Latest News

Youth Presentation and Christmas Party

Saturday 7th December from 3:30pm onwards
Studley Royal Cricket Club, Galphay Road, Ripon.  HG4 2QR
This is for all our B, C, D and E Class riders and is completely FREE.
We will provide all the refreshments, party games, presentation awards, etc.  All you need to provide is the company!
Please click on the link below to complete the Microsoft Form so we know who is coming.
Remember to let us know of any dietary requirements so you can be catered for.

Link for Christmas Party: https://forms.office.com/r/WMhQPghuiA

15.03.24

We had our Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 12th March and a very successful meeting it was!  We would like to congratulate Joel Sadler on being nominated as President Elect.  He will take over from the wonderful Andy Townson next year as President.  Joel has been with the club for a number of years and has given so much of his time and enthusiasm in helping the committee take the club forward.

Everyone else has agreed to remain in their current roles so here’s to another successful year of trialling.

Acklams Beta are happy to continue sponsoring the Summer Series and Neil Gaunt from Riverside Quarries Ltd has kindly agreed to sponsor our Easy and Beginner Series Trials this year.  Thank you to Joel, Paul and Neil for their support as it is very much appreciated.

We have 3 new committee members to welcome; Amy Galloway as our new Trophy and Championship Results Secretary, Wayne Galloway and Ted Storrow.  Our committee is welcoming and friendly and anyone is welcome at our meetings, at any time.

We are still looking for a trials report writer but for now, Wayne has kindly agreed to have a go at creating some newspaper reports and be responsible for sending them off to the various publications.

The Kirkby Xmas Trial proved very successful and after the final count is in we can confirm that we are able to donate a huge £5500 to Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Ripon Community House.  Ripon Motor Club are going to donate a further £1500 to charity on behalf of the club and our landowners.  As soon as the charity is confirmed we will notify everyone.

Insurance is once again going up but we are keeping our membership and trials entries fees at the same price as 2023.  All our trials will always have portable toilets on site and we pay each of our observers £10 plus we give them a £5 meal token.  We are always in need of observers so if you feel you can help us, please get in touch.

Ripon Motor Club was founded in 1909 and is a small, friendly Trials Club catering for all ages and abilities.  We are affiliated to the Yorkshire Centre of the ACU.

To ride our trials you will need to be a current member of the club and also a member of the ACU.

 A Brief History of our Club

Tom Ellis was a stalwart member of the Ripon Motorcycle Club along with his wife Mary, who did much of the paperwork associated with Tom’s interests.  He first discovered motorbikes in 1940 with a 150cc Francis Barnet.  However, the war and the Royal Navy intervened until 1945 when a 350cc Panther was purchased to compete in trials, an interest of his brother Jack.  The Panther didn’t last long and was replaced with a new 500cc Matchless.  Tom soon started to have some good results on this bike and was occasionally included in the works team.

Unfortunately, Tom’s brother Jack passed away at a trial and Tom decided to organise a trial in his name, The Jack Leslie Ellis Memorial Trial, which continues today.

Tom continued to ride and had success in the 1947 Scottish Six Day (SSDT) with a 10th place and an 8th place in 1948.  He was also 2nd in the British Experts Trial which was no mean achievement.  A Royal Enfield was obtained for a ride in the 1950 Welsh ISDT but mechanical failure caused a retirement and a subsequent works BSA ride was negotiate

Tom became a valued rider in the team and competed at the highest level, ISDT medals representing Great Britain and gaining many awards in trials at home and abroad.  The Scott Trial was a regular and favourite ride and he collected 12 Silver Spoons in 14 rides.  Joint 7th was his highest total, which again is no mean feat for any trials rider!  Tom also enjoyed the SSDT and was seen in the company of Arthur Lampkin at the Pre-65, apparently the journey to Fort William in Arthur’s Porsche was something of an adrenaline rush for him!

In 1956 Tom retired to Ripon where he opened a motorcycle shop and became active in the Club.  He also became interested in the sport of car trials and tests, driving with great verve and commitment, as he always did.  He observed in many trials but will be remembered by the riders at his favourite section, on the Fleetham’s farm down by the bridge.  Sadly he will not have seen it in its new rebuilt form, but it will still be “Tom’s Bridge”.