MOTOPINION: WHAT DO THE HALBERG’S HAVE AGAINST DIRT BIKES?

I mean, it’s not like we haven’t produced enough world champions to claim at least one Halberg Award, right? So why do dirt bikes keep getting snubbed by the judges? And will it ever happen?

At this point, I’m going to say no — and I hate that’s how I feel about it. Yesterday’s Halberg Awards were a prime example of the perfect opportunity to give credit where credit is due. Levi Townley was nominated for the Emerging Talent category for the 2025 Halberg Awards, and rightly so after claiming New Zealand’s first-ever Junior World Motocross Title. The best we had managed before then was a fourth-place finish by Blake Gillard in Germany, and a third by Hamish Dobbin right here in New Zealand.

And let’s be real — it’s not even the top award, so handing it out to a motorcyclist wouldn’t sting as much, right? I mean, if that’s the issue. Not since Ivan Mauger in 1977 and 1979 has an off-road motorcyclist been recognised for their efforts with an award. That seems far too long, in my opinion.

Katherine Oberlin-Brown (Prumm) won the 2006 Women’s World Motocross Championship and was nominated for the Emerging Talent category but didn’t get the award. She then backed up her world title again in 2007, this time earning a nomination for the Sportswoman of the Year award. She again fell short to Valerie Adams, who ended up winning the Supreme Award three years in a row.

The same thing happened with Courtney Duncan, who won three World MX titles, followed by three Sportswoman of the Year nominations, only to be beaten each time by Lisa Carrington. I’m sure Carrington was deserving — but all three times? They can’t even throw us a bone for one year? What is it that motorcycling is doing wrong here?

Back to this year and the continued snubbing of Kiwi moto talent: Levi did what no other Kiwi has ever done — won a World Junior MX title. Not even the great BT managed that (although don’t get me started on his World MX2 and AMA titles that went unappreciated).

This year’s Emerging Talent winner was a footballer who played nine games for the All Whites and scored his first international goal against Vanuatu — in a game that was pretty one-sided, with an 8–1 final score. He also captained Reading FC to a win in the FA Cup — and if I’m not mistaken, they’re in the third division of England’s football league.

Now, no disrespect to this guy — I’m sure he’s deserving of some recognition — but to me, all that falls well behind winning a world championship and being the first Kiwi to do it in the junior ranks. Or am I just biased?

Having been overlooked for the awards many, many times, what else do Kiwi moto riders have to do to be recognised as some of the best athletes in New Zealand? I get that Olympic sports get the lion’s share of the kudos, but I actually don’t understand why. Do Olympic achievements outweigh all else? Is the same person doing the same thing for the fourth time more spectacular than someone new doing something no one else has done yet? How do these winners get picked, and what is the judging criteria? Who has a brown envelope with compromising photos of these judges?

With all due respect to the other nominees, Levi Townley should have won the Emerging Talent award at this year’s Halberg event. And if Cole Davies (and road racer Cormac Buchanan, for that matter) continue on the paths they have set for themselves, they had better get the recognition they deserve too.

Again, I may be biased, but what is it that Kiwi motorcycling is doing wrong here?

Chris

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