Ross Branch (born 6 May 1986) is a motorcycle racer from

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

. He lives in

Gaborone Gaborone ( , , ) is the capital and largest city of Botswana with a population of 246,325 based on the 2022 census, about 10% of the total population of Botswana. Its agglomeration is home to 421,907 inhabitants at the 2011 census. Gaboron ...

and rode for the

KTM KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...

Off-Road Racing Team until October 2018. He now represents Monster Energy Yamaha Racing and is the first stage winner from Botswana, after taking the stage 2 victory at the Dakar Rally 2020.

Early life

Branch was born in

Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

and his parents brought him to

Jwaneng Jwaneng is a town located in the Southern District of Botswana, but it is not part of this, being a separate district, with its own Town Council. History The town was formed around the Jwaneng diamond mine, considered the richest in the world ...

three days after he was born. Branch's parents are Kevin Branch a former

Debswana Debswana Diamond Company Limited, or simply Debswana, is a mining company located in Botswana, and is the world's leading producer of diamonds by value. Debswana operates four diamond mines in the eastern and central parts of Botswana, as well a ...

employee and Glenda Branch. Branch attended Krugersdorp High School in

Gauteng Gauteng ( ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name in Sotho-Tswana languages means 'place of gold'. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts for only ...

. Branch's love for speed and adrenaline started when he first witnessed the final stage of the 1992 Dakar Rally in Cape Town at just five years old. He started riding

motorbikes A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising, ...

at the age of ten. At 18 years old he was invited to ride on the South African colours for Motocross, giving him a taste of professional freestyle.

Career

2020: 21st Dakar Rally, (Winner of Stage 2) 2019: 13th Dakar Rally (Best Rookie) / 2nd Merzouga Rally / 9th Morocco Rally 2018: 1st, South African OR1 Cross Country Championship / 1st, Botswana 1000 Desert Race 2017: 1st, South African OR1 Cross Country Championship / 1st, Botswana 1000 Desert Race / 1st, Khawa Dune Challenge 2016: 1st, South African OR1 Cross Country Championship / 1st, Botswana 1000 Desert Race / 1st, African Motorcycle Union Continental Motocross Championship / Finisher, Red Bull Braveman Extreme Enduro 2015: 1st, Botswana 1000 Desert Race / 1st, Khawa Dune Challenge 2014: 1st, Botswana 1000 Desert Race / 1st, Khawa Dune Challenge 2013: 1st, Khawa Dune Challenge 2012: 1st, Botswana 1000 Desert Race 2011: Gold finisher, Roof of Africa / 1st, Botswana 1000 Desert Race / 1st, African Motorcycle Union Continental Motocross Championship

Dakar Rally

Sponsorships

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

Monster Energy Monster Energy is an energy drink that was created by Hansen Natural Company (now Monster Beverage Corporation) in April 2002. As of March 2019, Monster Energy had a 35% share of the energy drink market, the second highest share after Red Bull ...

Personal life

Ross Branch has been together with Aimee Crewe-Brown since he was 20 years old and they married in 2017. They have three Jack Russells.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Branch, Ross 1986 births Botswana sportspeople People from Gaborone White Botswana people Living people Off-road motorcycle racers Dakar Rally motorcyclists Dakar Rally winning drivers Sportspeople from Johannesburg