Hall of Fame

Harry Grant of Smithfield, RI was inducted into the New England Trials Association Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 22, 2020, during a ceremony at his home.

Grant, 68, began competing in off-road Observed Trials motorcycle competition in the early 1970s, quickly rising to the Top Ten Riders and achieving Expert ranking. He went on to become one of the top riders in New England for several decades.

In addition to competing in New England events, Harry participated in many National competitions in the 1970s. In 1975, Harry was one of just a handful of US riders to compete in the first World Championship Observed Trials Competition held in the United States. The event was held in the Exeter/West Greenwich area of Rhode Island. 

“Harry is a one of a kind person and competitor”, said Bruce Adler, Harry’s long time friend and training partner. “He would practice well into the evening at lighted areas alongside the interstate highway. There are extremely few people with Harry’s degree of determination “ said Adler. Stu Preston, President of the New England Trials Association added “Harry is indeed a legend and his name will live on forever by way of this prestigious award”. 

During his many years of competition, Harry was a spectacular athlete and sportsman willing to assist and mentor new riders and competitors. As late as 2019 Harry was still competing in the Senior classes of Observed Trials in various New England locations.

Hall of Famer Carl (Coach) Swanson was born in Providence, Rhode Island and grew up in West Warwick, RI. Coach graduated from LaSalle Academy and went on to graduate from Providence College with a BS in Teaching. He later went on to earn his MS in Teaching from Colby College. While in high school Coach played amateur hockey.

After graduation from Providence College, Coach started teaching science at Coventry High School in Coventry, RI. While teaching at Coventry High, he coached the school’s hockey team from 1966 – 1971. In 1972, Coach began a new job teaching science at East Greenwich High School as well as coaching the hockey team, where he coached multiple teams to the league’s State Championship. In 2019, Coach was inducted into the East Greenwich Hall of Fame as a Hockey Coach.

After he graduated from college, Coach was working as a Playground Director during the Summer and he needed an easy way to travel among the various playgrounds. The solution was a Honda 175. This quickly evolved from street riding,  to riding in the woods on a Yamaha DT1 250. When the DT1 was stolen, Coach bought a Bultaco Alpina and met fellow Hall of Famer, Bill Mathewson who introduced him to trials. It wasn’t long before Coach joined the Rhody Rovers and was competing in trials on a Bultaco Sherpa 350. In 1975 Coach assisted with the Rhode Island Round of the World Trials Championship, which was the first time a World Round was ever held in the US. Coach competed in trials until 1977 when he took a hiatus to build his house.

Coach got back into the sport in 1995 and assisted with the 1996 Rhode Island World Round and has continued to contribute to the sport ever since. Coach has been a Senior A champion and has won National events in his group over the course of his trials career, however, it is his other contributions to the sport that are most notable. He has supported countless local events by working in the woods and manning the sign-up table; support of Rhode Island National events in 1998, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2017; support of Rhode Island World Rounds in 1975, 1996, and 1999, including being in charge of infrastructure for the highly successful 2015 World Round, which was awarded the AMA’s Off Road Event of the Year. Through the years Coach has also provided support to other clubs by supporting their efforts to host National and World events with Technical Inspections among other activities.

Coach has been the Rhode Island Trials Club President from 2010 to the present and has served on the North American Trials Council’s Rules Committee. If you meet Coach on the loop at an event you will invariably be greeted with a smile and the query of “how are you doing” and words of encouragement, usually involving a beer at the end of the event! Coach puts into practice daily his motto “for the good of the sport”, but he is not alone in promoting the sport, his wife Mary has flagged down dirt bikers to extol the benefits of trials and has converted at least one current NETA member. Mary also works as a scorekeeper, checker and cheerleader for riders at competitions. For his contributions to the sport, Coach was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Hall of Famer Leo O’Shea was born in Cortland, New York, and is a graduate of Cortland High School. After graduation, Leo enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves and spent two years on active duty and served four years in the Reserve. While on active duty Leo served on the destroyer USS JOHN PAUL JONES (DD932). While serving aboard the JOHN PAUL JONES, Leo served as an Electronics Technician. While a crew member, he completed a Mediterranean Cruise and most notably supported the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After six years of service, Leo was discharged as an Electronic Technician 2nd Class.

In his late twenties, Leo started riding street bikes and eventually got together with friends to ride off-road. Shortly after he started riding off-road, Leo began racing motocross in the Western New York Motocross Association, which he did for seven years. Towards the end of his seven years of racing, he bought a Yamaha TY175 as a second bike. He had found trials and was hooked, that was the end of racing motocross. Leo started competing in District 4 trials and has been competing ever since.

In 1983 the New England Trials community had the good fortune to have Leo settle in Massachusetts. Since moving to Massachusetts, Leo has been a perennial competitor in New England and has competed in approximately 20 National events since he started competing in 1976. While he was a member of King Phillip Trail Riders, Leo either supported trials events or was the Trials Master. Leo subsequently joined the Springfield Motorcycle Club and has been the Trials Master for local events on a yearly basis.

Leo served as the New England Trials Association Treasurer for 20 years in addition to serving two three year terms as President of the Association. Leo’s favorite bike is his 2016 Beta 200. After his discharge from the Navy, he continued to build on the skills he learned in the Navy and worked until his retirement in 2010 as an Electronics Network Engineer.

When you see Leo competing in, or hosting an event, you will be sure to see his wife Bonnie checking a section and offering the riders encouragement. For all his efforts on behalf of New England trials, Leo was inducted into the New England Trials Association Hall of Fame in 2009, which follows his induction into the District 4 Hall of Fame in the mid-eighties.

Hall of Famer Dave Allen was born in Providence, Rhode Island and graduated from Smithfield High School. While at Smithfield High, Dave was too busy riding and working on his dirt bikes to participate in organized activities. Dave went on to graduate from Wentworth Institute of Technology.

When Dave was 9 years old a friend with a mini bike let him ride it and Dave was hooked. His parents thought dirt bikes were dangerous and did not want him riding, something many motorcyclists have heard at one time or another. However, that did not dissuade Dave from his goal. After cutting numerous lawns, Dave was able to purchase his first bike, a used Honda Mini-Trail 50.

In his late teens, Dave competed in a few trials events, however, after witnessing the 1996 World Round in Exeter, Rhode Island, Dave was hooked on trials. He started competing in local and national trials events, including New England, Florida Fun in the Sun, and the Support Class in Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, New York and Wyoming National events.

Perhaps Dave’s proudest moments were spent teaching his children Dan and Caroline to ride and compete in trials events. Dave has served as a minder for his children at local and National events, including youth Nationals at the Trials Training Center. Dave was also Caroline’s minder for the Trials Des Nations when she represented the United States and at a World Round.

Dave has also served as the Trials Master for dozens of local events over the years. In 2015 he was the organizer for the Rhode Island round of the 2015 FIM Moto Trials World Championship. This was a hugely successful event and Dave’s efforts contributed to the Rhode Island Trials Club (RITC) being awarded the AMA 2015 Off-road Event of the Year. Dave has also served as a World Trials Commission member since 2018. Dave has also served as Vice President of RITC, Chairman of the New England Trials Association Rules Committee and has represented RITC at North American Trials Council meetings.

Dave retired in 2018 after 30 years as a Mechanical Engineer working in the Electric Power industry where he acted as an Engineering Crew Supervisor for various disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.

For the Allen’s, trials is a family affair with Dave riding the Sr. Intermediate Class, his wife Lisa manning the scorer’s table and checking in competitors, Dan competing in the Champ Class and Caroline up until recently, competing in the Expert Class. For his contributions to trials, Dave was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

Joe Antonelli was born in Providence R.I. and attended Smithfield Public Schools, as an athlete he participated in football, basketball and track and field. Joe also attended Rhode Island Community College.

Joe became involved in motorcycling and specifically trials riding at the age of 15. He was introduced to the sport by friends and his local motorcycle shop. Immediately upon taking up the sport, Joe was competing. By the age of 17, Joe was competing in the Advanced Class at New England events. Joe also competed for a season at the National level. Joe has been first place Expert at the Kentuck Vintage Trials two times.

Joe took a 26-year hiatus from the sport to concentrate on his career and to raise his family with his wife Jodie. She frequently accompanies him to the events and can be seen either at the Scorer’s table or on the course cheering riders on. Joe’s first event back to the sport was in 2000 at Exeter, R.I. He rode the Novice class and as he lined up for his first section his stomach was alive with butterflies. It’s a testament to the seriousness that Joe approaches the sport of trials and it wasn’t long before he was back riding the Advanced Class.

Joe has been a Trials Master for 8 New England Trials Association events. He has been a Checker for 5 National events and 2 World Round events. Joe also volunteers at the annual Rhode Island Trials Club Skill Building Trials as one of the instructors where he passes along his decades of trials knowledge to New England’s trials enthusiasts.

For his contribution to the sport of trials and his willingness to help all members of the trials community, Joe was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019.

Jeff Salois was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, and graduated from Coventry High School. While a student at Coventry High, Jeff was a member of the Wrestling team. Jeff started riding motorcycles and trials at the age of 32. He was brought into the sport by fellow Hall of Famer, Bill Mathewson. Jeff started competing in trials, the year he started riding motorcycles. 

While Jeff has competed in regional, national, and international trials competitions, his most notable competition, was participation and completion of the prestigious Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT). The SSDT is arguably the most demanding trails event on earth. Fellow Hall of Famer Carl “Coach” Swanson, recounted watching Jeff compete in the SSDT watching him race determinedly across the Scottish countryside on his way to ride the next section. 

One of Jeff’s favorite memories is of the 2019 Isle of Man Manx International Classic Trials in which rode a 1970s vintage Yamaha TY250. Jeff and other riders were waiting their turn to enter a demanding section named the Flume, a deep, boulder-filled stream. Jeff watched the other riders ahead of him attempt the section and fail to clean it. As he studied the situation, one rider took a different line and had some success, Jeff improved upon the line and cleaned the section. That day Jeff finished 14 out of 47 entrants in the Clubman Twin Shock Class. 

Jeff is not only a competitor but also has served 10 consecutive years as a Trials Master for regional events. He was also the Checker Organizer for the National events in 1994 and 1995.  In 2003, Jeff was Clerk of the Course for the Rhode Island National.

For his competition record, organizational accomplishments and general dedication to the sport of trials, Jeff was inducted in 2018 into the New England Trials Association’s Hall of Fame