THE first northern national motorcyle trial of the year will be held tomorrow at Rosedale, near Pickering.

An all-star entry list that includes some of the top names on the British trials scene tackles the Colonial Trial which goes back to 1926 when York Motor Club ran the event.

Present organisers Eboracum MC took over in 1957, sharing the running with Hull Auto from 1990 until 1996.

The trial went up to national, from East Yorks Centre, in 1991.

A maximum entry of 139 will ride the one-lap course, which features 40 sections with the grand finale under the giant oaks at Thorgill.

The field includes 67 clubmen, 39 intermediates and 34 experts.

Past winners Ian Austermuhle (Rosedale), top rider in the last two years, and triple winner Martin Crosswaite (Bingley) have James Dabill (Leeds), Shaun Morris (Charnock), Gary MacDonald (KInlochleven), John Shirt (Buxton) and Dan Clark (Keighley) to consider.

Novogar champion Tom Sagar (Oswestry), Henry Moorhouse (Leeds), Dan Thorpe (Chesterfield), Michael Phillipson (Crook) and Sam Ludgate (Pontefract) are also expected to feature.

The dark horses will be Liam Walker (Pontefract), a front runner last year, John Sunter (Richmond) on his Sandiford Montesa, and reigning Youth Class 'A' national champion Michael Brown (Scarborough).

Choosing a clubmen winner is impossible but Mark Summer (North Newbald), Becky Rennison (Northallerton), Elliott Acaster (Goole), Toby Eyre (Buxton), James Percival (Richmond), Peter Darrell (Pickering) or Bohdan Kyrnyckyj (Scunthorpe) should figure.

Store manager Carli Sherwin (Leeds) and her Beta machine will challenge Pickering physiotherpist Jayne Peace and Becky Rennison in a female battle of Rosedale.

Peace's husband Tim won the Colonial way back in 1985 and rides in the intermediate this year.

His victory was the first time the event ran in Rosedale. The trial runs in a very sensitive area so no-go areas are strictly applied to spectators.

There are no spectators or vehicles at Rock House, Moorlands and Coates Hill.

Thorgill Upwards, Crag Side, Hobb House and Thorgill are within walking distance of the start and again the no-vehicle rule applies.

Anyone from a support team ignoring the exclusion instructions could find their rider excluded from the trial.

Punch cards will be changed after section 20.

The action gets under way at 9.01am when Guisborough member Dominic Coleman fires up his Sherco. The time allowance is 5 hours 15 minutes.

Updated: 10:37 Saturday, February 12, 2005