Eleven-year-old BMX rider Ruby Laidlaw will represent New Zealand at the Mighty 11 in Auckland at Labour Weekend.
The Mighty 11 is for under-11 New Zealand and Australian riders.
Both teams have eight riders – four girls and four boys. Joining Ruby in the New Zealand girls’ lineup are Brooke Compain (captain, Waitakere), Tia Hastings-Thurgood (Cambridge) and Mia Tuigamala (Waitakere).
Boys in the New Zealand team are Rico Bearman (captain, Waitakere), Bennett Greenough (Cambridge), Jack Keown (Christchurch) and Austin Lupton (Te Awamutu).
The Mighty 11 is part of the North Island BMX Championships.
Ruby, who attends St Patrick’s School, finished second in the under-11 girls’ section at the national BMX championships in Tauranga in April. She has been a BMX rider for seven years.
Callum Holloway (Southland Boys’ High School) and Shakira Mirfin (Southland Girls’ High School) are also competing at the North Island Championships.
The three Southland riders are coached by Ted Lucas, of Invercargill.
“The North Island champs is a high class event, there could 700 riders,” he said yesterday.
“It’s very very competitive and hard work.”
– The Southland Times
PHOTO: JOHN HAWKINS/Fairfax
