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Red Kite Rally 2005
 The inaugural Red Kite Rally took place on Easter Sunday 27th March
around the Eppynt near Llandovery. It was a re-working of the
phenomenally successful Cambrian Rally which has been moved to Nant yr
Hooch in the Autumn following the loss of the Army ranges but -
inexplicably - the new event attracted a much smaller entry. This was
particularly disappointing for the Welsh Trail Riders Association given
the efforts they had made to re-establish access to the land. It could
have been a combination of words like roadbook & re-fuelling in the
regs but neither proved to be a problem on the day as the course was
well marked with arrows & the club had laid on transport to the
re-fuelling area (thanks Steve).. So, for the 110 riders, who knew that
what WTRA turns it's hand to is done well, fortune favoured the brave.
The weather was good for mid March & many people chose to camp. From
the start in Llandovery Rugby Club the riders followed the winding
Brecon road to Llywel before turning left up the "Dual
Carriageway" onto the Eppynt. Here the riders turned right to start
the first of 2 40 mile anti-clockwise laps before returning to the
Llandovery. There were 2 timed tests of approx 5 niles in length on each
lap. The first started on Mabion's Way, went through Block B &
finished at Journey's End near the FIBUA. The second was around the
Halfway & along the Driver Training course. Lady
rider 108 on a Honda XLR 125 made an early fashion statement &
took the landscape as her theme by applying a terracotta clay motif to
her backside. It was all very Jean Paul Gautier. To save erosion &
with an average capacity of 500cc, the course had been laid out to avoid
any soft going but Paul Blezard (pictured with Pat
Keenan) must have found some or he could have been using his BMW
cylinder heads to fire a pair of usual clay pots for some relaxing
flower arranging after the event. On the first lap Huw Watkins & I
were posted on the road before the Training Area to slow the riders down
to 20mph. Brian Eland listened patience as we explained the situation
before departing at precisely 20mph on the back wheel. Our second task
of the day was to stand by with grappling irons at a watersplash on the
second test which had a deep hole in it. Most riders opted for the bank
but one rider did take up the challenge & while Huw waited with his
camera to captured a low budget re-make of Titanic, Captain Beemer
sailed majestically through the middle & missed the hole to
everyone's relief. On the tests Brian & Katrina Price were in a
class of their own but their riding styles differed widely as Katrina
skipped & Brian thundered. It was like watched a slightly overweight
labrador pursuing a butterfly around the garden. Darren
Duesbury was going well. No 30 Jonathan Ace's day ended when his
gear shaft snapped on the 2nd test. Chris Milton from Burton on Trent
also had an early start to long journey home when his DRZ chain snapped
twice on the same test. ACU T&E chairman John
Collins got back to basics on a Serow with trail tyres. It was great
to see former winner John Deacon's 1999 KTM being
piloted by Tim Stephens. The bike is a genuine piece of motorcycle
history on which John competed in the Paris Dakar, winning a stage &
finished 5th overall. It still sports his original numbers & decals.
Following the event the organisers laid on a buffet where the riders
could tell their tales of daring that will become legends. Be there next
year. Results. Feedback
Photos available from Huw Watkins
Keith Davies
& Photos4ru.com
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