She's only raced the junior motocross nationals twice now, but Karaitiana Horne has been a force to be reckoned with on each of those occasions.

For two consecutive years now, Horne has dominated her class at the New Zealand Junior Motocross Championships and she's showing no signs of slowing down just yet.

After her unbeaten run at the 2022 junior nationals in Taranaki at the weekend, rivals of the 13-year-old Horne (GasGas MC85) must be scratching their heads now to find ways of beating her.

Horne's nearest challenger in the junior women's 12-13 year's 85cc/150cc class this time around, Aucklander Ruby Leech, might have figured out the best way though of at least matching her adversary ... Leech is now racing a GasGas bike too.

These two riders and their distinctive red GasGas machines finished first and second is all five of their 85cc/150cc races at the 2022 edition of the junior nationals near New Plymouth at the weekend, Horne crossing the line a comfortable distance ahead of Leech each time.

Third best in the class overall was Waitoki's Milla Glasgow (KTM), with Nelson's Milla Dahlenburg (KTM) and Featherston's Bailey Newbould (GasGas) rounding out the top five.

Horne, a year 9 student at Ruapehu College, knew there would be a target on her back after she'd won the same class title last season, but that didn't seem to bother her at all over the three days of racing on the Barrett Road Motorcycle Park facility on the outskirts of New Plymouth.

"She hadn't raced the junior motocross nationals prior to last year," says her father Richard, himself an accomplished motocross racer.

"We are really stoked with how she went and she was aiming for a top five when she raced against the boys in their 12-13 years' 85cc/150cc class too."

In the end, Karaitiana Horne finished an impressive eighth out of 40 riders in that mostly-male class.

Leech and Auckland's Mikayla Matthews were the only other females to enter this class. Leech managed a creditable 21st overall, while Matthews had a few issues and finished only the first two races in this battle against the boys.

GasGas riders also achieved podium finishes in two other classes too at the weekend – Leeston's Kase Thoms claimed third overall in the 12-14 years' 125cc class and Taupo's Declan Connors wound up third overall in the 12-13 years' 85cc/150cc class

Other class winners at the weekend were Waitoki's Cole Davies (Yamaha, 14-16 years' 250cc class); Davies (15-16 years' 125cc class); Invercargill's Seth Morrow (Husqvarna, 12-14 years' 125cc class); Appleby's Wills Harvey (KTM, 14-16 years' 85cc/150cc class); Karaka's Hayden Draper (Husqvarna, 12-13 years' 85cc/150cc class); Hastings' Harry Daly (KTM, 8-11 years' 85cc/150cc class); Tauranga's Jaggar Townley (Yamaha, 8-11 years' 65cc class); Tokoroa's Breanna Rodgers (Yamaha, 12-16 years' 125cc/250cc women) and Whangarei's Hannah Perris (KTM, 8-11 years' 85cc/150cc class).

-By Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com