Sam Connor
Would you believe that Sam Connor turned 40 in July? It’s only when you start to look back at the results that you realise that he has played an important part in the trials scene for more than 20 years, both at home and abroad.
Sam was quite a late starter in the motorcycle world, even though his father, Jim, was a very well-known and respected motocross rider on a variety of factory-supported machines including the early Montesa Cappra. One of three brothers, Sam is now happily married with two young children and has nothing to prove in the trials world, with the win at the 2005 SSDT his career highlight. The problem is he is still naturally very competitive and enjoys riding a trials motorcycle despite the passing of the years. As you will see in the ACU Trial2 British Championship class, he is still at the top end of the results and can still put in some superb daily results at the ‘Scottish’. We recently caught up with Sam to take a look inside his many years in the world of motorcycle trials.
Despite the passing of time motorcycle trials still plays an important role in your world.
I am very much a family man, enjoying life in 2020 despite these difficult times with Coronavirus. I still love riding a trials motorcycle, but I am building a new business with a family and two young children to support, which has to come first.
In a typical year, I would still compete in the Trial2 class in the ACU British Trials Championship, we head to the Scottish Six Days Trial for the family holiday as well as participating in a handful of the good roadbased nationals. I set up a new independent financial planning company this year named Rosart, after the children, which at the moment takes up the majority of my time.
Your wife Sarah comes from a sporting background
When I met her in 2006 she was an international England touch-rugby player and so, much like myself, she is naturally very competitive. We are both very proud to have represented team Great Britain in our respective sporting disciplines. I still feel very privileged to have been a part of the winning team at the 2002 and 2003 Trials Des Nations.
My winning team now is my family. I have a daughter Rosy who is nine years old, and Arthur, who is six. Given the family genes, they love sport and naturally love motorcycles, both now riding a Yamaha TY80 and learning the trade at Hookwood Trials Centre.
Based close to your parents in Guildford, you have the Hookwood Trials Centre on your doorstep.
My father, Jim, lives for the Hookwood trials venue and, as many will know, it’s at the bottom of his garden – sorry, my mother’s garden!
I have two other brothers, James, who is the eldest and Tim, who is the youngest. I am closer to Tim as we spent many years travelling together to all the overseas trials. They both still ride and have competed in the SSDT and other UK nationals.
We have all benefitted from the work my father and his friends have put into Hookwood. Jim acquired Hookwood in 1983 as he wanted to find some land for the local trials community. It was obviously long before I was old enough to show any interest in the sport, and it exemplifies his passion and commitment towards the grass-root level, something which he still focuses on today. Growing up in suburban London and the Surrey area, there is no natural rock within 100 miles, so he has spent much of the family’s savings on developing the land. His passion turned into an obsession, as he would pick up and put rocks in the van from any trial we visited! We even have rocks cemented into a gulley which came from the World Trial at Tossa de Mar (Spain) in 1994, brought back in a Transit van.
You are a member of the riders’ club who started out on a Yamaha TY80.
Yes, and proud to be associated with the legendary Yamaha TY80 club. I played on the TY until I moved to a Fantic 80, in 1991, aged 11. The move from the Yamaha TY80 to the Fantic 80 was quite a huge step at the time. I started my two children on the superb OSET electric machines to give them a feel for the sport before they progressed to the TY80 themselves.
With good progress made on the Fantic, you started to move up through the youth classes on the Gas Gas.
I felt for the first time like a real trials rider on the Gas Gas, first with the 125cc and then moving to the larger 250cc engine in 1995. The youth competition in the 90s was very strong, with most Nationals tough and testing events. I absolutely loved these, along with the great camaraderie which we built up with many of the other families, with whom we remain good friends.
On the Beta in 1996 the ACU Youth A Class British Championship was a very competitive season for you.
It was the year when everything started to click into place. Having not made the top step of the podium at the Youth Nationals in previous years, it became a regular feature to win the championship. There was depth in the quality of riders, so consistency was key. The series featured Mark Harries, Michael Philipson, Ian Austermuhle, Paul Bolton and many others.
With your eyes on a career in motorcycle trials, you moved into the FIM World Championship in 1997.
I had started to compete in the adult ACU British Trials Championship, and I decided to test the water at my very first FIM World Round at Warken in Luxembourg. Mum and Dad travelled with me to my first few events, with Dad taking the role as a minder. It was a massive step up as coming straight from A Class Nationals to World trials with no in-between is not an easy feat. But it was the same path that everyone took back then. It was a tough day when I reflect on the results as I finished in 24th position parting with 78 marks lost – talk about an eye-opener! I was a young man, not just in the trials world but also finding my way in life.
The whole World round travelling scene attracted me like you would not believe, and I knew it was where I wanted to be. I competed in the last two rounds in the Czech Republic and Germany competing amongst the best riders on the world stage, living in the van; this would be my new life.
A new era in the FIM World Trials Championship was about to start.
To see a winning Dougie Lampkin standing on the top step of the podium in 1997 made me so proud. I am very patriotic and proud to be from Great Britain, and we had a new world champion. The Jordi Tarres winning years were over; he had been a role-model world champion, and the sport of motorcycle trials was very strong. A new breed of rider was fast emerging.
Great Britain had three good strong competitive riders leading the way in Dougie Lampkin, Steve Colley and Graham Jarvis. With Dougie the world champion other riders in this new era included the 1996 world champion Marc Colomer (ESP), Kenichi Kuroyama (JPN), Takahisa Fujinami (JPN), David Cobos (ESP), Marc Frexia (ESP) and Albert Cabestany (ESP), to name a few.
I was riding a Beta with support from the UK importer John Lampkin and other muchappreciated people and companies and felt that with the right support maybe I could become part of this new generation.
How was life on the road in 1998?
Despite the appeal and allure of sport, I have always appreciated the importance of my education and the opportunities that it could bring in later life. In 1998 and 1999, I was undertaking my A levels, so it was a difficult few years, trying to juggle schooling with sport and many trips abroad. Dad was a self-employed heating engineer, and financial sponsorship was slow to come by at the time, so I am indebted to him for pouring so much of the family’s funds into what was still a hobby at the time. However, the decision was made to take in a full year of trials and to include for the first time the Scottish Six Days Trial. As with so many young riders, I wanted to compete in the event, something I am still doing today! I finished 11th in my first
SSDT and had a superb six days of my first love, trials riding. I never realised at the time just how much of my life would focus on those six days in the first week of May, year after year. Once again, I rode in selected world rounds as I found my feet, and a 16th place just three marks off my first FIM World point in Germany on day two was so encouraging.
Your first FIM point came in 1999.
I moved to the new Bultaco/Sherco project in 1999 to take on a full season of trials to include the World, European and British championships. I knew that if I worked hard, I could get into the bottom-end of the points if I could focus on that breakthrough into the top 15. That elusive first point happened on a wet day at the Isle of Man for our home round; I was over the moon! In the European championship, I also made that final step onto the podium among the new talent of a young future world champion Adam Raga (ESP). Trying to squeeze in all these events whilst sitting my exams at school was a challenge, and Stuart Robinson kindly stepped into minding duties to relieve Dad and enable him to stay at work. Stuart was a great help and a real motorcyclist enthusiast. The sport would benefit from more people like him.
2000: New opportunities.
In the world of motorsport, you have to grab every opportunity, and when the chance arose to move alongside the world champion Dougie Lampkin into the new Radson Montesa team, I took it with both hands. At 19 years old, this was the break I had been looking for. Yes, I would ride the Montesa in a full season of the world championship, and after finishing fourth in 1999 in the European championship, I had my sights set on winning that. I had a super ride in the SSDT with a third place and backed this up with six points-scoring rides in the world championship. The biggest disappointment was not winning the European championship after leading it in the earlier part of the year.
Finally, out of school, this was my first full year although I had no permanent minder with Dad and Stuart taking the reins of supporting role at the weekends. I tried to travel and stay with other riders as much as possible. I very much enjoyed my time with Dougie at his base in the Isle of Man. When the team was disbanded at the end of the year, I was quite disappointed if I am honest.
2001: No, thank you.
‘What a year!’ summed up 2001; on the one hand I had moved to Gas Gas and a good solid team with support from the Shirt family, the official UK importers, but on the other hand the year was a huge disappointment due to the Foot and Mouth epidemic in the UK and my injury. The World and European championships were both interrupted due to injury. I dislocated my left shoulder after a fall down some rocks, when I realised very quickly that at 6’3”, and considerably heavier than the average Spaniard, I didn’t bounce that well! Unfortunately, this injury has gone on to plague me with further dislocations and multiple operations.
2002: Back on track
My life was back on track with the new Gas Gas ‘Pro’ model and in a team surrounded in a team by some very competitive riders. My brother, Tim, was able to join me for most of the year and we had a great time travelling the world together. From a non-points-scoring ride in 2001, I was back in the points at six rounds to finish 17th overall.
Showing my true ability at the SSDT, I picked myself up from 25th on the opening day to finish sixth overall. We were developing the new Gas Gas ‘Pro’ machine, and it just got better as the year went on.
Despite missing one round at the BTC, I finished third overall, behind Dougie Lampkin and Graham Jarvis. After a career-best seventh place in Japan at the final world round of the year, my hard work was rewarded with a place in team Great Britain for the Trial Des Nations.
Riding alongside Dougie Lampkin, Steve Colley and Graham Jarvis we beat the hot favourites Spain. With Stuart and Dad both present in minder capacity, it was phenomenal to have the added support of Martin Lampkin and my uncle Malcolm Rathmell. Being part of the team gave me further insight as to how Dougie, Steve and Graham would approach big events. The trial was in a hot and dry Portugal so hardly conducive for British riders. To take the win and contributing towards this result was the highlight of my riding career to this point.
2003: Frustration.
The new Gas Gas was just so good, and I confidently started the world championship season, scoring consistently in the opening nine rounds. The frustration was hard to bear, as once again I finished third in the BTC with Graham Jarvis and Steve Colley in front on me and I was not able to make that all-important breakthrough with a win. Once again, I was rewarded with a place in team Great Britain for the Trial Des Nations and with the same team line-up from 2002. However, Steve Colley fell sick overnight, and my good friend Ben Hemingway who was out in Italy to watch the event was drafted in at the last minute on Sunday morning to ride. A testament to Ben and showing the depth in the GB riders at the time, we pulled out an amazing result to win and beat the hot favourites Spain again! I had Sandy Mack, long-time family friend, minding for me this year along with my brother, Tim; it was fantastic to share this moment with him.
2004: A Move to Sherco.
The blue machine was now well developed, and the move to Sherco turned into a very good season only to be interrupted once again with injury. A change of machine always does you good, and that’s how I felt about the move to Sherco. I started once again quite confident in the world championship, scoring consistently, which is always good for any rider. I had Tim and Sandy by my side and was making more of my training sessions, along with some support from Steven Foord.
The year was boosted by a fantastic week in the SSDT where, along with the winner Graham Jarvis, I gave Sherco a second place — that was something to shout about. Once again it was my first day on the Monday which cost me heavily, and so I was off the pace as Graham cruised to the win.
Injury in Italy with a reoccurrence of the shoulder injury interrupted a good WTC year where I finished 14th. It may sound a little weird, but I was very much feeling like a ‘Pro’ rider and still wanted to move up in the trials world.
After finishing the opening BTC round in a disappointing fourth position I raised my game to make the breakthrough win at round two, but as the season closed, I remained in third position overall.
2005: My proudest moment in trials.
Just imagine: as a small boy, after hearing the stories of your great uncle, Malcolm Rathmell and his wins at the Scottish Six Days Trial you go and take the win – that’s exactly what I did. The icing on the cake was the fact that in 2005 he was the Sherco importer and I won on a Sherco – yes, we were both very happy! It was a very wet week, definitely one you remember, and I had a terrific battle with my good friend Ben Hemingway, taking the win by a single mark; something Ben occasionally reminds me about.
But yes, you have guessed it, an injury-free year was not to be as old war wounds flared up, and despite some good top 15 results, I finished 13th overall, which was still my bestever finishing position in the WTC. I had been competitive in the BTC and running in second position until I had to miss the last two rounds due to shoulder rehabilitation. It was fitting to finish my final year with Tim and Sandy. The two of them, along with Stuart and my Dad, made everything possible.
2006: A new career
After the elation of 2005, I made the difficult decision to finish the full-time trials career and look at something away from motorcycle trials to secure my future. Trials riders aren’t typically paid generous salaries and, despite the help from some fantastic personal sponsors, I always knew that to attain a reasonable lifestyle, I would have to explore other avenues. As such, and back in 2001, I continued my studies behind the scenes taking the exams to become a Chartered Financial Planner. I knew exactly what I wanted the next chapter to look like. I still wanted to ride in trials but without the fulltime commitment of practising, preparation etc. and all that is needed to remain in the world championship.
I spoke with John Lampkin at Beta UK, who was very understanding about my situation, and he was happy to offer me support to keep me riding. I had met my future wife Sarah, and it was nice to spend what I would call normal time at home, instead of chasing off all around the world competing in trials. I had really enjoyed what I would call my travelling time, but having picked up some difficult injuries along the way, I decided it was time to settle down.
Life after trials.
Is there such a thing? Trials runs through the family’s blood, and my experiences and friendships created through our sport, across many different cultures, has helped me enormously.
Having met Sarah in October 2006, being a competitive sports athlete herself, she has always been very understanding of the commitments that we still need to make now as a family to allow me to compete. Sarah comes from a very humble background and spent much of her professional career in the not-for-profit sector, holding a director role for over ten years at the national education charity Teach First. She is now back in teaching, so it is no surprise that the kids need to finish their homework before they can get out on their bikes!
The family is heavily involved with the Hookwood Trials Centre, with Sarah secretary for the annual opening of the BTC series. Like most families with a new business just getting going, we have many pressures, and sport is a great release to this. Trials will always form a big part of our lives, and I will try to continue competing for as long as I can.
Naturally – and selfishly perhaps – we hope Rosy and Arthur maintain their interests in trials, and sport generally! Most importantly, and as we were taught, we hope they work hard at whatever they do and have fun. On that note, I am very grateful to the many sponsors, friends and family over the years who helped enable my dream to become a reality. The successes which we achieved together can’t be taken away, and the memories will live forever.
Tell us about Hookwood
It has been a lifelong project. Many people think the family grew up at Hookwood, which is not the case. Acquiring half of the woods in 1983, the family was able to purchase more adjoining land in 1985. At the time it was dense woodland with lots of trees to be cleared to make space for sections.
Dad was very creative in building sections, even cementing over an old bath from my Nan’s house to make it look like a rock! It is still there today. We have imported rocks, logs and other obstacles from many parts of the country, as I have already mentioned. Dad once overloaded the van so much at a Welsh event in Trefil Quarry that it nearly snapped the rear axle as we went to set off!
In the earlier days, Hookwood was very much for the locals, but things started to turn more serious in the early ‘90s when I started riding. From this point onwards, a huge amount of money was spent on plant hire to help build and make sections, along with the haulage of rocks. All the money generated from trials and practice days is spent on the land, and we now own machinery so we can mix things up more frequently.
In 2003, my parents decided to sell the family home in Twickenham to move into an old farmhouse that was up for sale, as it bordered the Hookwood Trials Centre. The move was primarily to be closer to the land and to safeguard it from ongoing pressure, as neighbours are always looking to stop motorcycles. It is a common challenge across the country, and Dad has certainly fined-tuned his diplomatic skills to keep everyone happy over the many years!
I very much intend to play a crucial role in maintaining Dad’s legacy as Hookwood brings so much joy to many families.
Whilst we take pride in hosting major trials events, the hub and heart of the Hookwood Trials Club is centred around the sport’s wider audience. It would be the icing on the cake if we can produce more home-grown talent to take on the world trials scene!