Gordon Bowden’s journey in motorcycling began in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in June 1962, and it has spanned more than six decades of competition, innovation, and achievement. From motocross to trials, Bowden has left an enduring mark on the sport.

In the late 1960s and 1970s, he became a formidable force on the international stage. He was twice the Runner-Up in the Irish National Motocross Championship (1968 & 1969), won the AMA Spring Series Motocross Open Class in 1971, and captured the prestigious title of British National Indoor Speedway Champion in 1973. His success continued across the Atlantic, where he claimed multiple championships, including the South Carolina State Motocross Open Class in 1976.

Bowden reached the pinnacle of American motocross in the early 1980s, earning back-to-back national titles: AMA National Senior Motocross Champion in 1982 and 1983. He remains the only rider to have ever won an AMA National Title on a Maico motorcycle—and remarkably, he did it twice.

Beyond motocross, Bowden turned his competitive spirit toward observed trials. He amassed numerous regional and national honors, including STRA and CVOTC Advanced Trials Championships, multiple Expert Class victories, and the AMA National Trials Super Senior Championship in 1994. His consistency and longevity are remarkable; since 2012, he has won at least one event every year except one.

Equally dedicated off the track, Bowden worked and raced for Sprite Motorcycles in England and the USA, serving as both a Development Engineer and Factory Rider. Between 1976 and 1980, he shared his expertise by teaching motocross schools across the United States. Today, he competes in observed trials aboard a Beta Factory 300 from Competition Wheels & Cycles in Concord, NC.

From Belfast to the Carolinas, Gordon Bowden’s career reflects passion, perseverance, and a lifetime commitment to motorcycling excellence.

(inducted September 10, 2023)

The Heart, Humor, and Horsepower Behind the Handlebars

At 78 years young, Berndie Lunsford is a cornerstone of the Carolina Virginia Observed Trials Club (CVOTC). A key figure in the club's growth, Berndie helped shape the community into the welcoming, vibrant family it is today. His passion for trials is contagious, and his dedication to the sport is unparalleled.

For decades, Berndie has been a devoted trials rider, still competing at the top level of the local Sportsman class. One of the things he loves most about trials is that it’s a sport that welcomes all ages and skill levels. But what truly sets Berndie apart is his deep connection to the land. His property, "Lawless Creek", has been creatively sculpted, and is now a premier spot for CVOTC events. But ask Berndie, and he’ll tell you the real fun isn’t just riding the terrain—it’s moving dirt and rocks around with his trusty tractor, then plopping down on a rock to watch a stream flow by, savoring the quiet satisfaction of a job well done.

When it comes to staying fit, Berndie credits his physical endurance to hours spent clearing sections, all fueled by his signature diet of Diet Mountain Dew and Little Debbie oatmeal pies. It’s a routine that’s worked for him for years and somehow, we’re not questioning it.

Berndie’s journey into the world of trials began at Daytona Bike Week, where he and his longtime friend Pate Keen were introduced to the sport through a trials demonstration. Instantly hooked, they began traveling to events, soon bringing their new passion back home. Berndie’s proudest contribution? Getting his friends Pate and Rusty Lacy (both also in the CVOTC Hall of Fame) into the sport. 

Berndie is the kind of person who’ll always lend a helping hand. Whether it’s fixing a bike, offering encouragement through a tough section, or sharing a story that sticks with you for years. He’s more than just a rider, he’s a mentor, a friend, and a tireless volunteer who’s spent countless hours maintaining trials sections and mountain bike trails across North Carolina.

We proudly induct Berndie Lunsford into the CVOTC Hall of Fame, not just for the sections he’s helped build, or the events he’s played a role in, but for the energy, kindness, and sense of community he brings to the sport. He’s shown us that trials is more than just riding, it’s about enjoying the land, sharing the journey, and embracing every moment along the way.

Congratulations, Berndie. You’re truly one of a kind, and this honor is well-deserved.

Who is Jim Ellis? When you hear someone ask that question you can be pretty sure that person is a relative newcomer to our beloved sport, or, is from some distant corner of the Trials world.  Everyone that has been into Trials for any time at all, at least on the east coast of the country, either knows or has heard a good bit about the “nice fellow” at Whale Rock Trials in Bunn, NC.  Jim has made Bunn something of a mecca for introducing new folks to the sport and supporting the ongoing development of those who are quickly bitten by the bug of Trials.

Jim was a founding member of CVOTC back in 1989 and has been a key driving force ever since.  He has been hosting events as a Trialsmaster for over 25 years, supporting development of new riders and new Trialsmasters, hosting countless events himself and helping others hold even more events.  In recent years, Jim has been involved in bringing world-class training to the area with 6X National Champ Ryan Young holding several training classes at his property. Jim has also worked diligently at introducing youth to the sport by providing Youth-specific sections at events.  His “Rust Bucket” events, where riders are limited to vintage (i.e. really old) bikes, is a prized spectacle to behold.

Anyone who meets Jim can quickly spot his infectious love of the sport and his very likeable, welcoming personality.   Those attributes helped draw many of us into our long-term love of the sport.  Whether your first encounter with Jim involved him as a serious competitor, him loaning you a bike for your first ride, or playing “follow the leader” behind him as he effortlessly floated through tricky pinestraw-laced turns in “the bowl,” you quickly learned Jim is both a skillful rider and a genuinely great person. 

Want to know something about Trials history (events or machines)?  Just ask Jim, the club’s de facto historian, and be amazed at his powers of recall!  Ask Jim to tell you something about his abundance of longtime Trials friends and you’ll be mesmerized by stories of the likes of Bill Grapevine, Ryan Young, and of course Jerry Young.  

It is easy to reflect that there would likely be a lot fewer of us riding these “funny looking motorcycles with no seat” if it were not for Jim.  His enthusiastic, selfless, and extremely generous level of contribution to CVOTC cannot be overstated.  That was true when we were honored by having Jim as a Hall of Fame inductee back in 2008 and even more so at this update written in 2022.Description goes here

Garry Hoover has always been a highly competitive athlete. At NC State he was an All-American wrestler and ACC Champion, and in the late 1970s he discovered Trials. Inspired by watching the World Championship at Roaring Branch in 1978, he bought his first Montesa and soon began competing in Nationals, STRA events, and local trials—often riding 40 events a year. Garry even organized events of his own, scouting steep terrain with maps and building practice areas to push himself and others to improve.

As the family traveled to events, Maddie Hoover was introduced to Trials at a young age. She grew up surrounded by the sport, watching not only the men but also top women riders like Debbie Evans and Louise Forsley. By her teens she was competing herself, showing rapid improvement and earning a reputation for her intense focus and determination. In 2013 at Axton, her leap in ability was so striking that fellow riders remarked they had never seen anyone improve so quickly.

Soon Maddie was a regular at STRA events and Nationals, and at just 15 was invited to Europe to compete on 125s. Before finishing high school, she was already a Women’s National Champion and had represented the U.S. at the Trials des Nations. After graduation, she trained in Europe with the Norwegian Women’s National Team, later moving to Spain to hone her skills. Her rise continued internationally, finishing second in the Women’s Trial 2 class in 2018 before being invited into the elite Women’s GP class, where she has since proven herself among the best riders in the world with multiple podium finishes and consistent top-ten results.

Maddie remains the only American woman to have competed regularly in the World Championship, a historic and remarkable achievement. Alongside her international career, she has instructed at the Trials Training Center and hosted her own training schools, inspiring the next generation of riders. Through it all, her success has been supported by her father Garry’s dedication and her mother Sabrina’s encouragement. Together, Garry and Maddie Hoover embody the competitive spirit, family commitment, and international impact that make them a fitting addition to the CVOTC Hall of Fame.

(inducted February 27, 2022!)

Rusty’s Award created by David Lawson

We’re not exactly sure when Rusty first starting riding motorcycles however, we do know that he had a motorcycle while he was serving in the army and that he used it to tour around Germany. Berndie Lunsford met Rusty in the fall of 1972 at a Blue Ridge Cycle Club enduro. They traveled together to other enduros and were club members together doing enduros and local scramble events until the early 1980s.

In 1985, Rusty asked Pate Keen to find him a suitable trials bike; soon Rusty was a trials rider mounted on a 1985 Yamaha 350 mono-shock. Rusty was a quick learner, with a couple of great teachers (Berndie Lunsford and Pate Keen), and was soon going to events which included Florida in March. Their trip included buying new bikes from the Tryals shop and bringing them home in crates.

In the early 1990s Rusty held his first event at his farm; a joint STRA and CVOTC trials. Pate was the Trialsmaster for a good while and then Rusty “took the reins” and assumed the role of Trialsmaster. After that, events were hosted by Rusty every year. A tradition that has been maintained to this day. It has grown to include many social events like the CVOTC Annual Meeting and a must attend 3-day weekend that includes a road ride, play day and a formal competition.

Like many riders that have been in the sport for a long time, Rusty began riding at the Intermediate level but his skills kept improving and eventually he competed at the Advanced level. As I remember, he was one of a handful of CVOTC riders that may have won the class on any given Sunday; competitions were very close. Eventually Rusty was heading back down to safer sections. During this time, he competed in the Sportsman level where CVOTC records indicate he dominated the class in 2012 besting a young Maddie Hoover and again 2013, good thing Maddie moved to Advanced that year. Rusty continued to ride in the Sportsman class for many years, always a force to be reckoned with but also ready to share his thoughts about the best line with his competitors.

Rusty represents all that is great about the sport of Observed Trials. He has made significant contributions over many years helping to establish and grow CVOTC to the well-respected club it has become.

The following is a letter written in 2008 by club member Rusty about Pate.

Pate Keen is my hero. At the age of 75 and a half, he is still “kicking ass and taking names” at trials events up and down the eastern half of the U.S. At every event he goes to, he usually finds dozens of riders gunning for him – trying to see if they can beat “the old man.’ Most them can’t, even though they are 20 to 55 years younger – “kids” as he calls them.

At the recent STRA event in Alabama, where Pate’s score of 2 points for the day in Sportsmen easily won the class of 19 riders, the Trials Master announced at the trophy presentation that 18 of the sportsmen riders ought to be ashamed of themselves. Pate has been embarrassing trials riders for about 25 years.

He started riding trials at the young age of 50 – his first real attempt at off-road riding – and quickly worked his way up through the ranks to the advanced class. Pate competed as an advanced rider until he was 72 years old and moved back to sportsman because as he says, “I didn’t want to have a senior moment on a high place.”

During his peak, about 10 years ago, Pate was riding in about 35 events a year, including enough nationals to give him 4 or 5 national championship titles, in the 60 and 65 year age groups. He was a regular fixture at events hosted by STRA, CVOTC, Trials Inc, District 6 (PA), District 7 (MD), and FTA. More often than not he came home with the first place ribbon, sometimes 2, because he rode both modern and vintage classes.

The very best thing about Pate’s trials career is that he is still at it. Still driving his blue (or is it green) van 10,000 miles a year to events from Florida to Indiana and Kentucky to Virginia. And he still kicks butt most of the time.

Pate Keen – 75 years old and going strong. There is hope for all of us.