Now in its ninth year, this“ crosspollination” of dirt biking expertise once more drew a diverse and talented field of off-road bike riders to race the Korito Technical Matrix( K. T. M.) on the farmland course near Egmont Village on Saturday. They had arrived to contest this unique crossover trials / enduro / cross-country competition, a motorcycling package dreamed up by Kiwi enduro legend Dougy Herbert and hosted on his farmland property, just 15km south-west of New Plymouth. Tough, moderate or just a little bit easier, the course options were entirely up to the individuals, with riders classified as Gold, Silver or Bronze grade. The tricky part was deciding on the riskversus-reward factor, whether to take the easier-but-longer route or to take the much shorter but incredibly more difficult pathway and riders, regardless of their actual ability, could decide the best route for themselves. The four-lap race surely sorted the adults from the children, the chequered flag going out when the first Gold Grade rider had completed their four laps.“ It was rideable, but with the weather conditions we have had recently, where it’ s been sunny for so long, the moss has grown, and then with a little bit of moisture the past few days, it became quite slippery in places.“ If you look at the lap times, with a similar course to last year, the riders were probably 10 minutes slower this year,” Herbert explained,“ I try not to make it a last-man-standing affair. I try to make it so that people can actually finish it, but it’ s never easy.” Riders on trials bikes again dominated the event, despite an obvious horsepower handicap when they lined up against the mostly enduro bike exponents. One of those enduro riders was none other