WEEKEND PREVIEW: British Indoor Championships Day 2

January 4, 2025 Steve Copping

Day 2 of the British Indoor Championships takes place tomorrow (Sunday January 5th) There are currently 33 riders entered so there is scheduled to be a pre-qulaifying round at 10am to reduce 17 riders to 16. Leon Mower (Kesgrave), Ben Mould (Birmingham), Luke Harrison (Great Blakenham), Finley Myall (Ipswich), Aaron Laing (Poole), Ricki Johnson (Birmingham), the reigning champion Mark Boaler (Horspath), Ben Clarke (Ipswich), Oliver Saunders (Poole), Craig Marchant (Great Blakenham), Matthew Hill (Ipswich), Noah Woodhouse (Kesgrave), Ashley Hill (Ipswich), Luca Woodhouse (Kesgrave), Shaun Kell (Ipswich), Paul Timms (Birmingham) and Toby Millen (Great Blakenham) are the riders scheduled to be taking part in this. Of these riders Mower, Johnson, Boaler, Clarke and the Hill brothers all rode in the final last year

The 2nd pre-qualifier will not be needed due to a rider withdrawing so Dan Bock (Newport), Chris Timms (Birmingham), Ryker Jolly (Kesgrave), Nathan Groves (Birmingham), Mason Martin (Great Blakenham), Leigh Smith (Horspath), James Porter (Ipswich), Zac Payne (Kesgrave), Jack Herbert (Ipswich), Owen Wells (Ipswich), Andrew Yard (Newport), Leon Penketh (Southampton), Tom Savage (Coventry), Matt Parrott (Sheffield), Torsten Jolly (Kesgrave) and Feroze Langoo (Poole) advance to the semi-finals. Timms, Payne and the Jolly brothers all rode in the final last year.

The Over 40’s & Over 50’s Individual Championship follows at 11.15am and features 10 riders who rode in last years event. They are the winner of the last 6 stagings of this event Craig Marchant (Great Blakenham), the Whitehead brothers Mark, Nicky and Craig (all Leicester), Jason Ashford (Great Blakenham), Matt Wakefield (Horspath), Alan Nation (Poole), David Martin (Hethersett), Paul Timms (Birmingham) and Chris Ward (Horspath). Also entered are Toby Millen (Great Blakenham), Andrew Yard (Newport), Aaron Laing (Poole), Matt Parr (Kesgrave) and Lee Galley (Newport). Timms and Mark Whitehead are also previous champions, the former winning in 2010 whilst the latter won in 2013 & 2015

The 2 Senior Individual Semi-Finals follow at 12.30pm and 1.45pm respectively then the Women’s Individual Championship will be decided at 3pm featuring 7 riders who rode in last year’s event. They are Ella Case (Kesgrave), Lucy Whitehead (Leicester), Laura Watson (Sheffield), Emily Burgess (Astley & Tyldesley), Lily Parr (Kesgrave), Rachel Lammin (Horspath) and Maddie Saunders (Poole). Also entered on this occasion are Elizabeth Rigley (Sheffield), Lola Martin (Hethersett), Charlie-Jane Herbert (Ipswich) and Amy Baynes (Coventry). Lammin, Whitehead, Herbert & Burgess are all previous winners. Burgess is the defending champion, whilst Lammin was the inaugural champion in 2010 (under her maiden name of Edge), Whitehead was victorious in 2011 & 2016 and Herbert took the title in 2015. Saunders is the 2 time and defending outdoor champion

The Indoor Championship Weekend concludes with the Senior Final at 4.15pm which will feature the top 8 scorers from each of the 2 semi-finals.

If the Senior pre-Qualifier at 10am does not take place then the following schedule will apply:

10.30am Over 40’s & Over 50’s Individual

11.45am Senior Semi-Final 1

1.00pm Senior Semi-Final 2

2.15 Women’s Individual

3.30 Senior Individual Final