Winning is all in the family when it comes to two of the region’s top young dirtbike racers, recently taking top podium finishes at one of Australia’s most gruelling inland motorcycle events.

The young cousins, Ollie Cale and Stella Harding, recently bagged top spots in the famed Hattah Desert Race – Australia's largest off-road enduro motorcycle event – hosted annually in western Victoria's Mallee region, Luke Harding told Dubbo Photo News.

“It’s down past Mildura way on a sandy desert track with about 700 seniors and juniors all taking part,” Luke revealed.

“It’s a tough ride, they race 60km, all going the same distance, six laps of a 9km circuit on a sandy surface that is quite difficult,” he added.

This didn’t stop the two young champs from putting in top performances racing each other through the circuit’s challenging terrain.

“Ollie, my nephew, who turns 12 today, came first in the Junior Small Wheel Class for seven to 12-year-olds racing 60 and 80cc bikes, with a total of 104 competitors in that race,” Luke explained.

“Stella, my daughter who’s 11, competed in the same event, coming in 36 seconds behind him, getting second spot outright and first in the girls.”

For Luke, the young riders and their families, the results are a reward for a lot of hard work in one of the most physically-challenging of riding sports. They put a lot of hours in at the Harding family property near Narromine where they have created a purpose-built circuit for the young riders, with Luke’s daughter already attracting major commercial interest for her precocious racing talents.

“We do a lot of training out there with a major session once a week, with Stella now sponsored by Yamaha Australia,” Luke said.

“It was a great result for both of them, when you get finishes like that, it makes all the travel worth the while,” he concluded.

Fourteen riders from Dubbo Dirt Bike Club contested the event with Campbell Hall also taking third spot in in the Over 450cc four-stroke class. Other local representatives included Archie Job, Rigby Job, Tucker Job, Mitchell Carter, Justin Harrow, Kyan Hatton, Clancy O’Connor, Hudson Miller, Elijah Newton, Oki Newton, and Noah Woldhuis.