MotoTrials National Championship Western Rounds Canon City Colorado & Tillamook Oregon

Saturday was a good day for me. I felt strong after recovering from some nerve-related injuries in my shoulder. I felt like I rode well and had a couple of bad calls that left me just off the podium in fourth.

Sunday I rode what I felt was really well with just a couple of mistakes to step on the podium in 3rd. The grip on the rocks was insane but the sand seemed to track onto everything, keeping you on the alert. Overall I had a great time and my Factory Evo 300 dealt with the altitude and big rocks without any issues.

Oregon National:

Oregon was at a new site this year. I was looking forward to riding in slippery conditions but it was a dust bowl. The huge round grippy rocks were a blast to ride but the loamy soil was like dry coffee grounds. I managed to pull a solid second place on Saturday but the dust really affected my allergies and caused me to stall a couple of times resulting in a subpar finish on Sunday.

Looking forward to Rhode Island for the final two rounds at the end of July. As always a huge shout out and thank you to Beta USA for their continued support.

The 3rd and 4th rounds did not go as planned. I was trying to get used to the terrain of Colorado but just couldn’t put it together. I was having trouble getting over the big rocks just because I’m not used to having traction so I would hit everything incorrectly. By the end of Sunday I finally started to ride how I wanted to but at that point it was too late and very random failures happened such as a branch snagging my front brake lever and throwing me over the bars. I ended up 5th on both days. The bike performed perfectly if I was just able to get my abilities the results would have been better.

Oregon National:

Rounds 5/6 went better than 4/5. I finished P3 on Saturday and P4 on Sunday. Lots of failures due to fluke incidents but on the last loop of Sunday I put up a score like I knew what I was doing. I’ve been riding with another teammate and he’s helped me with better results out here on the west coast. The trial was a lot of fun with Sunday having many big obstacles. The bike ran perfectly. Overall I had a great weekend and as always a blast working and riding with the Beta team.

Rounds 3 and 4 of the NATC Mototrials in Colorado were a challenge. The terrain was amazing, but not something I have much experience with. We did a lot of learning this weekend and I was able to put some good rides together on Sunday. I finished P3 both days. My Beta Evo Factory 125 performed incredibly, and the cooler temps and higher elevation averaged out to the performance I was used to.

Oregon National:

I felt good going into Oregon for rounds 5 & 6 of the AMA/NATC Mototrials Nationals, and my 2023 Beta Factory Evo 125 was loving the cool air and lower altitude. I rode well on Saturday but had a bad get-off on Section 1 of the third loop. I subluxated my right shoulder. With the help of some fantastic friends (and fellow Beta riders), I was able to finish the day and stand on the podium in 3rd. Sunday started out with some discomfort from the injury, and unfortunately, that progressed and resulted in a DNF after 10 sections. Overall, we learned a massive amount, and I’m looking forward to Youth Nationals and the last 2 rounds of the Nationals in Rhode Island.

Rounds 1 & 2 of the NATC Western Nationals went well. Saturday started off strong but the heat and high elevation drained my energy faster than normal. Given these conditions, I still felt like I rode really well but one unexpected 5 put me in second place by 1 point. I ended up with 15 points. Sunday was much better for me. I felt like I was better prepared for the terrain and my body was used to the change in elevation. Going into my last lap I knew that the scores were tight and I did everything I could to not dab. I was extremely happy to clean section 8, which was the hardest one for me, and I am even more excited to have cleaned my last loop! I ended the day with 9 points and I won my class and also took the overall on the ES line. Thank you to Ray Peters for the food in between loops and for having the best pits on site!

Oregon National:

Rounds 3 and 4 of the Western NATC series in Oregon went much better for me. The terrain here was closer to the terrain I practice on, so this definitely boosted my confidence and gave me a little advantage. While the rocks are much gripper than the ones at home, I was able to adapt quickly. Saturday was a little on the difficult side, which led to me taking a long time on my first lap. Unfortunately towards the end of the trial, I was pressed for time to even finish, and I had to rush a little bit. I didn’t let this affect me and still rode the best I could. I won with 40 points. On Sunday I had a feel for the sections, and I was more aware of the time problem. With that said I didn’t waste any time and began checking off the loops. While Sunday was also harder, I felt like I was able to ride the best because I was not worried about time, I could relax and ride my trial. Throughout the whole journey out west, my Factory Beta Evo 125 worked amazingly at two very different elevations and climates. Thank you to Ray Peters for having the tools and food we need to perform our best! I’m looking forward to rounds 3 and 4 of the Eastern series in Rhode Island!