It is with deep sadness that we announce that Jeffrey Vincent Smith MBE, born in Colne, Lancashire on 14th October 1934, has passed away peacefully at Marshfield Clinic Hospital in Weston, Wisconsin, after a short illness on Saturday 21st March 2026, aged 91 years.

Jeff was FIM World Motocross champion in 1964 and again in 1965 when riding for BSA on their highly successful 441cc Victor machines which Jeff helped to develop. He rode for the BSA factory from 1954 through to 1969. He also rode for Norton in trials and scrambles from 1950 through to 1953.

Although best known as a scrambles and motocross rider, he was also highly successful at trials, having won the Scottish Six Days Trial on a 500cc BSA Gold Star in 1955 and also competed in the International Six Days Trial at which he won eight gold medals, his first was in 1951 in Italy on a Norton aged just sixteen.

Jeff Smith was a household name, primarily due to his many successes in the BBC Grandstand and ITV World of Sport televised scrambles in the 1960s. He usually rode with the number 4 when making appearances on national television.

In 1954, Smith began to make his name in international motocross by winning his first race in the Dutch 500cc grand prix, a round of the then European 500cc motocross championship.

For many years, Jeff’s travelling companion was Arthur Lampkin who passed away only a few weeks ago.

Jeff was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s new year honours list in 1970 and was inducted into the AMA’s ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2000.

Jeff leaves a widow, Irene, his daughter Chris, son James, grandson James and granddaughters, Josie and Ellie.

Trials Guru sends sincere condolences to the Smith family at this very sad time.

Main photograph: Jeff Smith chats with great friend and rival, Torsten Hallman – Photo: Justyn Norek.

Slideshow presentation of the life of Jeff V. Smith:

It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of Arthur J. Lampkin, aged 87 years, peacefully in his sleep on Saturday 21st February 2026.

Born in London on the 30th of May 1938, Arthur Lampkin was best known through televised scrambles on both ITV and the BBC in the 1960s and became a household name as a result.

He rode for many years for the mighty BSA factory, firstly on the Gold Star scramblers and trials machines and latterly the 441cc BSA Victor.

Arthur effectively was the first member of a family dynasty which included his two younger brothers, Alan Raymond Charles and Harold Martin Lampkin. This then extended through the three brothers with John, Arthur’s eldest son, James, Alan’s eldest and of course Dougie, the eldest son of Martin. There are of course many more Lampkins that have taken to trials and enduro over the years.

Arthur was born in London, but his parents moved north in 1940 from Woolwich Arsenal to avoid the bombings in the second world conflict, thus become a Yorkshireman. The family home was to become Silsden in West Yorkshire. His father Arthur Alan Lampkin set up his own engineering business in the town and it was this business that his son Arthur J. Lampkin would eventually run for many years.

A.J. Lampkin was to become a force to be reckoned with in international motocross, travelling many miles across Europe in company with his good friend and team-mate, Jeff Smith who became a two-time World Motocross Champion riding for BSA. Smith usually rode under number 4 and Lampkin was regularly riding with number 5 on his machine. Arthur finished in the top three in the European Motocross Championships on several occasions, only beaten by the world’s very best riders.

Arthur won the 1963 Scottish Six Days Trial on a 250cc BSA C15T and was also a former team member of the Great Britain ISDT squad. He was one of Britain’s best all-round off road motorcyclists. He also won the prestigious Scott Trial three times, in 1960, 61 and again in 1965. His brothers Alan and Martin also won these events, thus creating the dynasty effect in off-road motorcycle sport.

Arthur’s nickname was ‘Ping’ which came about because the French commentators at international motocross couldn’t pronounce his surname correctly as ‘Lampkin’ but rather ‘Lam-Ping’ and it stuck!

Trials Guru’s John Moffat stated: “I met Arthur Lampkin on numerous occasions, being at the SSDT and Scott Trials, plus a few dinners that I attended over the years. I remember well when the late Robbie Allan instructed me to interview Arthur at a Scottish Motorcycle show some years ago. I approached the group which included Peter Fletcher, Gordon Blakeway, John and Pat Brittain, John Giles, Alan and Arthur Lampkin. All agreed to be interviewed on stage, all except Arthur. He raised his finger and in a booming voice announced ‘I am here for a weekend with the lads and there is no way I will be subjected to any bloody interviews’. I could only but accept his decision, as Arthur was not a man to be trifled with and I knew exactly where I stood. I did however enjoy many hours listening to Arthur’s recounting of his time in national service and also his racing and trials stories. He had done it all and at the highest level. We accept the passing of a great rider, a great sportman, a true family man with values. In short, a great man of our time”.

Funeral arrangements:

Friday 13th March 2026 – Church: 11.30. at St James, Kirkgate, Silsden, BD20 0PD Wake: Conistone Hall, Conistone Cold, Skipton, BD23 4EA.

We extend our sincere condolences to Arthur’s family and the wider Lampkin family at this sad and difficult time.

Arthur John Lampkin 1938 – 2026