MOTORBIKES - Hokianga siblings extend rivalry to last race

Hokianga brothers Damon and Mitchell Nield have been fighting each other for years just as brothers do the world over but these two young men take sibling rivalry to a whole new level.
Incredibly, the pair wrapped up their Top Trail Rider (TTR) Northern Enduro Series campaign near Tokoroa on Saturday by finishing 1-2 in the Yamaha-sponsored competition.
The younger of the two, 16-year-old Damon, won the day at Saturday's fifth and final round but it was his 19-year-old brother Mitchell who won the series overall.
"Yes, Damon won the battle but I won the war," Mitchell said afterwards.
And they each took home silverware for class honours too, with Mitchell (Husqvarna WR250) winning the Expert Enduro 2 class title and Damon (Husqvarna CR125) finishing runner-up in the Expert Enduro 1 class.
The E1 class winner was national enduro champion Chris Birch, who was a no-show on Saturday but his hard work at earlier rounds was enough to wrap up the class win early.
Damon Nield was number one on Saturday, winning overall on the day by just one second from Whitby's Rory Mead (KTM 200 EXC).
"I went past Mitchell when I saw him stuck in a bog. I could see he was okay so I didn't stop," laughed Damon.
"There were quite a few deep ruts out there. I have been pretty close to Rory all year. He's really good in the tight stuff, among the trees but I'm quicker in the open."
The event attracted several former enduro riders and a few novice and first-timers too, just what series organiser Shaun Stanbridge wanted. That was the aim of the TTR series, he said, with the emphasis on participation.