EXPERT - One who has finished in the first 15% of finishers, with a maximum of 15 if more than 100 finishers, on three separate occasions during two calendar years ending 31 December. Additionally, a rider who wins or is second in the Centre Intermediate championship shall be upgraded to Expert with effect from 1 January the next year. Expert grading is valid for two years only and a rider could revert to Intermediate.
INTERMEDIATE - One who has finished in the first 50% of finishers, with a maximum of 50 if more than 100 finishers, on three separate occasions during two calendar years ending 31 December. Additionally, a rider who wins or is second in the Centre Novice championship shall be upgraded to Intermediate with effect from 1 January the next year. Where there is a choice of routes in a trial a rider winning on the easier route three times in any twelve month period shall be upgraded to Intermediate with effect from 1 January the next year. With effect from 1 January 2007, any rider who is graded as Expert or Intermediate may not revert to Novice.
NOVICE - One who has not qualified as Expert or Intermediate.
2.4. All trials, Open, Closed or Restricted, will qualify as grading events as will one alternative route in which the top 10% of Novice finishers will be awarded points towards upgrading to Intermediate. Over 40 Class and Intermediate grade competitors competing on the alternative route shall not qualify for further upgrading points.
2.5. If the trial has more than two routes then only the two harder routes will be used for grading purposes.
2.6. Provisional results should be printed in descending order of merit.
2.7. Competitors’ residing outside the East Midland Centre will retain either the grading of their own Centre or that of the East Midland Centre, whichever is the higher.
2.8 An adult rider may opt to ride in a higher class than that in which they are graded, however, having done so they may not revert to the lower grading in that same calendar year.