Outdoor Sports News - with PembrokeshireSport.co.uk

The Lamo’s Clan are quad-bike mad!

If ever there was a family in Pembrokeshire which can say that they are heavily involved in a sport then it the Hammersley clan from Llandissilio because dad Phil has been racing bikes and quad bikes for well over 35 years, whilst sons David and Simon have also been participating for almost two decades each after starting out at a very early age.

Now he has David and Simon working alongside him, with daughter Victoria keeping a weather eye on the rest from the office. Victoria doesn’t compete but, like mum Anne, is fully supportive of the men in the family – and her son Iestyn (7) also races and looks like being the next generation of the family to carry on their proud tradition.

Phil loves racing – and collecting trophies!

That the lads should be involved in quad racing was perhaps only natural because Phil, now a sprightly 56, admits that he has always been something of a motor bike lover and after a short spell as a teacher set up ‘Lamos’ at Llandissilio 35 years ago from scratch and the motor bike shop has been going strong ever since.

Phil is a self-confessed trophy collector and after competing for so many years in over perhaps a thousand races he has hundreds of them. He was thrilled last year to receive the ‘Ultimate Award’ from the Dredgers Laugharne Club – and chuckles when Victoria says that most of his trophies are from the 1980s! He answers that the youngsters in the club all measure their progress against how well they do against him and he’s doing very well, thank you very much, because when he recently competed in the over 35s category at a meeting in Lampeter he came 2nd, 3rd or 4th in all six races to win the runners-up trophy against a lot of racers much younger than himself.

David does really well in Lampeter

David is now 28 and was riding before he was four years of age as he followed dad around and loved every moment of it. He still competes today and was very successful in the recent championships at Lampeter as he won two races each day and was second in the other two to confirm his place as the clear winner.

In the past he has won the Weston Super Mare Race, which is held over three hours on the beach in front of huge crowds, and travelled all over Great Britain, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, plus Holland, to pick up more than his share of trophies as a very successful competitor.

Simon is a former British champion

Simon is 24 and like his older brother was involved with motor bikes from a very early age and was riding in Quad Moto Cross by the time he was seven. He has also travelled a great deal and has twice won the British Under 21 title in a series of nine races that involved the whole family in a great deal of long-distance  travel. He came second overall to David in the event at Lampeter, winning two races in the process.

Spectacular leaps and a few broken bones

The races actually take place on a track which takes in as many hills and jumps over switch-backs as possible to make it thrilling for spectators and testing for the participants. In a two-day meeting they would normally have six races, each of about eight laps, held under the auspices of ORPA, the Off Road Promoters Association. Laugharne Dredgers are the home club for Phil, David and Simon, with other nearby clubs in Bancyfelin and Preseli.

Because of the high speeds (up to 60 mph and with spectacular leaps and fast bends) there is always a great emphasis on safety and as well as the crash helmets the competitors also wear moto-cross kit, strong boots and body armour. But there are still spills amongst the thrills and between them this intrepid trio have broken wrists, collar bones and ribs – whilst Simon once broke two vertebra in his back and had to stay in hospital whilst the rest of the family journeyed home without him!

But quad bike racing is about far more than just winning because all three agree that there is a great camaraderie amongst competitors and their families, who stay overnight and there is plenty of chat around camp-fires, sharing of experience that goes as far as helping to repair each other’s equipment or even loaning bikes, if necessary! There’s also the friendly rivalry that takes in the likes of Nigel Bevan, a neighbour in the village who was a highly competitive rugby player at Narberth, but still needs to try harder to get the better of Phil!

And finally . . .

Ask anyone in the Hammersley family and they would say that they really enjoy being involved and are delighted to see more youngsters coming into the sport. Although they have cut down their travelling because of other commitments they still set off for competitions as often as possible and have a great time, meeting up with old friends and taking part. They have a clear message to anyone who might be interested – get out there and give it a try!

One only has to chat to them for a short time to see their obvious enthusiasm for Quad Racing and PembrokeshireSport.co.uk wishes them every success in the future because they really are a very nice family enjoying their chosen sport.

PHOTOS:

The Hammersley family in their shop at Llandissilio.
A real battle in the mud!
Simon showing his skills.

An aerial view of Phil leading Nigel Bevan in a race.