Moto trials: Simmonds is the best of the Hawke's Bay starters after final two North Island rounds

Tricky Stuff: Waikato's Gary Samson tackles some muddy terrain during yesterday's round at Mount Erin Station. Photo/Paul Taylor

Paul Simmonds was the toast of the Hawke's Bay contingent after the final two rounds of the North Island moto trials series ended in the Bay at the weekend.

Simmonds, 42, who competed in all eight rounds, finished second by one point to Wellingtonian John Lawton in the President's grade.

"A few of us were equal on points going into the final round. I finished second by two points in the round and one point behind on the overall placings," he said yesterday.

"I've been doing trials on and off for 30 years and that's the best I've done at North Island level. It was hard at the weekend because I was one of the organisers and when you are organising riding takes second fiddle," Simmonds explained.

While conditions were ideal for Saturday's seventh round at Rock Station, Te Pohue, which attracted a good crowd, conditions were wet, muddy and challenging for yesterday's round at Mount Erin Station near Havelock North.

Several of the Hawke's Bay competitors withdrew yesterday.

Simmonds will tackle the national championships in Wellington during Labour Weekend.

"My best placing at nationals level was a top four finish when I was in the A grade and that was way back when I was 15," Simmonds recalled.

French rider Jules Huguenin, who finished third at last year's national championships in Nelson, won the Expert grade on Saturday by 10 points from Wellingtonian Stuart Lawton. Waikato's Robert Williamson was a further 27 points back in third place and another Wellington starter didn't finish.

Wellingtonian Dylan Ball won the Junior Under-17 class on Saturday by four points. Tauranga's Nigel Shilton beat Simmonds by four points in the President's grade on Saturday and John Lawton was a point behind Simmonds.

Shilton's son Phillip Shilton, who also hails from Tauranga, won the A grade title by seven points on Saturday. Manawatu 60-year-old Kevin Pinfold won the Intermediate grade by 13 points on Saturday.

Pinfold, one of the most experienced campaigners who fronted at the weekend, started trialling in the early 1970s and has competed regularly in Europe. Experienced Hawke's Bay rider and former New Zealand rep Nigel Reid predicted Pinfold would be hard to beat in the class.

Reid, 55, finished seventh on Saturday and justified the playing down last week of his podium chances in the process. Reid, who had a knee replacement operation last year and like Simmonds was busy with the organising of the event, was 23 points behind Pinfold.

Reid took up trialling in 1978 and was a member of New Zealand teams which recorded eighth and fourth placings at the respective 1996 and 1997 world championship teams events in Europe.

Promising 13-year-old Hannah Rushworth of Manawatu, who is tipped to have a big future in the sport, finished 12th in the Intermediate grade on Saturday and second in the Women's grade by 30 points to talented Tauranga starter Gabrielle Gundry.

Waikato's Neil Sturmfels won the Clubman grade by three points on Saturday. Full class points for yesterday's round weren't available when Hawke's Bay Today went to press last night.

Each of the weekend's rounds had 12 sections and the riders had to complete four laps. Sevens grades were contested.

The winner of each grade was determined by the least amount of times a rider put their feet on the ground. If they failed to complete the section they were penalised five points and the rider with the least amount of points was declared the winner.