Posted: Wednesday, 21st June, 2006 : 5:33 PM - - 14,479 Reads

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	Katherine and Blake Gillard on the start line. Photo: Alan Henderson

Let's go back 6 weeks? Prumm (Kawasaki KX250F) is already the Australian and New Zealand Women's Champion.

In Europe, on 07 May, Prumm won the first of two rounds in the FIM Women's World Championships at Teuschenthal, Germany. This was up against the best such as French rider Livia Lancelot and German Stephanie Laier.

The next day Prumm flew from Leipzig to California to compete at the opening round of the AMA (American Motorcyclists Association) Women's Motocross Championships at Glen Helen.

In the first race she spun the rear wheel up on the start line and was second-to-last around the first turn. With a lot of catching up to do she was in 11th at the end of the first lap. She battled with Sarah Whitmore (the United States No.4 from Cheboygan, Michigan) for three laps and was then up to 5th. There were three immediately in front of her and the race leader was a little way in front of them. The next lap she came around to the big hill out the back and saw that the race leader Tarah Geiger (Vero Beach, Florida) had crashed so now she was 4th. With three laps to go she got the lead and pulled away from the group and held on to take the race win.

In the second race Prumm fought her way through from seventh at the start to be challenging Californian Yamaha rider Alisa Nix for the lead within two laps. She stayed on her wheel for the whole race, close enough to attempt passes but couldn't quite make them stick. On the last lap Jessica Patterson, the defending national champion from Tallahasse, Florida was closing in the pair. Prumm could hear her coming so on the corner before the double double she passed Nix around the outside. Another victory!

The second round was two weeks later on 22 May, at Hangtown, Southern California,

Prumm won the first race and after a poor start in the second was chasing down the leader Jessica Patterson. When attempting the huge step-up Prumm was in mid-air when a lapped rider suddenly changed direction and crossed under her. Prumm had nowhere to go but to crash hurting her wrist. She struggled to the top and waited there for two laps until the race finished so that she could at least salvage some points - she was credited with 17th place.

Before the crash, Prumm was threatening to run away with the championship. She was 17 points clear of Patterson but at the end of the day Patterson now had a 4 point lead.

Prumm's right wrist was x-rayed afterwards and she had a broken carpel bone. There are actually eight carpal bones that are arranged in two rows. Katherine's dad Erich (a Doctor) was with her and had a specialist surgeon in San Bernadino pin the wrist before returning to New Zealand.

Back to the present. Prumm rode in the Open Class at Mercer on the banks of the Waikato River last Sunday. The occasion was the first Club Day of the winter series of the Pukekohe Motorcycle Club. Prumm raced under the watchful eye of Kawasaki Team Green Manager Mike Ramsey.

This sand track cuts up rougher as the day progresses with whoops and deep sand corner ruts let alone the massive braking bumps. If you love sand berms this is the place. If her wrist was to get a tough test then it certainly was going to be here.

An aside ….. Aucklander Josephine Adlam (YZ250F) was also racing at Hangtown and creditably finished just outside the top 20. Jo showed me her photos of Hangtown and huge is no overstatement - the jumps are BIG. Jo said only three were jumping the uphill with the others taking the easier ramp option like they do at Harrisville.

I spoke to Katherine after Race 2.

Q. How's the wrist holding up ?

R. It's actually very good, maybe a little sore but ….. I give iot lots of physio myself.

Q. That's a very quick recovery isn't it? Is it a secret that you are back training?

R. No it's not. The American specialist said about now and the New Zealand one said another two weeks so I will go for the American opinion.

Q. Can I photograph the scar? (Katherine laughs!!)

R. Yeah sure! (I had to step right back as had the big lens on)

Q. So what's the decision?

R. The second round of the world championship series is at Uddevalla, Sweden, on July 1-2 which is only two weeks and there is at least 3 days traveling involved.

So the answer is yes, I hope to be there.

Q. I think the whole of the motocross fraternity felt for you when you did it so that is indeed great news ….. and good luck!!

R. Thanks!

Main Photo: The scars still remain
Photo: Alan Henderson

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