MATCH REPORT: Brinkoff, Tidball, Woodhouse and Sherwood junior victors

The British Finals weekend got off to an entertaining start at Horspath where the U10 and U13 finals were held.

The U10 Boys was settled with a run-off between Kesgrave’s Noah Woodhouse and Poole’s Joe Hurren who tied on 19 points. Noah won the toss and took advantage of his inside grid to win despite all of Joe’s efforts.

Third place went to Exeter’s JJ Wildman who ended on 17 points, having won his first three races. A&T’s John White had looked well placed after also winning his first three rides, but in his fourth ride made a last bend attempt at a pass to take another win, which did not come off, resulting in a fall and his chance had gone.

In the U10 Girls it was Daisy Sherwood of Poole who came top of the five rider field, leading home her teammate Nataleigh Goulden and Evie Duke in third.

There was a clear winner in the U13 Girls with another Championship jersey for the Tidball family collection as Rosie Tidball took the title with 20 points.

Second on 18 points was Ipswich’s Gemma Hill, with Maddie Saunders defeating her Poole teammate Anna Tuttle for third place in a run-off after they had finished on 17 points.

Unluckiest rider of the day was Alice Neighbour who had started with a very determined win over Gemma Hill and was undefeated after 3 riders. But in heat 12, which had to be called back after problems with the tapes, she slipped on the second bend while ahead and was excluded, leaving Rosie Tidball to gain an important heat win.

Watching GB Ladies team manager Geoff Gamage will have been impressed with the potential shown by these girls.

Lewis Brinkhoff looked the one to beat in the U13 Boys and that proved to be the case as he rode to an untroubled 20 point score.

It needed another run-off to decide the other rostrum places with the inside gate again being decisive as Ipswich’s Ben Clarke led home Bury’s Louis Turner. Coventry’s Ben Wells will be regretting a fourth ride fall and last place, finishing on 16 points, along with A&T’s Matt Snell

The day had  two stoppages due to heavy storms and praise must go to the hardworking  Horspath track team who twice had to restore the track into a good racing condition .