Canterbury riders to fore
CANTERBURY riders won the major titles, although a Dunedin rider was among the contenders at the South Island BMX championships.
The event, held at Dunedin’s Forrester Park over the weekend, attracted 295 riders from around the country and several from Australia.
Jono Varty (Christchurch City) and Ella Hansen (North Canterbury) won the men’s and women’s elite titles respectively.
Varty won five of his seven races, finishing comfortably ahead of secondplaced Liam Goodwin.
Meanwhile, Dunedin’s Bella Wadsworth held off North Avon Christchurch’s Rayner Jackson to claim third.
She finished with 25 moto points, finishing third in four of her seven races.
Hansen showed her class to win five races and finish with nine moto points, ahead of secondplaced Brooke Compain.
Meanwhile in the 1724 male grade, Cromwell’s Josh Smith was edged by North Avon Christchurch’s Daniel BowersWilson.
Smith had entered the final with one moto point on BowersWilson. However, Wilson claimed the win in the one that mattered.
Alexandra’s Holly Oldham was dominant in the 1516 girls grade, winning every race on the way to victory.
Cromwell’s Ben James was similarly dominant, winning every race as he claimed the 13 boys title.
In the male 50+ cruiser class, Dunedin’s Terry Finnerty claimed first, while Gary Smith, of Cromwell, was second.
Derek Jelgersma, also of Dunedin, claimed victory in the men’s 3549 cruiser class.