Riding dirt bikes is not just a hobby for 12-year-old Ella Ford of Columbia, it is a passion.
She has been racing for more than two years and placed third in her class and eighth overall out of 47 youth at the National Racing Association XC Amateur National Championship in August.
Ella competed in a national qualifier race to earn the opportunity to race at the national competition. On her first attempt, she qualified.
Ella participates in XC racing, also called hare scramble racing. In this type of racing, she navigates her dirt bike off-road through wooded terrain, mud bogs, creeks and other rugged terrain. Once she leaves the starting line, she is on her own to navigate the three-mile course.
Ella must make split-second decisions on how to navigate through the varying terrain while also trying to finish with the best time. It is mentally and physically challenging, but she said she loves it.
“It just pushes me to be better, and I get to have fun,” she said.
Ella said she began racing because she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her brother.
“One of his friends raced one and made him race one and then I wanted to be like him, so I started,” said Ford.
Her mother, Brittany Ford, said watching Ella race can be nerve-wracking, especially when she encounters technical sections of a course.
“At times, it’s a little uneasy feeling. We have a tracker that we put on her bike so we can pretty much know her location. If it stops moving, we can go to that specific spot and locate her.”
“There’s a few races here and there that’s got some very technical spots in them, and of course, I know she’s capable of doing it and accomplishing it, but it still gives you a little worry from here and there,” said Brittany.
Ella races in the Mid-South Cross Country Racing circuit, which is a point-based racing series. Points are earned throughout the season for participation and placement during each race. She also travels to other races in and around Kentucky when possible.
Although she gets in situations that are sometimes scary, Ella continues to race.
Ella is committed to racing, with a goal of becoming a professional racer in the GNCC WXC series.
