By Isle of Wight Observer
Island rider, Chris Stay, proved yet again that he is one of the most talented riders to ever come from the Island, when he won the first round of the British trials championships at Hookwood near Guildford.
The British championships appear to be more popular than ever, with a starting entry of over 60 of the country’s best riders, all supported by a large crowed of spectators and followers, including a large contingent from the Island, to support Chris. At the end of the day, it was Chris who stood on the top step of the podium, but it was so close, as he only just beat last year’s winner Ben Morphet by a single mark after completing the tough three-lap, 12-section course.
After lap one, Chris was in third place, just one mark behind the leaders, but then he produced the best lap of the day, losing just two marks to draw level with Morphet. The final lap was all about who could hold their nerve, and while Chris played safe and took four steady points, Morphet just pushed too hard on the extremely tough section five, and while going for a clean ride, he just held on too long and ended up crashing out for five penalty points.
So all Chris had to do was hold his nerve through the last four sections of the course, and his first ever adult British Championship win was in the bag. This he achieved, and as he exited the final section of the day, it was a truly wonderful and emotional moment for him and all his supporters, who knew they had witnessed a truly great moment in the history of Island motorcycle trials.
