James Stewart (4 Douglas sc) 4 marks lost

RED BRAE HILL CLIMB 5 June

Was reported that glorious weather favoured the first event of the year for the Club when the hill climb took place at Red Brae on 5 June.

There was a good attendance but unfotunately many did not favour the running of the event on the time principle compared to the previous knockout system.

The hill climb, open to all members of the Ulster Centre and affiliated clubs, is reported to have provided some keen competition and fine riding. Of the 23 entrants, 18 started. Tom Mallon was involved in an incident involving a horse almost at the top of the climb and was entitled to another try.

Results on the day were as follows:

Class A – Novices 1st W E Beck (2¼ New Hudson); 2nd J McBride (3½ Sunbeam) and 3rd W Hutchinson (3½ Rudge)

Class B – Club Members not connected with the motorcycle trade 1st W E Beck (2¼ New Hudson); 2nd J McBride (3½ Sunbeam) and 3rd W Meek (7-9 Indian).

Class C – Open 1st Tom Mallon (3½ Sunbeam); 2nd W Linton (3½ Rudge) and 3rd J McBride (3½ Sunbeam).

The special prize for fastest time, presented by Mr J C Barr, won by J Meek (7-8 Indian). Hill climb, Carnmoney 30 June 1920

Class A: J Agnew; Class B: Murray Anderson; Special prize: J Boston

Open Hill Climb, Carnmoney 7 July 1920

The Club ran an open hill climb at Carnmoney on the evening of Wednesday 7 July. The first prize was the Belfast and District Cup and gold medal and the second and third prizes gold and silver medals respectively. A special prize was also made available for the fastest time of the day. The Ireland’s Saturday Night (10 July 1920) reports:

“Some excellent speed work was witnessed and when the handicap was worked out, Ernie Thompson proved to be the winner of the cup. Paget Bell (Norton) was second and J Boston (Triumph was third. Jimmy Shaw, who sits on the scratch mark, made the fastest time of the day, covering the distance in 34 seconds dead. Afterwards, another impromptu handicap was run off the knock-out principle. In the first round, Paget Bell had the honour of beating Tom Mallon on his Sunbeam but in the final, he fell victim to Ernie Thompson, who thus scored his second victory.”

Belfast and District Cup and gold medal

Ernie Thompson, (3½ Rudge);

Gold medal

Paget Bell, (3½ Norton);

Silver medal

James Boston, (4 Triumph).

Special prize for fastest time:

J W Shaw, (3½ Norton).

Knock-out race:

1. Ernie Thompson, (3½ Rudge). Reliability Trial Jaffe Cup 15 July 1920

The Reliability Trial scheduled for 12 June (subsequently moved to 15 July) was discussed at length by the Club and it was agreed by 6 votes to 2 that the distance should be reduced to 100 miles. This may be the introduction to the distance popular for road races in later years such as the Cookstown 100, Comber 100 and Dundrod 100.

The course for the event was proposed as Belfast, Larne, Cushendall, Ballymena and back to Belfast. However, if the course was to cover 200 miles, then the route would be Belfast – Ballymena – Coleraine – Portrush – Giant’s Causeway – Ballintoy – Ballycastle –Larne – Belfast. The latter course was agreed and 12 out of the 14 entrants competed.

A substantial report on the event was made in The Irish Motor on 23 July, 1920 which read as follows:

“The Reliability Run for the Jaffe Cup took place on Thursday 15th. The course was from Fortwilliam Park, Antrim Road, via Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Portrush and Causeway, where a stop of 1¾ hours was made for lunch. The return journey was via Ballintoy up Knocksaughey into Ballycastle, then Coast Road to Larne, thence to Fortwilliam Park, Shore Road.

Sharp to time the first competitor, S Wallace (8 h.p. Rex and sidecar) started off, followed by the others at 2 minute intervals. By 9.30 the last competitor had departed. The day was threatening, but fortunately heavy rain kept off, the only discomfort the riders having to contend with being a slight shower, and the roads were in good condition.

The first control was at the Pentagon, in Ballymena, where the first competitor was due at 10.18. The control was in charge of Mr Robert