MBE Honour for Emma
When the King’s birthday honours list was announced at the end of last week, motorcycle sport enthusiasts were delighted to learn that Emma Bristow had been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in recognition of her services to motor sports and women in sport.
Just in case anybody reading this is unaware of who Emma is, she is the eight times Ladies World Trials Champion; twice winner of the FIM Superenduro World Championship for women in 2014 and 2015; twice the women’s European trials champion and ten times the British women’s trials champion.
Emma started riding at the age of four, taking four British Youth Championships prior to beginning her international career at the age of 16 when she finished 9th in Andorra on a Gas Gas and continued contesting both European and World championship events eventually finishing runner up in the World Championship of 2011 and 2012 aboard an Ossa before signing for Sherco prior to the 2013 season.
Her success since then has been with Sherco, taking her eight trial and two enduro world titles with the Spanish marque. Emma married former British Expert Trials Champion James Fry in November 2018, and it’s as her married name of Emma Elizabeth Fry that she is recognised in the King’s Birthday honours list
Recognition of her success has also come when she was awarded the title of Lincolnshire’s sports personality of the year and best sports woman in 2015; in 2020 she became the first female ever to win the prestigious Torrens Trophy, awarded by the Royal Automobile Club for all-round contributions to motoring and motor sport. She joins such prestigious names as James Toseland, Tom Sykes, Shakey Byrne, Ian Hutchinson, Cal Crutchlow, Jonathan Rea, Tai Woffinden and Peter Hickman.
The honour of her receiving the MBE means the sport of trials now has two such riders with the award as of course Dougie Lampkin received the honour some years ago.