DELIGHT IN THE DESERT DUST
You famously won the Rookie category at Dakar 2019, what’s the difference between that and your most recent second-place achievement?
The Rookie category is for those doing the rally for the first time, and it’s really scary because you don’t know what to expect. The difference between that and coming second at Dakar is huge. There are not many rookies who can go out and finish on the podium, so it was a very big difference and obviously I am proud of both achievements but this one is definitely the best. This is what I’ve been working for my whole life!
You led the race for four of the 12 stages. While second place is an incredible accomplishment, is it tinged with disappointment that you were unable to hold on for the win?
Yah, I led for most of the stages. The aim was actually to go there and get a top five maybe even a top 10 because the competition is so tough and so hard at the moment. So, second place, I am really happy with it. The guy that won, Ricky Brabec, is a strong rider. He’s got a lot of experience than me and he beat me fair and square [The Amertican finished ten minutes ahead of Branch]. He was better than me in this race and I’ve got a little bit of work to do but I will definitely work harder for next year and see where we can fix things.
This must feel like redemption from 2021 and 2022, when you failed to finish the race?
Yah, it was redemption. I haven’t finished many races at the Dakar because it’s so tough
and so gruelling. So, for sure this year was exceptional for me and made me really, really happy.
How does the climate in Saudi Arabia differ from Botswana, and are the sand dunes similar to those in Khawa?
The sand dunes a completely different to what we have, but Khawa is still in an extremely good place to train and to work and to try and hone your skills on the terrain. The climate is extremely different, too; it’s their winter time at the moment and was very, very cold when we were racing there. The temperature goes from -3C and -4C in the morning to about 18C to 20C in the day, so it doesn’t get very warm at all!
What went through your mind as you stepped onto the podium to receive your medal?
Just a sense of relief, sense of achievement; it was something that I have worked for the whole of my entire life and it had finally paid off. So to stand on the podium and having my dad there was incredible. I think I just burst into tears, it was a very emotional night of my life.
After the race, you said you struggled in the camel grass and need to improve on this part of the race. How will you do that?
Yah, I need to improve on the camel grass. It is an extremely hard terrain to ride and is very new to us, but I know where to go and train on it. So, now I’ve got to go and work a little harder on that and make sure I get a little bit more confident.
You’ve previously spoken about needing to improve your navigation skills as well. Have you managed?
Navigation comes with a lot of experience. If you do a lot of racing, you get good experience and that’s where the navigation comes in. This year, again, we’re riding the 2024 World Series Championships which helps with the navigation and obviously helps with the skill of the riding so we’re going to use it as much as we can and to the best of our advantage.
What can young Batswana inspired by your Dakar heroics do to take-up motorsport?
Motorsport is an extremely expensive sport and tough to get into. It takes so many sacrifices; my Dad had to take so many personal loans to buy me a bike in the first place, but we never gave up. Anything is possible. If you want to do it and you’re really passionate about the sport and truly love the sport, that’s when it will become possible for sure.
You started riding for Hero Motorsports two years ago – how did the partnership come about?
Our relationship started two years ago. When I was riding for Yamaha, the Hero Motorsport Manager approached me, we were already good friends and just asked me if I will be available to join his team in the near future. It’s such a great partnership. I love the team, they are like my second family. The bike is amazing, I’m really happy on it. All in all, everything is working well. It’s a relatively young team, they’ve only done seven Dakars. I’m just happy to be a part of them and looking forward to what the future holds for us, hopefully a long-term contract would be great but we will see what happens.
This is what I’ve been working for my whole life!
When you’re not setting the world alight on your bike, what do you get up to?
Apart from racing, I’ve got an intense love for flying aircrafts. I’m a pilot for Mack Air up in the Delta, so my off season, from June until October, I normally go up to Maun and fly for Mack Air - I really enjoy that. And then, I just enjoy spending time with people, I really enjoy having people time, and also enjoy golf and just being home. I love my country, I love Botswana. I’m a very proud citizen so I really enjoy my time at home.