Prior to 2010, this trophy was awarded on the basis of competition in the Manitoba Soaring Championships for novice pilots with less than 15 hours in command and who have not been checked out for cross country flying.  Pilots were judged on a prescribed flying routine.  Presented by Helen Tinkler in 1987.

In 2010, the Manitoba Soaring Council changed the rules for the MSC Jeff Tinkler Memorial Trophy to match the revised CDNC OLC Classic Novice Class competition and the SAC 200 Novice Trophy rules.  A Novice is defined as a pilot with 200 hours or less as Pilot-In-Command (P1) in gliders at the start of the OLC scoring season.  Starting in 2010, the Jeff Tinkler Trophy is presented to the MSC OLC Plus Novice Class Contest winner.