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Ever wondered what the story was behind the man riding across the Fossil Rock dunes in our ad? Meet Ryan Blair – a Scottish motocross rider, now based in Dubai, whose passion for riding has won him championships across Europe and the Middle East. But it’s not all big thrills and first prizes. We talked to him about his love of motocross and how his chase for triumph never ends.
I grew up riding and racing in Scotland. I’ve been racing motorcycles from an early age. I think I got my first motorcycle when I was five – for my fifth birthday – and then pretty much I’ve been racing and on the bike ever since.
My father and my grandfather also rode motorcycles. So it’s pretty much a family tradition that you must ride motorcycles in the Blair family.
From my fifth birthday, we went riding on the weekends and it stemmed from there. I got really interested in it. After I grew out of one bike, I would move on to another one.
My dad worked with a guy whose son raced back in Scotland. So I went to see one of the races and I thought, “I’d really enjoy doing that.” The next weekend we joined the club and then went racing. And ever since that day, I’ve not really stopped. Pretty much every weekend has been racing.
Yeah that didn’t go so well. When I was at the start gate, I actually burst out in tears ‘cause I was that nervous. I was so scared that I didn’t want to do it. So we gave it a miss that day and then went back the following day and I gave it another shot. Once I left the start line, I was fine. I was OK after that, but initially I was crying. My dad likes to tell that story.
The nerves are still there. It’s natural to get really nervous. I don’t think there’s one person on the start line that isn’t nervous. It just comes with racing. It’s a natural thing that happens.
Motocross is probably one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. When you’re on a bike, your heart rate’s between 180 and 190 for the 30 minutes that the race lasts. And there’s no other sport that has heart rates that high for that length of time. So it’s mainly heart conditioning and definitely cardio. There’s a lot of cardio work involved. Core strength.
It’s three days in the gym and usually the days that I’m not in the gym then I’m on the bike. Whether I’m taking a tour out or training myself, I’m on a bike pretty much every day.
Some European rounds would be nice to do. I’d like a change from the heat and the Middle East. Again the UE Championship is starting back up in October, so I’m hoping to take out another championship there.
In the Middle East, I’ve been racing in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia. In Europe, we did the European Championships as well. So yeah, we were all over Europe – Germany, England, Sweden, Italy. Not yet Australia. I need to tick Australia off the list.
It’s difficult to put into words. It’s just that it’s a great sport. I think once you do it once you’re automatically hooked. I don’t think there’s anything else like it in the world. The freedom and the places the bike can take you is amazing. It’s the thrill you get from riding it. There’s no other sport in the world that gives you as much of an adrenaline rush than motocross itself.
It’s one of the biggest downfalls of riding motocross. You need to expect a lot of recovery time. Not just if you’ve fallen off. It’s just hard on your body in general. If you have a good day on your bike then your knees are sore, your back’s aching, your hands are blistered. And that’s a good day.
At the age of 30, I’m due for a knee replacement. My right knee’s completely finished. But the feeling you get winning a race and achieving your goals – there’s no other feeling like it. So although you may get hurt – it’s a small speed bump on the road to the feeling that you get winning a race.
Wolf Blass Wines was established in 1966 when Wolf began making small parcels of his own wine. The first Wolf Blass Yellow Label was made from the 1966 vintage. The first wine to bear the Wolf Blass name was the 1967 Grey Label Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, which carried all the Langhorne Creek hallmarks of softness, drinkability and concentrated flavours of eucalypt and mint. Two years later, Wolf Blass acquired the 3 hectare 'Bilyara' site, 4kms from Nuriootpa in South Australia's Barossa Valley. Upon learning Bilyara is the Aboriginal word for Eaglehawk, and with the eagle being the national emblem of Germany, Wolf decided Wolf Blass wines would carry the eagle emblem.
Wolf hires his first winemaker, John Glaetzer, in 1970. John is later appointed to the role of Senior Winemaker in 1974, and the two form a formidable partnership and one of Australia’s most successful winemaking teams. The iconic Black Label is launched in 1973, the first a blend of 80% Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Eden Valley Shiraz matured in American and French oak for over 16 months.
Just eight years after making his first wine, Wolf Blass wins the Jimmy Watson Trophy at the 1974 Royal Melbourne Wine Show for the 1973 Wolf Blass Black Label. Wolf would go on to win the award again in 1975 and 1976.
Chris Hatcher joins Wolf Blass as Senior Winemaker in 1987. Chris would go on to become Chief Winemaker, a role he still holds today. Five years later, Chris would win his first major accolade, when the winery was awarded the Robert Mondavi Trophy for the Winemaker of the Year at the 1992 International Wine and Spirits Competition.
In 1997, Caroline Dunn was hired as a red winemaker: she would be instrumental in creating Platinum Label Shiraz and the Gold Label range. She went on to become a highly respected and influential Senior Winemaker.
In 1999, Caroline became the first female to win the Jimmy Watson Trophy, for the 1998 Black Label which she made with John Glaetzer. Just two years later, the 1998 Wolf Blass Black Label won the winery a fifth Jimmy Watson Trophy – a astonishing feat unmatched by any other producer.
In 2000, Wolfgang Blass was awarded the Maurice O'Shea Award, one of the Australian wine industry's highest honours, for his enormous contribution to the industry during his 35-year career. The following year saw the opening of the new $30 million Wolf Blass winery.
From 2008 to 2016, Wolf Blass would go on to win a slew of awards, including IWC International Red Winemaker of the Year (2008, 2013, 2016), the IWSC International Winemaker of the Year (2013), Intervin Winery of the Year (2013), CWSA Australian Wine Producer of the Year (2013), and the Australian Export Hero Award (2008).
In 2019, Wolf Blass took a bold step into the future, launching the Makers Project, a range of wines which celebrate the artistry and wine making innovation at the heart of Wolf Blass since 1966.
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