Celebration
Trials Legends
A very special occasion happened in Barcelona on Friday, November 16th 2018 as the city saw many of the former World Champions and National Trials Champions congregate to celebrate the sport we all love.
Organised very ably by Oriol Puig Bulto, who is a former competitions manager of Bultaco and also an FIM official of many years, along with a small but very efficient team who we able to pull in favours and a few strings to get this amazing gathering underway. It involved many phone calls and emails across the globe. What a gathering they attracted: a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the top trials riders the world has ever seen. Sadly not all could attend of course, with Martin Lampkin and Ulf Karlson missing. Words: Oriol Puig Bulto, Bernie Schreiber, Yrjo Vesterinen, Trials Guru • Pictures: Bernard Schreiber, Diane Vesterinen, Joan Font Creixems, Oriol Puig Bulto and anyone else we may have missed
It was quite fitting to the occasion that two World Champions gave passionate and informative speeches.
YRJO VESTERINEN (1976-78 FIM WORLD TRIALS
CHAMPION): “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It is a great privilege and honour to be here today. Let me ask a question; why am I here? To answer that, we need to go back in time. In August 1971, Finland was hosting a European Championship Trial in Solvalla. Oriol Puig Bulto and his nephew, Ignacio, had travelled all the way from Barcelona to participate there. After the trial, Oriol came to speak to me. I had been noticed! What followed was a dream come true. I was later offered a contract to join the famous Team Bultaco. What also followed was that as my career as a trials rider progressed I was becoming more self-centred and started to think that the team was there to help me to achieve my own goals. I am sure that happened to many of us, whom some call legends. We forgot that we were there to do a job for the factories and that we were extremely lucky to have been spotted by the team managers in the first place. We were offered jobs that most people only dreamt of.
“Some of you here today may have noticed that I was collecting signatures; signatures of World Champions, European Champions, National Champions, Winners of the Six Days and many other important events in the world of trials, placed on these picture boards that I have here with me. What unites these people is that they were, once upon a time, given a chance and an opportunity to prove themselves. For many of us, it was through two remarkable gentlemen, who are here today. They are Oriol Puig Bulto from Bultaco and Pere Pi from Montesa.
“What makes these gentlemen truly remarkable is that they were pioneers of all aspects of off-road competition, being great trials riders, motocross racers and enduro riders. They were development engineers, test riders and great ambassadors of our sport. As riders, we probably remember them as wise and patient team managers that we didn’t thank
enough at the time. What could we as riders give to these remarkable men that they do not already have? Perhaps these printed boards with the signatures of their grateful riders will go a small way to deliver this message that some of us forgot to convey decades ago.
“May I ask Oriol Puig Bulto and Pere Pi to come forward, and may I also propose that both of these gentlemen sign these pictures in front of us all here today. In doing so, I would like to think of this occasion as the long overdue signing of a peace treaty between Bultaco and Montesa. The war, albeit always a friendly one, between Bultaco, Montesa and their respective teams is now over!
“Finally, one signed copy of this print will be auctioned off at the Telford Classic Dirt Bike show, February 2019, in memory of Martin Lampkin for the family’s chosen cancer charity. Thank you very much.”
BERNIE SCHREIBER (1979 FIM WORLD TRIALS
CHAMPION): “Good afternoon everyone. It’s such an honour to be here with all of you today. All my trials memories remain deep in my heart and especially my time spent here in Barcelona. Many questioned that young kid from California USA, but some truly believed. For me, the American dream began with Senor Bulto, my dear friend Manuel Soler, his family and my team manager Oriol Puig Bulto who supported me from the very start to my world championship victory. So many unforgettable moments with the Bulto family, importers, race teams and riders. All my respect and thanks to every Spanish and international trials rider who educated me about their country’s cultures, language and riding styles. Many thanks to those world championship motor-clubs for all their hard work organising world-class events at legendary venues.
“My memories span across the world, but my heart remains in Sant LIorenc. Today we stand near the birthplace of the greatest indoor trial dating back to 1978 – the Solo Moto Indoor. It was the beginning of a new and revolutionary era that eventually changed the sport of trials forever.
“A special thanks to all the media who reported our sport extensively over the years, supported the industry brands and made us riders iconic along the way. Many of you here today are part of our trials history, and without your passion over the years
for our sport, the next generation would have no heritage or legacy to look back upon.
“Some legends are no longer with us as they rest in peace, but we remember them, we hear them, we love them, and we still see them, riding sections or working championship events to make it an unforgettable experience for everyone.
“I truly appreciate your friendships, loyalty, recognition and the opportunity to participate in this ‘Trial Legends’ event. Thank you so much for all your support and precious memories.” The background Oriol Bulto told Trials Guru the background to the celebration and gathering of champions past and present. Oriol said, “The idea of organising the ‘Trial Legends’ celebration emerged following a discussion I had with Pere Pi (former Montesa) and Estanislao Soler (former Bultaco and owner of the Museu de la Moto) after a similar event we organised for the Spanish ‘Motocross Legends’ in May 2015. Together, we spoke to Pere Mas, President of Motor Club Micorella, who is very active in organising Classic Trials events.
“The motocross meeting was a success; we thought that it would be good to do a similar event for trials which would also be open to foreign riders. The aim was to meet with the older riders who had started riding trials before 1986. It was also to pay tribute to the champions who have left us: Juan Soler Bulto, Fernando Munoz, Don Smith, Martin Lampkin and Ulf Karlsson. Also it was to recognise the participants in the first official trial held in Spain: Trial del Tibidabo, Barcelona on the 2nd November
1964; pioneer motorcycle clubs organising the SSDT; the early Spanish rounds of the Trial World Championship; the ‘3 Days Cingles del Bertí Trial’; and the ‘3 Days Santigosa Trial’. We also wanted to celebrate the inventors of the Indoor Trial Barcelona 1978 and to recognise the female trial legends and celebrate the Catalan, Spanish, European and World Champions of those times.
“In addition to Pere Pi, Estanislao Soler, Pere Mas and myself, we incorporated into the organising group Joan Font and Xavi Foj, also ‘Trial Legends’. We have been working in this project for 14 months, and we are very happy by the number of ‘Legends’ attending (about 248) and the positive response of Catalan, Spanish, European and World Champions.
“Too young to be ‘Legends’, we invited Dougie Lampkin, Tony Bou and Laia Sanz who together with Jordi Tarres made the podium with their World Championship titles totalling 56!
“Of the big names of those special times in trials only Eddy Lejeune (it was too difficult to get him to travel) and Mick Andrews (who was injured) were unable to attend.
“It was a great day and looking to the happy faces of the people attending we feel well rewarded for the effort we made. In total, about 400 people attended the event.”
Trials Guru and Classic Trial Magazine is indebted to Oriol Puig Bulto for allowing us to share the details of this fantastic event with you, and to Bernie Schreiber and Yrjo Vesterinen for allowing reproduction of their speeches from this magnificent event.
John Moffat, the Trials Guru, commented: “Oriol Puig Bulto is a very modest gentleman with an incredible knowledge; not only of the Bultaco brand but also the sports of trial, motocross and enduro. However, he insists that the Trial Legends Fiesta was the result of a team effort.”
Oriol Bulto: “The Trial Legends was organised by a small group, originally formed by Pere Pi, Estanislao Soler, Pere Mas and myself. Soon after, we were joined by Joan Font and Xavi Foj. From the very beginning, we have worked together as a team”. He continued: “The speeches by Bernie Schreiber and Yrjo Vesterinen were very touching, they are both great persons and champions. I would also like to thank everyone who made that extra special effort to attend as we once again celebrated our sport of motorcycle trials and all the enthusiast associated with it like one huge family. Thank you”.