The NZ Trials Championship 2024 was set to be a thrilling event, but Mother Nature had other plans! A snowstorm swept in, blanketing the sections and making conditions treacherous for riders, spectators, and everyone who made the journey down. As much as the Pioneer Motorcycle Club would’ve loved to press on, they made the tough (and sensible) call to cancel the event after snow continued piling up on the first day. Despite the disappointment, there’s plenty to celebrate—and certainly no shortage of folks to thank!
We’d like to extend a massive thanks to the organising committee: Grant Anderson, Colin Kelland, Graeme Hibbs, Neil Belvoir, and Malcolm Reid. These legends put in hours of planning to ensure the event would be epic. And a huge shoutout to our volunteers, including Martyn Dunnett, Brent Muir, Brad Hibbs, Jason Hibbs, Gary Allpress, Keith Ruthven, Brian Spedding, Simon Guest, Paul Jackson, Derek Scott, Paul Mountstevens, Peter Barnett, Hamish Barnett and Hayden Wilkinson, who were ready to keep the gears turning even in icy conditions.
Special thanks also go out to our principal event sponsor, Ida Garden Bar & Kitchen, and all our event sponsors: Marlborough Trials Centre, McIver & Veitch, Precision Motorcycles, Laugesen Trials, Beta Sales and Support, Spanish Trials NZ Ltd, Wanaka Powersports, and the Pioneer Motorcycle Trials Club. We can’t forget our observers, the Alexandra Air Cadets, and the generous landowners—Bill Hinchey at Chatto Creek (for Days 1 and 2) and Johnny & Hayley Van Leewen (Day 3). Your support truly means everything to the trials community.
While this year’s event might not have gone as planned, it’s only going to make next year’s championship even sweeter. We’re already looking ahead to an epic 2025, where we’ll hopefully dodge snowflakes and maybe even see some across the ditch rivalries spark back up. Only time will tell, but you can bet the NZ Trials Championship will be back—bigger and better, no snow plows required!
Peter Gledhill
MNZ Trial Commissioner
E-mail: [email protected],nz
Phone: 0272330722
