Richard Kinver wins big in highly contested Bovey Down Trial

Competitors from across the country took part in The Windwhistle Motor Club's Bovey Down Trial last weekend.

The annual contest was held in Bovey Down Woods near Seaton on May 19.

Richard Kinver from Ottery St Mary achieved overall victory in his Ford special, clearing all but three sections.

He scored only 10 penalty points, securing the Brocken Diff Trophy.

Roger Teagle, driving a bright green UVA Fugitive, finished second overall and tops in Class 7, with a total of 14 penalty points, making it a tight finish.

Third place went to James Gibson in his Goo Ford Special.

A highlight of the event was the drive of Mark White in the Class 90, winning the class with his Suzuki X-90.

He finished fourth overall with 37 points.

Peter Jones and Katie Kinver followed him in the class ranking, with scores of 54 and 57 respectively.

Roger Ashby from Bridgwater claimed Class 7 victory with his Marlin, finishing fifth overall.

Meanwhile, Karen Warren won the combined Classes 4 and 6 in her Volkswagen Beetle with an impressive 55 points.

Combined Classes 2, 3 and 5 saw first place go to Ben Ballardie from Taunton in his BMW 318ti, with Rugby's Matt Wills following close behind in his Mazda MX-5.

The conditions were quite near perfect with clear skies, warm temperatures, and a slick surface thanks to recent rain.

A total of 11 hills were allocated for the cars to climb.

Two observed tests were conducted as tiebreakers against the clock.

The competition was divided into two halves, with lunch served in between and tea at the end of the day as results were being calculated.

Windwhistle Motor Club chairman Nick Farmer said: "The day was a great success.

"It's 20 years since the club's first Bovey Down Trial and it's become a firm favourite with competitors coming from all over the country.

"We were very pleased to have another warm sunny day for the event."