The national motocross championship campaign is over before it’s even begun for Warkworth’s Hamish Dobbyn.

After much agonising, the talented young Kawasaki rider from Warkworth has decided he will not now contest the upcoming New Zealand Motocross Championships, due to kick off near Timaru in just over five weeks’ time.

After consultation with two orthopaedic surgeons, there’s no doubt that Dobbyn’s anterior cruciate ligament is ruptured. His knee is unstable and would not withstand the rigours of top-level motocross competition.

The injury has been with him for some time and, despite struggling with it at the FIM Junior World Motocross Championships in Taupo last month, he scored a world ranking of No.3, the highest ever achieved by a New Zealander.

He is also the current New Zealand No.3 in the MX2 class. He now has no hope of improving on that ranking this season.

Dobbyn wanted to complete his current racing programme which included the NZ Motocross Championships and the summer meetings, concluding at Woodville, before having surgery.

However, he has taken advice from his Fly Team Green manager, Cambridge’s Mike Cotter, and his mentor, former MX2 world champion Ben Townley, to have the ACL reconstruction as soon as possible.

The operation is scheduled for September 22, followed by three to four months’ rehabilitation.

All things going well, Dobbyn says he hopes to ride again at the Auckland Champs on March 7.

“I have to think of the future,” said Dobbyn.

Words and photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com