After securing his first major domestic title, Wirksworth's Jack Thompson is looking further afield to demonstrate his huge potential.

At the end of October, the 14-year-old wrapped up the YMSA Youth B Class title by a margin of 36 championship points over his nearest rival.

With the YMSA rated as one of the toughest trials series around, it was a significant victory.

The Dales' testing courses attract the very best riders from around the UK and success in the YMSAs is arguably even more rewarding than in the British championships, in which he also performed well despite missing two rounds.

Now Jack, who has been riding motorbikes since the age of nine and competing for the last two years, is keen to cement his reputation as one of the country's finest young talents.
But 2007 promises to be a demanding year.

His dad Colin said: "Next year, he'll really have to prove himself because he goes up into A Class."

That will mean competing against more experienced riders, who will be expected to dominate the competition. But Jack is undaunted. In fact, the bigger the challenge, the happier he seems to be.

"I feel confident," he said. "Because it's harder stuff, and that's what I practice on."

"He does seem to do better on the bigger rocks and a lot of the harder sections," Colin agrees.

"He wants to do the Europeans – there are three rounds – but it's a big, big commitment."

There seem to be plenty of sacrifices being made in the Thompson household already.

Travelling all over the country to meetings is a costly business, as is maintaining a bike and buying equipment. There is also the time.

Saturdays and Sundays are tied up with practising and competing for both father and son, with Jack putting in plenty more hours of practice in the week.

Fortunately for Jack and other young trials riders, including Middleton's Joanne Coles and Stoney Middleton's Hannah Styles, both of whom have already taken part in the women's European championships, this area is blessed with the ideal terrain for a strenuous workout for bike and rider.

Jack is totally committed to the sport, and practice does, after all, make perfect, especially if you want to stay ahead of the competition.

"If you stop for two weeks then the others are going to get better and better, and they'll be at a level in front and you're a level behind," he says.

"But if you keep going and do more then you'll be ahead of them."

"It takes such dedication and skill," adds mum Elaine.
"You have to keep practising things over and over again.
Sometimes his muscles are so pumped up from the physical strain, it's incredible.

"And if he's not riding the bike he'll be watching the DVDs and videos or out on his push bike."

His dedication has earned him recognition as one of Anthony Gell School's most talented young sportsmen, allowing him to exchange PE lessons for trials practice.

It also set him at odds with a consultant after breaking his collar bone.

Despite the medical advice, he was riding a motorbike again after just two weeks.

But what he and his family would really like him to do is attract the kind of sponsorship some of his rivals enjoy.

He does currently get some assistance from manufacturers, but the cost still very largely still falls to the family.

The compensation they currently get is in seeing him succeed.
"Any father would like their son to win," said Colin.

"It's very rare for somebody to win a championship, and it's a big, big thing considering how many riders are in his class."