Member Stories

THE 1965 SCOTT TRIAL

Remembering through the mist of time the ride of what the Motor Cycle report quoted

“The Savage Scott”

On Saturday the 17th October 2026 the Richmond Motor Club ran the 100th Scott motorcycle trial, which started way back in 1914, and with relatively dry conditions on the day 93 competitors finished within the 2.5hrs of the standard time set by Jack Price in 4hrs 51mins, and a further 20 riders OTL from the maximum entry of 200. It was a different story 61 years ago, 1965 when the event was run by the Darlington & District Motor Club and Mother Nature was not so kind and decimated the entry of 188 and only 34 hardy souls finishing within the time set by Arthur Lampkin of 4hrs 18mins.

In March 2024 at a club meeting of the West Motor Club, Nigel Crowther handed over a 1969 Scott Trial programme featuring a black and white photograph with the caption “of only 35 miles to go” but no name to the rider and no one could identify who he was. I knew Maurice Rispin the Scott historian from my riding days and that we had been the Yorkshire Centres auditors for over 20 years before we reached a certain age and put out to grass and that he had all the Scott programmes going back to the 1920s. Checking through these established the rider as Gordon Farley on the Triumph Tiger Cub who was one of the 34 finishers in time and won the award for the best newcomer for the 1965 Scott Trial. Maurice and I rode the Scott that year but we both ended up outside the time limit and could remember the fact that the entry was depleted on the day. In the Scott programme each year there is a page listing right through to the 1920s the number of entrants, the winner, who set standard time and the number of finishers. The 1965 lists 188 entrants Arthur Lampkin winning the event and setting standard time but no number of finishers and Maurice does not have copies of the results. The photograph was published by the Motor Cycle journal and we came to the conclusion that they would have made a report of the 1965 trial and this would probably confirm the missing details and so the internet came in to play to locate a copy. There was a lot of information over the Scott trial including a video of the BBC film of the1974 event 50 years ago where I featured but not alas filming my brilliant ride in the section concerned but the camera focused on the boot with the sole hanging off; that was my brief moment of fame. Back to the subject to locate a copy of the journal one believe it or not was available in the United States of America at about 10 dollars but a UK version was purchased for £7.49; there was a small image of the cover and the date of 4th November 1965 confirmed it was the correct copy with the original cost of 1s 3d but bear in mind that wages at the time were in the region of £12/ and this amount would be the equivalent to 8/10p in to day's money.

The article reported there were 34 finishers in time, Arthur Lampkin set the standard time at 4h 18m 55secs and the weather was so foul the mag referred to it as the savage Scott. Through the mist of time I can remember the weather at the 9am start was fine but then Mother Nature got angry and angrier and riders were subjected to all four seasons in the one day, rain sleet hailstones and wind decimating the entry. The course had a leg out to Washfold an anti clockwise circuit back to Washfold and the leg back and the format was the same as the present day 9 o/clock start with riders departing at 20 second intervals. One point of interest was that this was the first ride of the Scott for Malcolm Rathmell riding a 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub; as pointed out earlier the weather was fine at the start and he set off rumoured to be in a Harris Tweed jacket, suitable for climbing Everest but not ideal for the wilds of Arkengarthdale and as the weather deteriated his parents Eric and Marjory set off to meet him at a section and hand him a Barbour jacket. He must have been quick even then at the tender age of sixteen for at every section they called at he had passed through and he ended up a drowned Rat (correction a drowned Rathmell I can possibly see me getting a bunch of fives from Malcolm for that remark) I understand he was advised to retire by officials before he snuffed it with hyperthermia and according to the report was one of only three riders to clean the Whaw Bridge section with the quote “certainly a lad to keep an eye on for the future”.

As for me after completing half a dozen sections I had blown the chance of winning the Alfred Scott Memorial Trophy and it became a lonely ride and reaching the Black Hills approximately ¾ of the way round I was beginning to run out of steam. I just managed to get the front wheel out of a steep long up hill section with loose stony rocks probably spoil from one of the abandoned mines in the area but did not have the energy to leg the bike out completely. The observer pulled the bike out of the section and then asked if I intended to retire when I enquired as to how many rides had been through and the answer was not many. My response was no and would attempt to push the bike home before packing in whereupon he gave me a drink from his flask. I remember the drink was extremely sweet and it must have been rocket fuel for it rejuvenated my tired body and I ended up like Superman.

At the Washfold section I was caught up by Maurice Rispin who was riding number 97 to my number 3 and this gave a little encouragement for finishing in time as Maurice had made up 32 minutes on me and was definitely one of the quick riders with having finished 12 times consecutively in time which also included the award of 6 silver spoons. Maurice suggested we rode together to Dicky Edge as he believed it would be a pushing job although the climb was not observed. It would be no problem for modern machines of today but back then was regarded as a bit of a stopper requiring to pull a high gear suitable for 500s, 350s and possibly the 250 BSAs but the Greeves we were riding would struggle to pull second gear. The Greeves that Maurice rode was a bit unique at the time as the standard leading link forks had been replaced with BSA telescopic forks grafted on and my Greeves had belonged previously to past West Leeds member Reg Roberts who bought the model new and then spent the best part of two years plotting a sporting trial in the Hawes/ Ribblehead area of Yorkshire that eventually became the present day White Rose Trial. Reg acted as the clerk of course for the new trial in 1961 and 1962 and then retired from motorcycle trials and took up sailing with Halifax Sailing Club and I acquired the bike. I had to stick my neck out following Maurice as he was in the same mould as Sammy Miller, Malcolm Rathmell and the late Geoff Broadbent who do not appear to be quick but are surprisingly so smooth and seem to float over all obstacles however technical in contrast to the aggressive styles of Bill Wilkinson Arthur and Martin Lampkin who plough a furrow round the Scott course. Reaching Dicky Edge it was obvious the climb was as Maurice had predicted and a spirited attack from both resulted in just reaching the first bend before spinning to a halt. With my companion a bike length in front we pushed this to the summit of the climb and then returned to collect mine. I then made a major mistake deciding to head back down and attempt to get further up the hill a big mistake as inevitably I did not get as far and a third repeat ended with the same result. I believe up till then Maurice thought I was an angelic choir boy but that all changed with all the effing and blinding and brought the bike no further up the hill. I told him to carry on that I was out and he had a better chance of finishing in time. Maurice being a gentleman was reluctant but I insisted he carry on and I rode back down the hill. I remember an abandoned Triumph Tiger Cub propped up against the wall and a farmer leaning on the open gate who had been watching the proceedings. Asking him which was the best way to the start he informed me to turn left and follow the wall and that would lead to picking up the course. For the second time that day I was rejuvenated and a superman again and reaching the finish which was so close and enquiring whether I had set standard time the response was ”nay lad at 6 to 7 hours thas not even in time”. Being an honest Joe type of guy I obviously kept quiet about the course infringement. A few years later Maurice manned a secret number check on the moor above Whaw Bridge. For Maurice there was disappointment as well for he must have been only seconds or minutes OTL; we must have lost 10 to 15 minutes at least on Dicky Edge which must have put him over the time limit.

That night at the Kings Head, the Darlington Club announced that with there being so few finishers in time gold and silver spoons were to be awarded to all. It was another six years before I finished the Scott and in time but as one person remarked that was an easy year but for clubmen who lack the skills of the aces there is never such a thing of an easy Scott.

For Maurice it was his last Scott he competed in, a back injury sustained several years previously became progressively worse end eventually ended his off road days.

As for Malcolm Rathmell he learnt the hard way and rode in future Scott's in a Barbour suit or similar outfit and as we all now know his riding career hit the stratosphere.

The 1965 Scott Trial indeed turned out to be a “Savage Scott”

The graceful Maurice Rispin and”Crash, Bang, Wallop” Whit

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