Sporting Trial 

The Johnson Trial was held near Eaton, Leicestershire, UK, last weekend. I have never spectated at or photographed a sporting trial, so I was looking forward to this new experience during my drive into the heart of England. 

So what exactly was the Johnson Trial and specifically a sporting trial? As with most motorsports, sporting trials started at the dawn of the evolution of the car. Endurance and speed were the main efforts at the time when the owners of the newfangled automobile wanted to test their cars. 

Sporting trials took a different route, quite literally. Driving a short distance at slow speeds over a marked-out off-road course is basically a sporting trial. Add in some elevation changes and the British weather, which can determine the traction available, and you have a challenging competition. Sounds simple, until you see it in person. 

Sporting Trial details

The best way to describe The Johnson or any of the sporting trials is as an uphill ski slalom. Poles are placed on a hillside indicating the route; different colours determine which side the car is to pass the poles. 

The car that gets the highest up the hill without stopping will get the least points. The more you stop, or to be more precise, if one of the front wheel hubs fails to get past a post, the more points you get. The least points accumulated during the trial wins. The Johnson Trial had six sections that ranged from tight turns through gorse bushes to open hilly farmland. 

The cars are quite different to any other form of motorsport vehicles. They are built specifically to take on a sporting trial. The foot brakes operate the front two wheels. Two hand brakes operate the rear wheels independently. This combined with the aggressive steering lock enables the cars to turn within their own length.

All of the cars must have a passenger while competing. The passenger will move around to help gain better traction but must stay inside the car. Basically, they must keep their bottom over the passenger seat. Chatting to the crews’ passengers are in high demand. So if you are looking to get into motorsport, pop along to your local trial and introduce yourself. On that note, marshals are also required. Not so much on the recovery or incident response side but more so for observing and scoring the sections.

Spectating at a Sporting Trial

As a first-time spectator, I introduced myself to the team running the event. All motorsports can be dangerous for competitors and spectators. With this in mind and safety first, I was welcomed and briefed on the course and its layout and what not to do. 

There are no designated spectator areas, and as a first-time visitor, the course looked confusing to my untrained eye. Standing back to watch the cars take on the first section, I soon got the hang of where the best places would be to spectate. 

Due to the very low speeds, sporting trials are one of the safest motorsports I have seen. However, you have to be aware of your surroundings. The hills were very slippy underfoot. I’m pleased to report I stayed upright all day. Also, being aware of the cars and where they are going is very important. Some will not make it to the top of the hill, so the only way is down. Keep that in mind when you are picking your spot to spectate.  

Sporting Trials Summary

The Johnson Trial was a very pleasant day out for me. As a spectator and photographer, I couldn’t have asked for any more. Free to spectate, it’s a great way to get some fresh air, exercise, and watch some very talented crews take on hills that are difficult to walk up, never mind drive. 

The crews and staff are very welcoming and more than happy to explain the sport in detail to the newbie. Facilities are minimal, with just a few portable toilets and no catering. I will recommend visiting a sporting trial as a spectator and as a photographer.

I don’t think there are many other motorsports where you can get this close to the action. More information on where you can see a sporting trial can be found on the British Trial and Rally Drivers Association website.

Sporting Trials Photographic Post Script

For this event, I used my old Nikon D3X with a standard 70-200mm f2.8 lens. A much shorter focal length lens can be used as you can stand quite close to the action. I did take some images with a 24-70mm f2.8 lens. As a personal preference, I like to keep space between me and the cars, which a zoom lens gives me. 

Using the zoom capabilities of the 70-200mm, I was able to take different shots from the same location. The course the cars take does wind back on itself, enabling you to get different shots from the same place. 

One aspect of sporting trials is the slow speeds. As a motorsport photographer, you will want to get the impression of movement into your images. This can be quite difficult as the cars are going slowly but also bouncing up and down. Studying the cars, I soon worked out the precise moment to take my shot to get the background blurred and the cars sharp. 

Finally, I had many requests from the crew and staff to post up my images on the internet. There are not many photographers who make the trip out to capture a sporting trial. This could be a way into building a great portfolio if you are starting out in the world of motorsport photography.