Back on the weekend of the 25th & 26th July, the 2026 edition of the World Vets Motocross returned to Farleigh Castle. The event first came to Farleigh back in 2023 and since then has returned every year and is well known on the motocross calendar.
Race Report and Images by Dave Rich
This year’s event had kindly been supported by SBriggs Commercials and, as with other years, has attracted many top names from years gone by, both British and overseas. Missing from this year’s event was unfortunately one of Britian’s favourites in the shape of Kurt Nicoll and Greg Hanson who was out injured, but never the less there was still a good showing of local and foreign riders in attendance including the likes of American Jeff Emig, South African Ryan Hunt, Britains Jamie Dobb, Mark Eastwood, Craig Pratley, Rob Herring and of course everybody’s favourite the British Bull Dog Brad Anderson plus many others.
In the Fastest 40 Over 60’s class it was Brian Staples who was to dominate the first day winning both races and the first race on the Sunday and looked as if he was going to make it a clean sweep, but Andy Watkins who had finished second to Staples in the opening three races was to denie Staples in the last race taking the chequered flag which gave him second overall behind Staples and taking third overall was the man who normally would be looking after Kurt Nicolls bike Julian Dobb.
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The B group in the Over 60’s saw DC Williams take three wins, with the other win going to Andrew Prosser, who took second overall behind Williams, with Martin Barker taking third overall.
In the Over 50’s Fastest 40 A class, there was no stopping the Eastwood Racing Honda of Mark Eastwood, who was to show his dominance with a clean sweep of wins, but there was some close racing going on behind him all weekend between the likes of factory Phil Mercer, Rob Herring and Craig Pratley. Eastwood was to take the overall with both Herring and Mercer tied on points at the end of the fourth race, but by virtue of a better result in the last race, Mercer was to take second overall with Herring third overall.
The Over 50’s Fastest 40 B class saw the fast-gating Gary Chappell take the chequered flag on all four occasions to give him the overall, with Scott Senter, who had been pretty consistent in all races, being rewarded with second overall just a head of Neil Long, who took third overall.
In the Over 50’s A class both races on the Saturday were won by the Dutchman Adriaan Verman, but on the Sunday, there was a win each for Scott Bowman and Alun Joyce which was to give Joyce the overall ahead of Bowman with Barry Holbrook taking third overall, whereas in the Over 50’s B class it was Grant Mayhew who with three wins out of four who took the overall with Mark Sims second overall and third overall went to Jason Smith.
The Over 40’s class saw Brad Anderson use all his experience to take the overall with a clean sweep of wins on a track which he has come to like over the years on his many visits. Ando was to win the opening race from the off, but he was not to have the best of starts in the other three races and had to get past another rider who has ridden at Farleigh many times, and that was Welshman Glen Phillips, as well as Jim Davies, who was quick off the line. Phillips was to finish second in all four races to take second overall, with Davies third overall.
In the Evo Over 50’s class was full of class with American Jeff Emig on his SBriggs Commercials prepared KX500 Kawasaki taking all four race wins, but it wasn’t plain sailing for Emig especially in the opening race as he was pushed hard by Jamie Dobb also on a SBriggs Commercials prepared bike, but the American was up for it in the other three races once he hit the front to take the overall with four wins with Dobb second overall and Dean Warren also on a KX500 Kawasaki taking third overall.
The Evo Under 50’s class proved a good day for the CR500 Honda of Nigel Kibble, who put together four consistent rides to take the overall, but he had to be at his best as pushing him all the time in all three races was Neville Bradshaw, who ended the weekend second overall with Jim Davies taking third overall.
In the Super Evo Over 50’s class, it was to produce some close racing, especially between Ross Hartill, Phil Lewis and Rob Mead, with Hartill going into day two with a three-point lead after a win and a second. Lewis, who had been struggling a bit with arm pump on the opening day after not riding competitively for some time, but he was on it on the Sunday once he hit the front and used all his experience to hold off challenges early doors in both races and took the chequered flag on both occasions to give him the overall by two points from Hartill, with Mead taking third overall.
The Super Evo Under 50’s saw Brad Anderson showing what he was capable of and still got what it takes as he was in fine form and won all four races to give him the overall from Jamie Skuse, who finished second to Ando in all the races, with third overall going to Corey Nemeth who had four consistent rides.
In the Ladies class, which had been well supported, there was no stopping Lauren Collingwood who put up a fine display of riding and took the overall winning all four races, but second overall was decided by virtue of the better result in the last race as both Nadiya Jones and Leonni Tighe were tied on points, and it was Tighe who took it after finishing second with Jones third.
The Futures class saw both Reuben Alway and Jaydon Murphy with a win and a second on the opening day of racing, but Sunday saw Murphy dominate the proceedings, winning both races to give him the overall, with Alway taking second overall, with Finley Jay ending the weekend third overall.
In the MX1 class it was Charlie Putnam who was a cut above the rest and was a clear winner in all four races to take the overall, but there was a good battle going on to see who would take second overall between Archie Hicks and the 300 Yamaha of Rob Holyoake which was to go down to the better result in the last race as they were tied on points, but with Hicks finishing second behind Putnam he was to take second overall with Holyoke who didn’t have the best of starts in the last race having to settle for third overall.
In the MX2 class it was Howard Wainwright who was victorious in the opening moto, just holding off the Holywell Haulage 250f Yamaha of Luke Dean, whereas there was no stopping Dean in the second moto, who took the win from Adam Chatfield, who did try and stay with Dean mid-race, but it was too much to ask. Dean came out on the Sunday and was absolutely flying and didn’t take any prisoners as he stormed away in both races from the off to take the chequered flag on both occasions, and with it took the overall with Chatfield again finishing second behind Dean in both races to give him second overall, and third overall went to Harry Bradley with a 3,3,3,3 scorecard.
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