PREVIEW: British Individual Championships Day 3
For the 1st time since 2010 Astley & Tyldesley is the venue for the final day of the 2023 British Individual Championships where the remaining 4 titles will be decided in the Over 40’s, Under 16 Boys, Women and Open categories
The British Over 40’s Individual Final will open the proceedings at 10am. 18 riders contested a pre-qualifying round at Sheffield yesterday and the winners from the previous 6 finals have all qualified. Steve Harris (Astley & Tyldesley), who won in 2016 & 2017 as well as 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013, has qualified as has Mark Whitehead (Leicester), the champion in 2018, Kevin Burns (Leicester),the 2019 and 2022 champion, and Mark Winwood (Birmingham) who was victorious in 2021. Also qualified are Craig Marchant (Great Blakenham), Nicky Whitehead (Leicester), Andrew Yard (Exeter), Alan Nation (Poole), Lee Phillips (Astley & Tyldesley), Lee Aris (Wednesfield) (his first final in this category), William Banyard (Sheffield), Craig Whitehead (Birmingham), Jason Keith (Fife), Terry Norman (Stockport and Phil Gard (Poole). Ewan Tulloch (Edinburgh) and Paddy Wenn (Norwich) will be the 2 reserves
Full Draw:
1 Steve Harris (Astley & Tyldesley)
2 Craig Marchant (Great Blakenham)
3 Nicky Whitehead (Leicester)
4 Andrew Yard (Exeter)
5 Mark Winwood (Birmingham)
6 Alan Nation (Poole)
7 Lee Phillips (Astley & Tyldesley)
8 Lee Aris (Wednesfield)
9 Gavin Wheeler (Poole)
10 William Banyard (Sheffield)
11 Craig Whitehead (Birmingham)
12 Jason Keith (Fife)
13 Kevin Burns (Leicester)
14 Mark Whitehead (Leicester)
15 Terry Norman (Stockport)
16 Phil Gard (Poole)
R1 Ewan Tulloch (Edinburgh)
R2 Paddy Wenn (Norwich)
The British Under 16 Boys Individual Final will follow at midday with the 16 riders who qualified via the pre-qualifying round at Hull yesterday, 10 of which rode in last year’s final at Birmingham. They are Charlie Parr (kesgrave), Charlie Buet-Gannon (Birmingham), Kenzie Bennett (Poole), Ryker Jolly (Kesgrave), Oliver Saunders (Poole), Corey Burt (Wednesfield), JJ Wildman (Exeter), Leon Penketh (Southampton), Mason Martin (Hethersett) and Luca Woodhouse (Kesgrave). The other qualifiers are Shaun Kell (Ipswich), Sonny & George Whale(Southampton), Noah Lyon (Hull), Teddy Curtis (Poole) and Duncan Whalley (Astley & Tyldesley). Liam Bennett (Hull) and Harvey Yard (Exeter), a reserve in last year’s final, will be the 2 reserves
Full Draw:
1 Noah Lyon (Hull)
2 John Junior Wildman (Exeter)
3 Leon Penketh (Southampton)
4 Sonny Whale (Southampton)
5 Corey Burt (Wednesfield)
6 Kenzie Bennett (Poole)
7 Teddy Curtis (Poole)
8 Mason Martin (Hethersett)
9 George Whale (Southampton)
10 Charlie Parr (Kesgrave)
11 Duncan Whalley (Astley & Tyldesley)
12 Oliver Saunders (Poole)
13 Luca Woodhouse (Kesgrave)
14 Charlie Buet-Gannonn (Birmingham)
15 Ryker Jolly (Kesgrave)
16 Shaun Kell (Ipswich)
17 Liam Bennett (Hull)
18 Harvey Yard (Exeter)
The British Women’s Individual Final follows at 2pm and is a straight final featuring 11 riders who rode in the corresponding event at Birmingham last year. They are the 2021 & 2022 champion Emily Burgess (Sheffield), Elizabeth Rigley (Leicester), Maddie Saunders (Poole), Laura Watson (Sheffield), the 2016 champion Lauren Hookway (Exeter), Lily Parr (Kesgrave), Lexie Curtis (Poole), Rebekah Humphries (Birmingham), Daisy Sherwood Poole), Georgia Burt (Wednesfield) and Chloe Pearce (Ipswich). Completing the line-up are Charlotte Geach (Exeter), Nataleigh Goulden (Poole0, Ella Case (Kesgrave), Megan Burt (Wednesfield) and the 2010 champion Rachel Lammin (Horspath)
Full Draw:
1 Charlotte Geach (Exeter)
2 Laura Watson (Sheffield)
3 Daisy Sherwood (Poole)
4 Madeline Saunders (Poole)
5 Lily Parr (Kesgrave)
6 Georgia Burt (Wednesfield)
7 Lexie Curtis (Poole)
8 Nataleigh Goulden (Poole)
9 Chloe Pearce (Ipswich)
10 Elizabeth Rigley (Leicester)
11 Lauren Hookway (Exeter)
12 Megan Burt (Wednesfield)
13 Emily Burgess (Sheffield)
14 Rebekah Humphries (Birmingham)
15 Ella Case (Kesgrave)
16 Rachel Lammin (Horspath)
The 2023 British Open Individual Final will follow at 4pm and out of the 7 previous champions who entered, 6 of them have qualified for the final on this occasion. Wednesfield’s Lee Aris, who was a late entry into this competition, is the most successful of these 6 riders with 4 titles in 2004, 2006 (where he recorded the first ever 20 point maximum in an Open Final), 2007 and 2009. He has qualified for his first final since 2015 (he did qualify in 2016 but had to withdraw due to injury). The 2002 & 2008 champion Gavin Wheeler (Poole) has also qualified, as has another 2 time winner Paul Heard (Birmingham) who won in 2019 and 2022. The 2015, 2016 and 2018 winners have also qualified, Zac Payne (Kesgrave), Ben Mould (Newport) and Josh Brooke (Great Blakenham). There are also 5 first time finalists and 4 of those are Kesgrave riders, the Jolly brothers Torsten & Ryker, Charlie Parr and Noah Woodhouse. Poole’s Kenzie Bennett is also a first time finalist. The line-up will be completed by Aaron Smith (Poole), Will Jeffery (Birmingham), Reece Pollitt (Bury), Matt Hill (Ipswich) and the winner of a run-off betewwn Ben Clarke (Ipswich), Edan Morton (Sheffield), Chris Timms (Birmingham) and Lewis Foxley (Hull). The latter 4 riders will have that run-off at 1.45pm with the winner taking the number 2 berth in the final and the 2nd & 3rd riders becoming 1st & 2nd reserves respectively. When the Open Final starts 5 riders will be racing their 2nd Final of the day following on from the Over 40’s. Aris and Wheeler will have ridden in the Over 40’s beforehand whilst Parr, Bennett and Ryker Jolly will have ridden in in the Under 16’s beforehand.
Full Draw:
1 Reece Pollitt (Bury)
2 Run-off winner
3 Aaron Smith (Poole)
4 Zac Payne (Kesgrave)
5 Ben Mould (Newport)
6 William Jeffrey (Birmingham)
7 Lee Aris (Wednesfield)
8 Torsten Jolly (Kesgrave)
9 Joshua Brooke (Great Blakenham)
10 Ryker Jolly (Kesgrave)
11 Gavin Wheeler (Poole)
12 Charlie Parr (Kesgrave)
13 Paul Heard (Birmingham)
14 Noah Woodhouse (Kesgrave)
15 Kenzie Bennett (Poole)
16 Matthew Hill (Ipswich)