hwack! The cane slammed into the desk mereinches from my fingers. ‘Are you paying atten-tion, boy?’ growled the figure looming over me.I shuffled back in my chair. ‘Tch, you’ll neverlearn about weighting the outside peg and

keeping those elbows up if you spend all your timedaydreaming, Moss.’

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Chris Moss goes back to school tolearn the ABC of trailriding at WOR…

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busy and well-established events organising company,WOR (World of Riding). But now he’s opened this new‘Trails and Training’ wing of the business, and with itaims to pass on some of the skills and experience he’samassed over the last three decades…

Play TimeTrails and Training can provide a wide varietyof different off-road experiences to an equally

wide variety of customers (who can bring

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Funny, I don’t remember dirtbiking being on thecurriculum when I was a lad. And I’m pretty sure that itstill isn’t, unless you happen to sign yourself up to someoff-road teaching at World of Riding’s new Trails andTraining school, based in and around a Victorian school-house in Corwen, North Wales. Up until 2010, the schoolwas still in use, teaching the local nippers reading,‘riting and ‘rithmatic. Now the three Rs have becomeriding, roosting and ruts!

You don’t have to talk to owner Steve Ireland for verylong to realise he’s more than a bit keen on off-roading.In his own words, ‘it’s in my blood. It’s a lifestyle for me.I’ve dedicated my life to it for the last 30-odd years,moved to Wales to be closer to it, and I still lovebeing involved with it to this day.’

The well-known Merseysider (or adoptedWelshman as he likes to be known) who’sresided in Wales for the last 12 years, heads the

Up until 2010 this lovely oldVictorian school building was stillin use. And now it’s once againbeing used for teaching people... ’‘

Steve’s not really a fierce headmasterat all. But he is fiercely proud of hisWOR organisation and what he hasachieved. And best of all he doesn’teven mind if you chew gum in class!

their own bikes). ‘Our guidance is tailored to suit anyonefrom complete beginners to seasoned experts, andenables them to experience or learn more about off-roading,’ says Steve. ‘We’ll be providing many differentthings such as enjoyable, non-pressured riding on safeand legal trails. We can also cater for anyone new to itall with our first-timers track, and more advanced riderscan come and ride at their own pace at one of our pri-vate venues. Whoever you are, and whatever you need,we feel we can help.

‘I think it’s important to be flexible, and I’ll be happyto negotiate with anyone who wants to do somethinga bit different. One-to-one tuition will be available forexample, and I’ll be more than happy to give tips andguidance on stuff like fitness and maintenance. I liketo see riders realising their potential, and I think I’m ina perfect position to do that,’ he adds with more thana hint of enthusiasm.

Steve’s claim of being perfectly positioned is noexaggeration. Having recently acquired the use of thisschoolhouse in North Wales, he feels he has a great set-

up in an idyllic location, situated as he justifiablyputs it, ‘within some of the best trail riding onoffer in the world.’

The school and its grounds are an idealplace to kick off any ride. There’s a safeand secure place to park vans and trailers,with plenty of room to change and store

kit. There’s a shower and jet wash, and a

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‘Brrrrmmmmm, Brrrrmmmmm...Parp, Parp!’

petrol station and cafe just a few yards away.Where you head-out from the school will dependon you and your needs, so Steve showed us someof his alternatives.

First off, we were taken to the first-timers track

to do a few laps. The venue has significant relevanceto me as a relative newcomer. Okay, I might have beentaking to the dirt on average once a week for the lasttwo and half years now, but there was still somethingfor me to appreciate there.

I can still remember just how daunting I found myfirst forays on the dirt, and clearly recall just how off-

We were taken to the first-timers track to do a few easylaps under the guidance of

Headmaster Steve... ’‘ Here’s One I Rode EarlierThis wasn’t the first time I’ve been trail riding withSteve Ireland. A day I spent with him earlier this yearin a group of eight riders was typical of what you’dexpect on one of the Trails and Training guided out-ings. It certainly underlined some of the servicesyou can rely on…The route was fun and typically challenging, and a

couple of times some super-steep and rocky climbsbordered on ‘impossible’ for me. Luckily Steve wason hand to give advice, boost my confidence get methrough and on my way. Breaks for tea and cake,followed by a top up for fuel meant the day flowednicely.The progress wasn’t quite so sweet for my mate

Steve. However, his almost toothless rear sprocketissue was soon sorted after Steve Ireland had sum-moned one of his disciples to collect the dying KTMin the back up van and take it back to base. Then,not long after, I had a mechanical of my own whenI discovered that my failure to climb a steep ascentwasn’t down to lack of rider talent, but a lack ofdrive. My worn out split link had pinged off into theWelsh undergrowth and I was left with the chaindragging uselessly on the floor. Thinking I’d bejoining my mate Steve back at base, HeadmasterIreland’s right-hand-man fitted a spare, whichhelped me reach the summit within ten minutes ofmy embarrassing transmission failure and allowedme to carry on for the rest of the day.A chance to scoff some good old pie and chips

came shortly after in a most hospitable pub. Stevehad a deal with said boozer, just as he does withseveral others in the area, and its staff smiled con-tinually even though we looked like we were tryingto bring most of the Welsh countryside inside andleave it on their carpets.Back on the trails I soon tested Steve’s organiza-

tional flexibility again, with my lack of fitnessdeeming I’d need to end the day a bit earlier thanoriginally planned.Taking an early bath still didn’t stop the day being

absolutely cracking though. It was definitely a lotbetter than it would have been if I’d not been ableto rely on Steve and his team’s expertise and assis-tance. If that was the case I’d probably still becrawling around looking for my errant split link tothis day, and not knowing exactly where to headeven if I found it. Must try harder...

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01225 765765

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tomed to what can at first seem like a totally alienenvironment, and do so without any enthusiasm-sap-ping fears. The terrain is pretty straightforward andeasy-going, and since it’s a circuit, lapping it repeat-edly gives you a chance to build up your confidence andability. I would have been quite happy to spend moretime there than we did. That way I could practice afew things I need to feel more comfortable with,such as tackling flat turns, trying pivot turns orusing berms to corner - stuff that trail riding rarelyallows you to do repetitively. Steve says it’s an ideal

place for tuition for him too. ‘As it’s privateground, we don’t get interrupted and I canconcentrate on the riders’ techniques, offer-ing regular tips and advice as often and assoon as they need it.’

Physical EducationBeing a bit short of time, and knowing the next fewhours riding would be the most beneficial to me, we leftthe private track behind to join the superb trails nearby.I’ve only been on the Welsh trails in the area a handful of

putting any trickier sections were. Trying to tackle any-thing particularly hilly, boggy or rocky just turned meoff the idea of dirtbiking. Only when I was re-introducedto things more gently did I develop any keenness. So Ifor one appreciate just how crucial and appropriate thevenue for your early rides needs to be. Luckily, Ireland’snovice track is a great place for anyone fresh to thegame, and certainly would have suited me perfectlywhen I first rode on knobblies.

It gives newcomers a chance to get a feel for thingswithout pressure. They can gradually become accus-

times, including once with Steve himself (see box out),and I’ve always found them massively rewarding.

Quite apart from offering some of the prettiestscenery in the UK, there is just so much to learn.I might have a great network of byways on mydoorstep in Wiltshire, but I’ve ridden much of it soregularly I don’t often get out of my comfort zone -an essential place to go if you want to further your ridingexperience, and skills…

And so it was when we all hit the Wayfarer’s Trail,which climbed over quite bleak-looking, though stillvisually stunning moorland. The undulating and rockyroute probably wouldn’t trouble most experienced riders,but I did like the fact I had to consciously think about,plan and adjust my lines carefully to maintain safe andswift progress.

Being well aware of my eagerness to learn how to getthe best out of myself and my Husky, Steve made sure I

was challenged as often as possible, presentingme with lots of tricky stuff like endless puddles,slimy-looking off-camber slate sections, andsteep gnarly descents featuring chunky boulders.

‘Don’t worry Mossy, I’m not trying to kill you,’ saidSteve, clearly detecting a worried look on my facewhich suggested I thought he was looking to do me in.To my relief, we then took a quick breather, which

gave me the chance to talk to my guide a bit moreabout the trails we were enjoying.

‘I think this sort of ride will be the core of my busi-ness, and I’m confident people will love riding over here.I know I do, and I still ride around here at least once aweek,’ enthused Steve.

‘We’ve got over 200 miles of byways to choose from,and can vary the degree of difficulty to suit all levels ofexperience thanks to our extensive knowledge of thearea and the local people. There’ll be tea, lunch andfuel stops along the way, and road work is kept to aminimum.

‘We want to guide and train a maximum of six ridersin a group (but can take more than one group if needed).With our two staff riders we can also call on a back-upvan to deal with any mechanicals or injuries that wecan’t sort out on the trails. If anyone gets tired or isfinding things too difficult (or too easy for that matter)

The HeadBoss of WOR, Steve Ireland, has been riding dirtbikessince the tender age of seven. Inspired by his father,he began racing when he was just eight years old.He took a breather from it all when he was 13 but

returned to just ride for fun when he was 19. He setup Wirral Off Road club in 1998, won a British Cham-pionship in 2000, and then established WOR Eventsin 2005. Hare & Hound events, time card enduros,practice Play Days and RED (Race Experience Days)are all part of the WOR calendar. And Steve’s alsoorganised the world-famous Tough One extremeenduro for the last eight years...

Steve made sure I was alwayschallenged. Funny... cos myold school report said that I

was ‘Challenged’ too! ’‘

we can quickly adjust the route. We want to take the worryout of trail riding and we’re confident we can give riders areally enjoyable, safe and rewarding day out on legal trails.’

I’m pretty confident of that too. We rode with Steve foranother couple of hours, exploring some of the best trails I’veridden on. And though I was constantly tested by the terrain,by the time I got back to the schoolhouse I couldn’t have felthappier. I’d learnt plenty, and certainly enough to want to getback to try more of what I’d sampled as soon as possible.

Riding the North Wales trails is just something else. Know-ing that you don’t need to worry about key stuff like where

Every school has a strange characterhiding in the bushes...

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you’re heading, where to get fuel and food, or howyou’re going to deal with your broken bike makesit even better.Of course, the trails are just one of the things

you can sample with Steve. Anyone whose bike isn’troad legal can join him for rides through his privategrounds, which can be as quick, tough and technicalas you fancy, as well as being free from walkers, horseriders and other such potential hazards.

Trails and Training is also keen to look after riders ofadventure bikes like big GSs, Super Teneres, and KTMAdventures. Realising many owners are keen to sampleoff-road life but probably lack much experience, theroutes will be tailored to avoid over-demanding chal-lenges. Though again Steve is happy to be flexible andwill make it tougher if that’s what you want!

Now if you’ll excuse me, Steve said I needed to workon my lines. Not on the trails, but for clarting him withmud. ‘I must not roost teacher. I must not roost teacher.I must not roost…’

Term TimeSteve has yet to set exact dates and prices forhis schools, so if you’d like further informationcall him on 07803 698061 or emailsteve@worevents.com. Alternatively regularlyvisit worevents.com

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