NZ Insider #58: WHERE’S THE TALENT GONE?

Transmoto’s weekly web-exclusive column, the NZ Insider, penned by Chris Ritchie.

After witnessing the World Junior Championship for a second year in a row last weekend in Spain, it was sad to think that for such a proud motocross nation as New Zealand, we could only muster one rider – in the form of Josiah Natzke.
There feels to be a certain stigma surrounding world-level motocross in New Zealand at the moment. As we have seen in the past – with the likes of the King brothers, Josh Coppins and Ben Townley, to name a few – NZ punches above its weight on a global scale in the sport. And yet when it comes to the next generation of world-level motocross riders – the next Ben Townley or Josh Coppins – the country is in a state of flux.

“Currently, there are literally no Kiwi riders willing to make the next step up to racing in Europe or even America!”

Now that we have seen Natzke quickly make a name for himself in Europe, the motocross world is wondering who the next Kiwi will be. The truth is that, while this season’s racing in New Zealand has been some of the best on record, there are literally no riders willing to make the next step up to racing in Europe or even America. We have a number of Junior riders who could potentially take the plunge. But the harsh reality is that, once they have reached the top level in New Zealand, their progression is stifled because of a lack of high-level competition at home.

^ NZ’s new young moto-ripper, Josiah Natzke.

While racing in Australia certainly has its benefits – such as the depth of fields and proximity to New Zealand – it is still a much greater step up to European or American competition.Led by Hunter Lawrence with third in the 125cc category, and Rhys Budd’s eighth in the 85cc class, the Aussie Junior contingent in Spain proved they can mix it with the best in the world, claiming third Overall in the team’s classification behind global MX heavyweights, France and Great Britain.
Special mention should be made about Christchurch’s Dylan Walsh and Foxton’s James Anderson, who have both spent considerable time at the renowned Millsaps Training Facility in the USA, and have both been turning heads with some great results in America. They’re currently competing at the infamous Loretta Lynn’s Amateur MX event in Tennessee, USA.
With Natzke’s 14-year-old teammate, Spanish sensation Jorge Prado, already being dubbed “the next Jeffrey Herlings”, and current MXGP red plate holder Romain Febvre only 23, it’s all about starting and succeeding young these days on the world MX stage. Like Townley before him, Natzke came to Europe at the age of 16, and Townley was MX2 World Champion at 19.
With Australia’s massive effort in sending its riders to compete at the highest level of Junior motocross on the planet, it is a shame that New Zealand does not do the same. Perhaps it’s time we had a conversation about what steps can be taken to foster the growth of our young talent with a view to re-establishing New Zealand as a powerhouse nation of World Motocross.