Thank you to Mr Steve Wilson for bringing this to our attention. Further research, with help from Brian Jones and the May 8, 1981 issue of BMX News, confirms the first British International BMX Meeting took place in Redditch on May 3, 1981. Sponsored by Halfords and organised by Alan Rushton’s Sports Plus, the event drew just under 300 riders, making it the largest race held in the UK at that time despite poor weather.
International riders included Greg Esser, Jamie Burrows and Kerensky Bullard from the United States, along with competitors from Holland, Belgium and France, including a young Claude Villemont, who later became a major name in European Superclass and a World Champion.
Key figures involved in organising the event included Geoff Wiles, Steve Wilson, Alan Rushton, David Duffield, Paul Moran, Richard Gwyer and Pete Dawson. This meeting marked the beginning of British International BMX, leading to decades of major events on UK soil, including European and World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Results
17+ Kerensky Bullard, Steve Gratton, Jamie Burrows
16 Alan Woods, Wim Van de Heyden, Craig Burrows
15 Claude Villemont, Mike Pardon, Craig Strong
14 Danny Neijs, Dave Dawson, Chris Simmons
13 Brian Jones, Matthew White, Craig Schofield
12 Mark Butler, Lee Timmins
11 Fabrice Perez, Matthew Bishop, Craig Jarrett
10 Chris Bishop, David Wylie, Jonathan Harris
9 Jason Smallwood, Julian Jarvis, Barry Salt
8 Matt Oakley, Tim Hammond, Stuart Elliott
7 Simon Hutton, Jason Scott Webb, Sam Jarvis
14+ Open Jamie Burrows, Rene de Groot, Alan Woods
Photo credit Ian Buckden BMX News
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