Jumps and sharp turns all part of the drama for Jake Farrelly

Those looking for a sport that's leisurely, quiet and slow-paced are unlikely to find what they are seeking in arenacross. It's not for the faint-hearted.

Arenacross is a sport that demands a high level of skill and concentration. It also clearly requires a liking for speed, an ability to control and guide a motorbike as well as other fundamental requirement such as mental steel, courage and a capability to perform under pressure.

Jake Farrelly, who is from the Garlow Cross area, has shown those qualities and more, allowing him to compete in the sport at a very high level, his participation clearly bringing with it a huge buzz and sense of achievement.

Jake, who is just 15 and a Junior Cert student at St Patrick's Classical School in Navan, recently finished second in the British Indoor Arenacross Championship. The competition was made up of six rounds held in indoor arenas all across the UK, often in front of crowds of 10,000 or more. The locations where races took place included the SSE Arena, Belfast, P & J Arena Aberdeen, Resorts World Arena Birmingham and the SSE Arena, Wembley no less.

"Arenacross is an indoor version of motocross and the very popular American supercross," explains Jake's father Mark Farrelly. "It's a sport in which riders compete against each other across a track laid out within an indoor arena over jumps, hoops and sharp corners. Spectators get up close to the riders and the racing, which is a very exciting experience for all to attend and compete in," he added.

"The bikes and the riders might not be going very fast but the jumps would propel them very high compared to an outdoor motorcross which is usually in a big field or quarry where the jumps are well spread out, every 200 or 300 yards. In arenacross the jumps are every 10 yards, so the competitors are constantly jumping, 30, 40 feet. It's very exciting entertainment even for someone like me who has been around bikes most of my life.

"The riders are right beside the audience and the noise of the bikes is something else, the races are short, sharp with the riders bumping into each other. There is an element of danger but the riders are not allowed race without all the protective gear, helmets, goggles, boots, gloves, total body armour, front and back.

“They are like American footballers but they can move a lot also within all that protective gear."

To finish second was massive achievement for an Irish rider especially as it was the first time Jake had competed in the Arenacross British Championship abroad his Yamaha YZF 250 CC. He competed against other more experienced riders from throughout the UK. He won the last round of the championship in Wembley which was enough to secure that coveted second place.

Jake's interest in motorcross is inherited. His father participated in motorcross events for a number of years in Ireland, Britain and Europe. He proved so adept at the sport he was able to turn professional for a time about 20 years ago. A wrist injury, however, proved difficult to bounce back from and he brought a halt to his competitive career. These days he earns his crust in the building trade.

"Jake came along and he would have seen pictures of me when I was competing," Mark recalls. "He became infatuated with bikes from about four or five. He has been riding since he was six when we got him his first race bike. He has been racing in the Irish championships since he was six, that's the legal age they can start. It can be something else to see them racing and their mothers running after them! It can be quite a sight. When the kids get to eight or nine the mothers tend to move aside and the fathers take over."

Motorcross and arenacross is an expensive sport. There's the travelling for starters, the food, the fuel the many bits and pieces required to perform at a high level. The bike Jake Farrelly uses costs €10,000 which is a standard machine. Another €5,000 or so is needed to upgrade the suspension, the engine, wheels the graphics of the machine, to make it competitive at a high level. When all those elements are added it brings the cost of the machine to around €16,000.

"That's just to be on par with the English lads, they would have a bigger budget to work from. We might have a smaller group of sponsors but they are brilliant in the support they provide," adds Mark. We're certainly grateful to those who support Jake including Cloghan Industries, Paddy O'Neill Carpentry, LJC Racing, Cotter Motorcycles, DVR Pipes and CS Sports. Their backing allows us to compete. They sponsor the bike for Jake and all the upgrades. We do the running costs, entries, arriving at events."

Mark points to the friendships young riders make and how it encourages them to mix with others. Then, there are the other benefits that can be derived. How to compete and enjoy the good days but learn to bounce back from defeats also.

With the arenacross season over Jake Farrelly is now focusing on the up and coming British Motorcross Championships. It's another shift in gear in a sport that is certainly not for the faint-hearted.