Past Trials

Scottish Six Days Trials - Past Winners

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Past Scottish Six Days Trial Winners


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Every one a winner - Past SSDT winners gathered at the centenary Scottish in 2011.
Image: trialscentral.com

One of the most prestigious achievements a Trials rider can accomplish in their riding career is to lift the famous North British Rubber Company Trophy as winner of the Scottish Six Days Trial. Here we look back at those small band of brothers who have made this remarkable achievement.

2019 James Dabill on a 300 Beta
2018 Dougie Lampkin on a 300 Vertigo
2017 Dougie Lampkin on a 300 Vertigo
2016 Dougie Lampkin on a 300 Vertigo
2015 Dougie Lampkin on a 300 Vertigo
2014 Dougie Lampkin on a 300 DL12 Special
2013 Dougie Lampkin on a 300 Gas Gas
2012 Dougie Lampkin on a 300 Gas Gas
2011 James Dabill on a 290 Beta
2010 Alexz Wigg on a 290 Beta
2009 Dougie Lampkin on a 290 Beta
2008 Dougie Lampkin on a 270 Beta
2007 James Dabill on a 300 Montesa
2006 Graham Jarvis on a 290 Sherco
2005 Sam Connor on a 290 Sherco
2004 Graham Jarvis on a 290 Sherco
2003 Joan Pons on a 290 Sherco
2002 Amos Bilbao on a 250 Montesa
2000 Steve Colley on a 280 Gas Gas
1999 Graham Jarvis on a 290 Bultaco
1998 Graham Jarvis on a 250 Scorpa
1997 Steve Colley on a 270 Gas Gas
1996 Dougie Lampkin on a 250 Beta
1995 Dougie Lampkin on a 250 Beta
1994 Dougie Lampkin on a 250 Beta
1993 Steve Colley on a 260 Beta
1992 Steve Colley on a 260 Beta
1991 Steve Saunders on a 260 Beta
1990 Steve Saunders on a 260 Beta
1989 Steve Saunders on a 305 Fantic
1988 Steve Saunders on a 303 Fantic
1987 Jordi Tarres on a 260 Beta
1986 Thierry Michaud on a 301 Fantic
1985 Thierry Michaud on a 301 Fantic
1984 Thierry Michaud on a 300 Fantic
1983 Toni Gorgot on a 330 Montesa
1982 Bernie Schreiber on a 280 SWM
1981 Giles Burgat on a 280 SWM
1980 Yrjo Vesterinen on a 349 Montesa
1979 Malcolm Rathmell on a 310 Montesa
1978 Martin Lampkin on a 350 Bultaco
1977 Martin Lampkin on a 350 Bultaco
1976 Martin Lampkin on a 325 Bultaco
1975 Mick Andrews on a 250 Yamaha
1974 Mick Andrews on a 250 Yamaha
1973 Malcolm Rathmell on a 250 Bultaco
1972 Mick Andrews on a 250 Ossa
1971 Mick Andrews on a 250 Ossa
1970 Mick Andrews on a 250 Ossa
1969 Bill Wilkinson on a 250 Greeves
1968 Sammy Miller on a 252 Bultaco
1967 Sammy Miller on a 252 Bultaco
1966 Alan Lampkin on a 250 BSA
1965 Sammy Miller on a 250 Bultaco
1964 Sammy Miller on a 500 Ariel
1963 Arthur Lampkin on a 250 BSA
1962 Sammy Miller on a 500 Ariel
1961 Gordon Jackson on a 350 AJS
1960 Gordon Jackson on a 350 AJS
1959 Roy Peplow on a 199 Triumph
1958 Gordon Jackson on a 350 AJS
1957 Johnny Brittain on a 350 Royal Enfield
1956 Gordon Jackson on a 350 AJS
1955 Jeff Smith on a 500 BSA
1954 Artie Ratcliffe on a 350 Matchless
1953 Hugh Viney on a 350 AJS
1952 Johnny Brittain on a 350 Royal Enfield
1951 John Draper on a 350 BSA
1950 Artie Ratcliffe on a 350 Matchless
1949 Hugh Viney on a 347 AJS
1948 Hugh Viney on a 347 AJS
1947 Hugh Viney on a 347 AJS
1939 Allan Jeffries on a 349 Triumph
1938 Fred Povey on a 348 Ariel
1937 Jack Williams on a 348 Norton
1936 Billy Tiffen on a 343 Velocette
1935 Bob McGregor on a 499 Rudge
1934 Jack Williams on a 348 Norton
1933 Len Heath on a 497 Ariel
1932 Bob McGregor on a 499 Rudge
Why are there no winners before 1932?

The first question on everyone's lips when they look at the past winners of the Scottish Six Days Trial is "Why are there no winners prior to 1932?". The automatic assumption is that records don't go back that far, but actually it's because there was no outright winner prior to 1932.

The way that we score trials today bears no resemblance to those early years. When the SSDT began there were no sections at all. The Scottish road surfaces and hills were considered to be enough of a trial, and the only way that you incurred penalties was by falling away from the time schedule. The route was scheduled around an average speed of twenty miles per hour, and if you reached a time check more than ten minutes late or early, then you incurred penalties. Those who finished the trial with no time penalties won a gold medal, with silver and bronze medals being awarded to all other finishers based on the number of penalties incurred.

In 1914, the rules were tightened up. Every entrant was given a time card and the leeway given at a time check was reduced from ten minutes down to five....and to think people complain about time nowadays! At the same time penalties were introduced for late starting and the route was built to include seven optional hills. The awards system worked in much the same way as before, but if you didn't complete at least five of the seven optional hills you couldn't win a gold medal.

In 1926 four categories in which penalties could be incurred were established. Those were reliability, hill-climbs, daily condition of machine and a brake test. This was also the year that the awards changed. You no longer got a gold medal for completing the trial with no penalties, instead you won a silver cup. Gold medals were awarded to those with no more than three marks lost, silver medals to those with no more than fifteen marks lost and bronze medals to all other finishers, unless you were unfortunate enough to have list more than one hundred and fifty marks, in which case you were disqualified!

1931 saw big changes. Observed hills were introduced with penalties incurred for putting your foot down, and awards were allocated on a percentage basis at the end of the trial, much as they are today. However, there was still no individual winner—it was only the following year in 1932 that the Edinburgh & District Motor Club decided to introduce an award for the best individual performance. The rest, as they say, is history!