Happy 40th Birthday Dougie Lampkin
By John Dickinson on 23rd Mar 16
TWELVE times World Trials Champion seven outdoor and five indoor (X-Trial) and legendary Red Bull Athlete Dougie Lampkin MBE achieved a major lifetime milestone this week when he turned 40 years old.
Yep, Doug – arguably the most successful trials rider ever when you take his Scottish Six Days and Scott Trial victories into account along with those 12 World Championships (see boxout) – hit the big four-oh.
Which proves nothing if not that, contrary to what you might believe, the Yorkshire legend is human after all.
Dougie, of course, comes from the famous Lampkin dynasty, born and bred in the small town of Silsden, nestling in the valley beneath the famous trials venue of Addingham moorside.
It was here – when he first set out to conquer the trials world – that Dougie spent countless hours, days, weeks and months with dad Martin, learning his craft and honing his skills.
Doug would be up there in all weathers, through driving rain, wind and snow, displaying the iron professionalism that would become his hallmark.
And family is a huge part of Doug's life with dad Martin, mum Isobel and Doug's younger brother, Harry, being a nigh-on unbeatable team.
Mix in the considerable influence of uncles Arthur and Sid and families plus Doug's wife, Nicola and sons Alfie and Fraiser and you demonstrably have an unbeatable team.
No question. No doubt. Fact.
With a World Champion dad – Mart and Doug are still the only such combination to be World Trials Champs – it was actually mum, Isobel, who took Doug to many of his early trials as a youth although as he improved Martin got more involved.
But there was never any kind of silver spoon involved in Doug's success, it has all come courtesy of hard graft.
In fact, on leaving school Doug was sent to work on a road-building gang, with early starts and late finishes, which installed the work ethic that has resulted in such long-lasting success in all walks of his life.
It is a work ethic that still puts many of his younger, would-be rivals to shame.
It would take a book to recall and list all Doug's competition success, which is outlined in the accompanying boxout.
Those 12 World Championships are reflected in the DL12 moniker and in the years from 1997 – 2001 he was literally unbeatable indoors and outdoors.
His seven World Championships were achieved consecutively, which eclipsed the seven titles of the great Jordi Tarres.
Dougie really did have an iron grip on trials through that period of time.
The British Championship and Scott Trial victories don't tell the full story, because for many years, when at the peak of his World Championship success, he didn't contest those events.
If he had it is safe to assume that the list of victories would be even longer.
Doug's nine Scottish victories are a powerful statement as to just how good he has been – and there could well be more to come.
Most of Doug's success came on two-stroke Beta and Montesa machinery – but don't forget that he did much of the spadework that made the Montesa 4RT the success it became in the hands of Toni Bou.
Doug is rightly proud of his MBE – which was awarded at the relatively young age of 25 – and recalls he was ‘shocked' when told of the honour.
But he was pleased that trials had been recognised at such a level and hoped that it would bring the sport more into the public notice.
It did in a way, as Dougie himself did exactly that through being a Red Bull Athlete, a position he has held for 18 years.
Under the Red Bull Athlete banner Dougie has made those epic on-line videos of stunts and tricks that have achieved millions of social media hits.
It took off with that ground-breaking clip of Doug riding his bike through Lord March's stately home, Goodwood House, followed by personal appearances at events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where he has more than done his bit to spread the trials gospel.
Doug has been Red Bull's ‘go-to' trials ace for well over a decade promoting events like the Red Bull City Trial that wowed Manchester several times.
His latest Red Bull on-line release is a spectacular clip of Doug riding his Vertigo Combat on Goa, India.
The Vertigo project is yet another string to Doug's bow as he has not only been a first rate development rider and team manager he personally gave Manel Jane's baby a dream debut victory in the 2015 Scottish Six Days Trial.
This isn't the end of the story by any means – it's really just a progress report, as Doug breezes through one of life's milestones. Doug doesn't stand still and there are several exciting developments already simmering away ready to be sprung on the public.
Doug has always been an incredibly popular rider, is very loyal to his pals and everyone we contacted was keen to join us in the whole point of this piece, which is simply to say...
Happy Birthday Doug!
