The Pat Appleton Memorial Trophy is awarded to the lady member who has ridden the fastest 10 mile time trial in any club, association or open event during the season.
Pat was one of life’s characters; some of her close friends would even say that she was eccentric! She was married with two children and the family had lived in the Bahamas for five years before coming to Gloucestershire. Pat was a qualified horse riding instructor and taught biology at Rednock School in Dursley and the Vale of Berkeley College before becoming a post-lady at Berkeley and Cam.She taught herself to ski and to speak French so that she could join a French cycling club as she had a second home in France, Pat did this by reading Harry Potter books; an English and French version at the same time. Earlier in life Pat broke her back when she fell out of an apple tree and had a permanent metal framework around her spine but she did not let this stop her doing anything that she wanted to do.
When the family came to live at Berkeley Heath money was tight, she did not have a car so Pat bought a bike to cycle to work and ‘was bitten by the bug’! She joined the Dursley R.C, the Stroud Valleys C.C and then the Gloucester City C.C. around 1990. She embraced cycling in all its forms. Mountain biking was one of her passions. Pat won the National Lady Vets Cross Country title,
She entered and won the Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling Championship at Llanwyrtyd Wells and also took part in the Man verses Horse event. Moving on from that she rode the British Heart Foundation London to Brighton ride, 58 miles on a unicycle!
On the road she enjoyed time trialling, recording 2hours 35mins 07secs in the National 50 Championship to take 29th place in 1999. When she was not competing Pat would be out on club runs mainly with the Stroud Valleys C.C. or taking part in Audax rides and it was while taking part in a 100km audax that she was tragically killed in a road accident in the lane near Coaley at 12.30pm on 15th January 2011. She was 66 years old.
| Year | Winner | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Kate Alderson | 30m 27s |
| 2021 | Not claimed | |
| 2020 | Not claimed | |
| 2019 | Alison Charles | 24m 56s |
| 2018 | Alison Charles | 25m 25s |
| 2017 | Alison Charles | 25m 50s |
| 2016 | Margaret Coyle | 27m 31s |
| 2015 | Liz Clegg | 28m 28s |
| 2014 | Not awarded | - |
| 2013 | Claire Taylor | 23m 44s |
| 2012 | Claire Taylor | 24m 36s |
| 2011 | Claire Taylor | 28m 0s |
Holders:
2018 Alison Charles 25m 25s
2017: Alison Charles 25m 50s
2016: Margaret Coyle 27m 31s
2015: Liz Clegg 28m 28s
2014: Not awarded
2013: Claire Taylor 23m 44s
2012 Claire Taylor 24m 36s
2011 Claire Taylor 28m 0s