ladies international and national star Rachael Buckley, from Wrexham, injured her right knee in a freak incident at the 30th test section and was treated by Pickering general practitioner Dr David Capes, who was also competing in the event and waiting to ride through the same section. Dr Capes and Rachael's husband Ian, also competing, carried her down off the moors to the road and a waiting vehicle, from where she was taken for further medical assistance to York District Hospital.

The event, now heading towards the half century mark, was organised by the Eboracum Motor Club and the Event Secretary was 21-year-old Vicky Ellis from Norton, the youngest chief official at a national event in the British Isles. Vicky was assisted by her mother Denise, while father Keith and retired York Telecom engineer Rod Drake laid out and cleared the course.

Nine year old James Wainwright, from Bransby, assisted the results team of Sharon Hick (York) and Ann Wilkinson (Heslerton), by marking up the results' scoreboard at the Coach and Horse hotel where all competitors and officials enjoyed a post-event meal as part of the day in Rosedale.

Updated: 15:33 Thursday, February 15, 2001