Dunderry boys blaze a trail of success

Every year when winter gives way to spring the teenage Dunderry brothers Cian and Leon Rogers literally get on their bikes and hit the road. Along with their father George they head for a variety of destinations around England and Scotland - to places like Dundee, Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds and Doncaster. Sometimes they go in the other direction to the east coast of America for an onward journey to a location at 'Racetown' in the desert outside Las Vegas where some of the top quad bike racers in the world hang out. Quad bike racing is big business in that part of the world and it is there that the Rogers brothers have pitted their skills with the best - and showed they could still do the business. Both are students at St Patrick's Classical School in Navan and while they attend school during term, much of their spare time is spent in one of the many locations where the quad races are held. The lengthening days of March signifies the start of the quad bike racing season and for the past few years the Rogers family have done the rounds scooping up their fair share of titles along the way. In 2010 alone Cian won the British NORA MX Championship. He finished ahead of the field in various rounds of the Irish championships as well as the ITP championships in California. Although he is only 17 he takes part in senior competitions racing against much older opponents. Leon (15) participates in the junior category and during the past year he has also garnered a haul of victories. He won the youth section of the Irish Quadcross championship, claimed the British NORA MX championship and took the British Youth title in addition to a few other triumphs. They also won races in America. Their great-grandfather was the late, legendary Mattie 'Buller' Rogers, who was regarded as one of the best Gaelic footballers of his generation. He was on the first Royal County side to win a NFL title in 1933. His talent was a big factor in helping Navan Gaels become one of the most dominant clubs in the county during the 1930s. He also won three Railway Cup medals with Leinster in 1930, '2 and '33, then considered a huge achievement. Away from football the famous 'Buller' owned a garage outside Navan on the road to Athboy. His grandson George maintained the connection with the motor trade as he runs Fortune Motors in Ardbraccan. Now his two sons, Cian and Leon, have inherited a fascination for engines and particularly quad bikes. George Rogers imports top-of-the-range quads from the United States. It is only then that the real work begins as alterations are required to suit whoever is going to be using the machine. For a start the right shocks need to be installed to suit the weight of the rider. Other changes are required in the “building†process. A bike can be worth thousands, €6,000, €8,000 upwards, depending on the power and capability. Last year Cian used a Kawasaki 450 while Leon raced on a Yamaha 250. George admits that it can be an expensive business between purchasing and maintaining a top quality quad with sponsorship a much-sought after commodity, something not easily acquired these days. At the end of the year George tends to sell the quad bikes which Cian and Leon have used during the year, get back a percentage of the money spent and purchase machines for the new season ahead. “Our bikes, because they do so well, tend to be in demand at the end of the season, they're sought after,†he suggested. Since they were infants, Leon and Cian Rogers have been operating quad bikes ensuring that driving one of these high-powered machines is now second nature to them. “From our point of view it's not dangerous because you have grown up with them. The danger is when parents buy a bike for a young person and they have no experience of it,†said George. “It's when they put a 12-year-old on a quad for the first time and he thinks he's king, that's when you get trouble,†he added. The quad bike fraternity is a great way to make new friends, establish contacts, says George. It's also a social and business network. Cian has already an offer to work in the USA next summer with an engine builder. George says his two sons have a real passion for the sport, it's what they want to do. They are prepared to put in the effort to become the best quad bike racers they can be. A lot of work is required to get the bikes ready for racing and they are willing to put the effort in. It's the kind of commitment that has helped them stay on course to become professionals in the States.