CLUB NEWS: Stars taste success in Norfolk Championships
The final round of the Norfolk Grand Prix for Under 8, Under 10 & Under 13 riders was staged at Harford Park on September 7th and saw 3 Norwich riders taking part and all 3 reached the A Finals in their respective events. Stanley Budds won the Under 10’s event which gave him 2nd overall on 88 points. Will Blackmore and Zachary Eastwood both rode in the Under 13’s event which was won by Will to give him the overall championship win with the maximum possible 100 points. Zachary’s 4th place on the night was good enough to give him 3rd overall on 84 points. There are 2 rounds remaining in the Under 16/Girls/Senior competitions and these will be staged at Hethersett on September 21st and Harford Park on October 19th
The Norfolk Individual Championships were decided at Hethersett on 11th September and in the Under 10’s event Stanley finished as runner-up with 20 points after defeating Hethersett’s Austin Brailey in a run-off. The Under 13’s event saw Will take the title with a full 20 point score with Zachary finishing 4th on 16 points. Will followed up with 3rd place in the Under 16’s event which sau Shaun Kell take the runner-up spot with 14 points. It was a Norwich 2-3 in the Under 19’s event also with Shaun runner-up with 12 points and Tom Blackmore 3rd with 11.
4 Norwich riders rode in the Senior event and this saw Paddy Wenn win his 6th Norfolk Senior title with a 16 point maximum. Shaun was 4th with 13 points after losing a run-off for 3rd with Hethersett’s Dave Martin. Tom scored 11 points to finish 6th whilst Rory Freeman alo rode, scoring 9 points to finish tied for 8th
Paddy & Rory also rode in the Over 40’s event and this saw Paddy win for the 9th time with 19 points. Rory finished 4th with 14 points.
Paddy’s wins mean he has now won a record breaking 16 Norfolk Championships as along with his 6 Senior and 9 Over 40’s titles he was also Norfolk Under 21 Champion in 1987. Phil Howells was the previous record holder with 15
This weekend sees the final British Youth & Junior League National Round at Astley & Tyldesley and Shaun goes into this 3 Grand Prix points behind Kesgrave’s Ryker Jolly in the Under 14 competition and needing to outscore the Kesgrave rider by 4 GP points to win the competition overall. The following day sees the Stars travel to Hethersett for the re-arranged South East Division 2 & Youth League matches which were called off in July due to the hot weather at the time