Rider profile: Keenan & Kacey Hird
By TMX Archives on 2nd Nov 16
Other than the Watson and McCanney brothers it has been a while since good ol Blighty turned out a pair of siblings that are outrageously-talented dirt-bike racers.
Can you think of any brothers at the top of the game other than Ben and Nathan or Danny and Jamie? I know I can't!
Which is why it was so cool to see Malcolm Stewart taking the East Coast SX title this year, making him and James the first brothers to both win professional SX titles (James took the very same title in 2004).
And just look at the Brownlee brothers, the story of one brother helping another cross the finish line of the world triathlon final made headlines the world over!
So looking into the future the Hird brothers are certainly candidates that many would back to be amongst the next set of MX stars to come out of the UK. Coming from a family passionate about motocross and committed to the cause, the Hirds have put untold hours into the sport chasing their dreams.
At 16 years old Keenan is the elder of the Hird boys. After claiming glory early on in his career – winning both 65cc and Small-Wheel 85cc titles at the Red Bull Pro Nationals – Keenan has flown somewhat under the radar in recent years.
Going into the 2015 BYN season he had been touted as a possible contender for the Big-Wheel 85 title.
Unfortunately his season was cut short at the opening race as a broken knee sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
After a gruelling six-month recovery period he decided to jump straight up onto a 250F and now rides an LPE Kawasaki.
Keenan used 2016 as a learning year, getting to know his bike and coming to grips with the world of big-bike racing.
And as the 2016 BYN season came to a close Keenan surpassed his own goals by bagging solid top-five finishes and even claiming podium positions in individual races.
He ended up finishing ninth overall in the championship after missing some races due to an injury.
His eyes are firmly set on the podium for 2017 and the EMX250 championships in 2018 – so keep an eye out for Keenan in the future – he's definitely one to watch.
Younger brother Kacey needs little introduction as he was the 2014 and 2015 Small-Wheel 85 British champion. He also loves the big jumps and is a massive fan of supercross so understandably he jumped at the opportunity to race the Arenacross series earlier this year.
He was one of the standout riders of the entire tour. Having just jumped up onto a Big-Wheel 85, Kacey was one of only a few riders able to take race wins away from the eventual AX champ, Harry Kimber.
He was also one of the few 85cc pilots to leap the massive finish line double at every round.
Finishing second overall in the series, Kacey is surely the favourite for the title in 2017, as he looks to add an indoor title to his outdoor crown.
"The Arenacross series is amazing,” he said.
"It was the first year I raced it but I love everything about it – the crowds, the lights, everything.
"I'll be doing it every year now.”
Like big brother Keenan, Kacey used 2016 as a learning year and consistently mixed it up in the top-10 to eventually come in eighth overall in the BYN championship chase.
He aims to focus on a title run in 2017.
There's no doubt after talking to both lads – as well as dad, Dean – that the Hirds are a very committed motocross family with a real chance of going all the way.
"It's massive fun,” says dad Dean.
"But with two boys out there it's double the trouble and double the cost.
"Other than that it's great!
"Having two boys that are both there or thereabouts is great for the family and we love it.
"We've come this far and we'll keep pushing it and see where it takes us. If it doesn't take us anywhere we've had a great laugh and a great life and that's all you can ask for.''
