2017 will mark the 23rd running of the Trans Tasman Trials challenge for the Oceania Shield.
There will be a re-union for all riders who have contested the Oceania shield as part of the Australian, and the New Zealand, teams. This will be a social get together at an Angaston winery on Thursday evening September 28th.
I was invited to be the host for this function as I’ve been involved with the challenge since the original event in 1975.
The attached spreadsheet confirms the names of all of the competitors from the winning team in each of the 22 events held so far. Anyone who may be able to assist with the missing names of the runners-up team members is invited to contact me.
Likewise, anyone reading this who may be able to pass on to those riders from the past, details of the reunion will be greatly appreciated. Victorian Alan Kerney is one gentleman that we have lost contact with.
Thanks to Peter Paice, we are able to include some photos of riders in the early Trans Tasman series from both sides of the Tasman. In the early years helmets were not yet compulsory.
- Trevor Bennett
1975 - Greg Power
1975 - Alan Kerney
1975 - Bruce Mitchell
1975 - Neil Harris
1975 - Peter Paice
1975 - Dave Pinkerton
1976 - Peter Paice, Alan Kerney & Steve Johnson
1976 - Peter Paice
1976 - Chris Harris
1976 - Both Teams
1978 - Paul Symons
1978 - Peter Luscombe
1978
1979 - Trans Tasman Trial held in Australia
1979 - Trevor - Preston MCC