We owe a debt to the farmers
By John Dickinson on 15th Aug 07
I don't think that it is possible to take something as foot and mouth too seriously. What is a cancelled event or two - even a week or two of cancelled events - compared with the possible alternative, which is carnage in the countryside...''
BACK in 2001, off-road sport, along witheverything else in the British countryside, was knock-ed sideways by anationwide Foot and Mouth Outbreak (FMO) which resulted (among manyother things) in a total ban on off-road sport taking part onagricultural land for a full THREE MONTHS.
Grim as this was for us, it was nothing comparedto the sufferings of the farming community as their herds and flockswere decimated by mass culls, with the black smoke from the burningfuneral pyres something that will live forever in the minds of thosewho saw them. Along with all right-minded people, I hoped and prayed wewould never have to go through anything like that again.
So we all felt the dreadful shock, less thantwo-weeks ago, when it was announced that there had been an outbreak inSurrey. Please! Not again!
You will all have followed what subsequentlyhappened just as I did: listened to every radio news bulletin, watchedthe TV news, scoured the websites, including DEFRA's, for the officialstory. There's no sensationalism on the DEFRA site, juststraightforward instructions as to what plans are in place and where.Information for those who need it.
To their eternal credit, clubs centres and allorganisers of trials, motocross and enduros acted instantly.Secretaries and clerks of courses all over the country from Cornwall tothe Orkneys were straight on to their landowners and farmers to makesure that it was OK if their event went ahead. If there was theslightest hesitation the organisers cancelled, whether it was for thatweekend or for a month down the line.
T+MX is behind clubs all the way in standing-upfor the farmers and landowners. As was proved back in 2001, it is onlywhen something is taken away that you realise how much you miss themand motorcycle sport has a tremendous rapport with the farmingcommunity.
As this piece is penned the outbreak looks like ithas been contained and we are all holding our breath that that is thecase. If there are no further cases reported by Sunday, the officialline is that we ought to be in the clear. But again, 2001 showed justhow easily Foot and Mouth is spread and hopefully this fact won't beforgotten in a hurry.
I don't think that it is possible to takesomething as Foot and Mouth too seriously. What is a cancelled event ortwo - even a week or two of cancelled events - compared with thepossible alternative, which is carnage in the countryside.
The risk may be small but if there is a risk at all it has to be removed. End of.
As we discussed back in 2001, and nothingfundamental has changed since then, the Foot and Mouth outbreak provedonce again just how indebted we are to farmers and landowners. And howmuch we rely on access to agricultural land. When something happensthat blocks out access to that land many off-road organisers and theirevents are in big, big trouble.
Even at the height of the problems back then,there were some events that managed to safely go ahead. Some motocrossevents that ran on permanent circuits (ones that could be accessedwithout compromising farmland) and trials in quarries, sand pits,gravel pits etc., with adequate precautions, disinfected mats andsprays etc.
We said at the time that perhaps this was awake-up call for clubs and organisers to look at the possibilities ofbuying or leasing their own tracks or areas that could be used fortrials, not just because of Foot and Mouth but because of any potentialreason that may halt the sport.
Much easier said than done of course and it wouldbe interesting to know if any great strides were taken by clubs or evenprivate promoters. I suspect not many, but if you did do somethingpractical to help secure the future of your sport I'd appreciate it ifyou would let me know.
I know several trials clubs that have acquiredtheir own land but then again, some of them rent-out the land forfarmers to graze animals on when not in use by two-wheelers. A bit ofhealthy role reversal there but not one that's helpful in the currentcircumstance...!
So, while we can now cautiously breathe-in onceagain the real plus-point for me has been that in the main (with theodd, strange exception) it has been a pleasure to see how quickly andresponsibly the sport in all its forms has responded.