HORSHAM Motorcycle Club President Kenny Watts has hailed the inaugural Bronte Holland Memorial 125cc Cup as a huge success with some of Australia’s top riders, including from New Zealand, all paying homage to a champion of motocross.
Bronte Holland was a much-loved member of the Horsham Motorcycle Club and was an extremely successful junior motocross rider. Throughout his young life, Bronte became known as one of Australia’s fastest racers. He turned professional when he was just sixteen-years-old and won a number of state and national junior titles. In 2009, Bronte sadly passed away at just 21-years-of-age.
The Horsham Motorcycle Club decided to dedicate an entire race in Bronte’s honour at the Horsham MX Amateurs on March 11-12 – the Bronte Holland Memorial 125cc Cup.
Horsham MC President Kenny Watts said the event was an emotional time for the club. “The races ran over two days. We made sure the length of the races finished around the seventeenth minute mark in honour of Bronte’s bike number,” Bronte said.
“The first race on Saturday started at seventeen minutes past 11AM exactly. On several occasions, Bronte was also a Number One Plate holder in Victoria (winning three times) and also raced Number One as an Australian junior champion,” he added.
“In his senior racing career, his bike number was 711, and once for a Victorian senior motocross title he had to run an A-Grade relevant number and he opted for a one-off only number of 171,” Kenny added.
Up to 25 senior riders on 125cc 1982-2017 model bikes took part in five 17-minute motos. KTM Australia’s Callum Norton took out the inaugural Bronte Holland Cup, Portland’s Lachie Davis finished in second-place, and Horsham local Corey Watts finished in third.
“As an added bonus for Corey, his bike number was 17, which was another highlight for him,” Kenny added.
The Holland family kindly donated a replica motorbike as a permanent display at events at the club. “It was an honour to be given that by the Holland family. After Bronte’s passing ten years later, we have been able to honour him in this fantastic way with the Holland family’s blessing,” Kenny said.
“It was a great success,” Kenny added. The Bronte Holland Memorial Cup will return at the MX Amateurs next year. To find out more please visit: www.horsham-mcc.com.