With it's first ever event being held in 1914 the famous Scott Trial is one of the oldest trials in the world and apart from two breaks for the World Wars has run every year without fail since that time.

The very first Scott Trial was started by employees of the Scott Motor cycle factory from Saltaire near Shipley as a fun day out around the Washburn Valley near Otley in West Yorkshire. All trials at that time were purely run to promote the reliability of the motor cycle and after the break for the war it was restarted. in 1919. The trial was opened to other manufacturers and became longer and harder each year but essentially the ingredients have remained exactly the same to the present day - the ultimate one day challenge of rider and machine.

After various location changes the trial was moved to it's present venue in the early sixties and takes in the most beautiful countryside around the Arkengarthdale valley nr Richmond in North Yorkshire The trial itself is as much about speed as observation. The fastest rider sets the 'standard time' and all riders who finish within two hours of this time are deemed as a true finisher. a mark is added for each two minutes the rider finishes behind the standard time.

The sections themselves are not severe - the severity comes from having to ride approximately 70 miles non stop across moors with no road work. Stopping to look at sections takes up valuable time and it is normal to see two or three riders in a section together. The art is to pace yourself at a good speed. Too fast and you are sure to break both yourself and your machine - too slow and you don't get in in the allocated time.

At the end of the day there is a presentation second to none. Absolutely no one knows how they have done. The awards are presented in reverse order of finishing so the atmosphere is electric by the time it gets to the end! One of the biggest nightmares is thinking you have completed the course, in the allocated time, and then to find you have missed a section. Until recently if you missed a section it was exclusion - now it is 50 marks. Both are bad options and it is the nightmare everyone in that room on presentation night dreads.

The main awards are: Best on observation, best on time (Malcolm beats Geoff Smith's record with eight), best first timer, best manufacturers team and, of course, overall Scott winner (combined best with time and observation). There are special awards for the top six and a special Scott spoon for the next 19 drivers. A Scott Certificate (the most treasured piece of paper) is awarded to all other competitors who finish in the allocated time.

It is a great credit to the Richmond club that each year, without fail, the event runs like clockwork. There are literally hundreds of flags used to plot the 70 mile course which needs a veritable army of people to complete this task. The whole event is run with great precision and until this year Derek White has done a superb job as Clerk of the Course This year he has handed over the task to his buddy John Frasier so that he can actually ride the event himself - on his Sherco, of course.

It is a trial that appeals universally to everyone as the hardest one day trial in the world and over the years it really has not lost any of it's magic. Incredible really taking into account how trials have changed to fit the modern world. It's formula remains the same and as long as this 'ultimate challenge' is there there will be trials riders prepared to risk everything for that one day. It is the trials riders Everest - as long as it's there they will want to conquer it !! Long may it remain so.