Road racing legend Ryan Farquhar joined a select group of motorcyclists on Friday when he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list with the Dungannon man receiving a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to motorcycling.
Farquhar became just the fourth Northern Ireland motorcycle rider to be honoured, following in the footsteps of Joey Dunlop OBE MBE, Sammy Miller MBE and Jonathan Rea MBE.
In a long and distinguished career, highlights for Farquhar included three Isle of Man TT wins, five North West 200 victories and nine Ulster Grand Prix wins.
The multiple Irish road race champion also put himself in the Guinness Book of World Records with a career total of 357 road race wins and has formed his own successful KMR Racing team as well as assisting countless other riders with his technical and engineering expertise, particularly in the Supertwins class of which he was the brainchild.
“I’ve known of the award for a while but it’s only now that it’s all out in the open that it’s sinking in,” Farquhar told BikesportNews.
“When I received the call from the Cabinet Office, I thought it was a wind up and it was one of my mates trying to get back at me for something but when the official email came through, I realised how real it all was.
“Obviously, it’s something I’m really proud of especially when you consider how few motorcyclists have been recognised over the years particularly from Northern Ireland. We’ve had lots of high profile, successful riders so to join Joey, Sammy Millar and Jonathan Rea is incredible and it’s hard to describe what it means.
“Our sport doesn’t get recognised very often compared to sports like football, tennis or athletics so to be recognised as a road racer, whether it’s for my achievements as a rider or the success I’ve had helping others, or even the money I’ve raised for charities, is very special.
“When I started racing it was for a bit of fun on my Grandad’s TZ350 Yamaha so for it to become my occupation and win the races that I did, and to now get the BEM is a fairytale. I don’t know where or when it will be presented but it’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
