Barry Briggs

Barry Briggs
MBE

File:Barry Briggs.JPG
Born	(1934-12-30) 30 December 1934 Christchurch, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealand
Current club information
Career status	Retired (1976)
Career history
1952–1959, 1974-1975 1960 1961–1963 1964–1972 1976	Wimbledon Dons New Cross Rangers Southampton Saints Swindon Robins Hull Vikings
Individual honours
1957, 1958, 1964, 1966 1959, 1963 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 1955 1958 1966, 1967, 1970 1967	World Champion New Zealand Champion British Champion British League Riders Champion London Riders' Champion Southern Riders' Champion Midland Riders' Champion Scottish Open Champion
Team honours
1968, 1971 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1963 1967 1953, 1956, 1959 1967, 1968 1974	World Team Cup National League Champion British League Champion National Trophy Winner Midland Cup Winner London Cup Winner

Barry Briggs MBE (born 30 December 1934) from Christchurch, New Zealand is a former Speedway rider.

Career

He won the World Individual Championship title four times – in 1957, 1958, 1964 and 1966. He appeared in a record 17 consecutive World Individual finals (1954–70), and a record 18 in all, during which he scored a record 201 points. He also won the London Riders' Championship in 1955 whilst riding for the Wimbledon Dons. He is also a six-time winner of the British Championship. He won the first final in 1961 and then dominated the sixties titles by winning in 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1969. Briggs also won his home title, the New Zealand Championship, twice winning in 1959 and again in 1963.

Briggs also created a domestic record by winning the British League Riders Championship for six consecutive years from 1965–1970, representing the Swindon Robins.

Briggs retired from British league racing in 1972 after an accident during Heat 5 of the World Final at Wembley Stadium with Swedish rider Bernt Persson. As a result of the accident, Briggs lost the index finger of his left hand, but returned in 1974, retiring for a final time in 1976.

During the early-mid 1970's, Briggs was one of a number of World Champion riders (along with fellow kiwi Ivan Mauger and Denmark's Ole Olsen) as well as a number of others such as Edward Jancarz and Zenon Plech from Poland and England's Chris Pusey, who embarked on world tours to Australia, his native New Zealand and the USA. Their trips to the USA, primarily the Costa Mesa Speedway in Los Angeles, helped spark the American motorcycle speedway scene which had been dormant on the world stage since the pre-World War II days of 1937 World Champion Jack Milne, his brother Cordy Milne and Wilbur Lamoreaux.

After retirement

In 1973 Briggs was awarded an MBE for his services to sport and in 1990 he was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. From 17 March 2010 Briggs took part in a John o' Groats to Land's End bike ride to raise money for the BBC's Sport Relief.

In retirement, Briggs became the mentor to many young riders who went on to race in World Finals including fellow Kiwi Mitch Shirra. He also lent his voice to television, becoming a respected speedway commentator in England and Europe, as well as the USA.

World final appearances

Individual World Championship

• 1954 – London, Wembley Stadium – 6th – 9pts
• 1955 – London, Wembley Stadium – 3rd – 12+2pts
• 1956 – London, Wembley Stadium – 7th – 10pts
• 1957 – London, Wembley Stadium – Winner – 14pts + 3pts
• 1958 – London, Wembley Stadium – Winner – 15pts
• 1959 – London, Wembley Stadium – 3rd – 11+3pts
• 1960 – London, Wembley Stadium – 6th – 9pts
• 1961 – Malmö, Malmö Stadion – 4th – 12pts + 1pt
• 1962 – London, Wembley Stadium – 2nd – 13pts
• 1963 – London, Wembley Stadium – 3rd – 12pts
• 1964 – Göteborg, Ullevi – Winner – 15pts
• 1965 – London, Wembley Stadium – 4th – 10pts
• 1966 – Göteborg, Ullevi – Winner – 15pts
• 1967 – London, Wembley Stadium – 5th – 11pts
• 1968 – Göteborg, Ullevi – 2nd – 12pts
• 1969 – London, Wembley Stadium – 2nd – 11pts + 3pts
• 1970 – Wrocław, Olympic Stadium – 7th – 7pts
• 1972 – London, Wembley Stadium – 14th – 3pts

World Pairs Championship

• 1971 - Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Ivan Mauger) - 2nd - 25pts (13)
• 1974 - Manchester, Hyde Road (with Ivan Mauger) - 3rd - 21pts (4)
• 1976 - Eskilstuna, Eskilstuna Motorstadion (with Ivan Mauger) - 5th - 15pts (7)

World Team Cup

• 1962 - Slaný (with Ronnie Moore / Peter Craven / Ron How / Cyril Maidment) - 2nd - 24pts (8)
• 1963 - Vienna, Stadion Wien (with Peter Craven / Dick Fisher / Peter Moore) - 3rd - 25pts (12)
• 1964 - Abensberg, Abensberg Stadion (with Ron How / Ken McKinlay / Nigel Boocock / Brian Brett) - 3rd - 21pts (9)
• 1965 - Kempten (with Charlie Monk / Nigel Boocock / Ken McKinlay / Jimmy Gooch) - 3rd - 18pts (1)
• 1966 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Nigel Boocock / Terry Betts / Ivan Mauger / Colin Pratt) - 4th - 8pts (1)
• 1967 - Malmö, Malmö Stadion (with Ray Wilson / Eric Boocock / Ivan Mauger / Colin Pratt) - 3rd= - 19pts (8)
• 1968 - London, Wembley Stadium (with Ivan Mauger / Nigel Boocock / Martin Ashby / Norman Hunter) - Winner - 40pts (7)
• 1969 - Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Martin Ashby / Nigel Boocock / Ivan Mauger) - 2nd - 27pts (8)
• 1970 - London, Wembley Stadium (with Ivan Mauger / Nigel Boocock / Eric Boocock / Ray Wilson) - 2nd - 31pts (11)
• 1971 - Wroclaw, Olympic Stadium (with Jim Airey / Ray Wilson / Ivan Mauger / Ronnie Moore) - Winner - 37pts (6)

Note: Briggs rode for Great Britain in the World Team Cup.

External links

• New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame