After battling his way up boulders and balancing his way over tree roots, through creek beds and along steep hillsides, Blake Fox, of Brighton, placed fifth in the expert grade at the three-day New Zealand Moto Trials Championships near Te Awamutu in Waikato.
The 17-year-old was up against all ages in the open class over Labour Weekend and pitted against talented Kiwi international rider Jake Whitaker, of Wellington, and seven-time former national champion Warren Laugesen, of Napier.
A Taieri College year 12 pupil, Blake said trying to negotiate his way up rocks between 1.5m and 3m high proved challenging on the type of motorcycle he was riding.
"The first two days, the sections were big and all my competition were on 250cc [motorcycles] or bigger, so they could go up all the rocks, while I was struggling, being underpowered with the 125cc."
Blake has opted for the 2011 Gas Gas Racing 125cc trials bike because in May next year he will compete in an Australian-based world moto trials round in the youth class, that requires its 16 to 18-year-old entrants to ride 125cc machines.
The three courses near Te Awamutu used for the national competition had a variety of natural obstacles, which the trials riders had to negotiate, while trying not to place a foot on the ground, or fall off. Points were accrued for faults, and the rider with the lowest score won.
Blake can be seen in action at the South Otago A and P Show in Balclutha, the Otago-Taieri A and P Show in Mosgiel and the Brighton Gala Day.
