By PETER THORLEY HOKIANGA'S Mitchell Nield finished fourth overall in the opening round of the 2008 New Zealand Motorcycle Enduro Championships near Te Kuiti on Sunday.
The result leaves the 19-year-old Nield, who rides a Husqvarna WR250, second in the E2 class after 5 hours on his bike on Sunday.
Auckland's Chris
Birch, on his KTM 300, was the overall winner on the day.
The 27-year-old defending champion picked up where he left off last season when he was the first of 70 riders to complete the 138km course, as well as scoring well on the eight terrain tests held on the dry and dusty course at Waimiha.
Birch was followed in second place by Pahiatua's Adam Reeves (Yamaha YZ250), who was racing in only his second national enduro championship event.
Reeves leads Nield in the E2 class, with Palmerston North's Steve Bird (Yamaha YZ250) in third place.
Nield's younger brother Damon, riding a Husqvarna CR125, also competed in the first round event with good results. He finished a creditable 10th overall, to sit in fourth place in the E1 class, behind Paengaroa's Phil Singleton (Honda).
Whangarei's Mike Bennett also competed at the round and finished third in the Expert Veterans' class.
The next round of the national Enduro Championships will be held on the Kapiti Coast, at Moonshine Valley, on March 8, with the series wrapping up at Santoft Forest, near Palmerston North, on July 27.
Results: E3 class (over 270cc two-stroke and over-400cc four-stroke): 1. Chris Birch (Auckland, KTM) 2. Cam Smith (Marton, Suzuki) 3. Sean Clarke (Tokoroa, Yamaha) E2 class (Up to 270cc two-stroke and up to 400cc four-stroke): 1. Adam Reeves (Pahiatua, Yamaha) 2. Mitchell Nield (Hokianga, Husqvarna) 3. Steve Bird (Palmerston North, Yamaha) E1 class (up to 175cc two-stroke and up to 250cc four-stroke): 1. Phil Singleton (Paengaroa, Honda) 2. Adrian Smith (Awakino, Honda) 3. Rory Mead (Whitby, KTM)
Expert vet: 1. Phil Skinner (Putaruru, KTM) 2. Mark De Lautour (Turangi, KTM) 3. Mike Bennett (Whangarei, Husqvarna)
