Steel Horse Rally

The last Steel Horse I took part in was in 1977. Unfortunately though, I don't have any photos in my archives for that year.

The following year was the 10th anniversary of the classic Flemish autumnal gathering. Below are some images from the rally.

 

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Steel Horse, two well-known heads from Great Britain: Mick Cooper (left) and Phil Guy (right)

A great table of 'die-hard' rallyists among which we can recognise Hugues 'Gueguette" Spriet, Rodney Taylor, Thierry Garnier, Jean-Francois 'Jeff' Laroche, Michel Jammot and Jany 'Jean's' Bertrand

Thierry Garnier (hand over ear), Michel Jammot (centre) and Jeff Laroche (speaking with his hands)

Left: Briton Codge, another famous 'die-hard' rallyist.
Right: Serge 'Raspoutine' Vollard's long beard serves as Jean-Delain's wig. In the lower right corner, the head of Dutch Hans Gonlag.

Codge, like Rodney, was a regular at the big invitational rallies of the French scene and both were members of the Confrerie des Chevaliers Motocyclistes (CCM). Codge and Rodney organised a pleasant meeting for us CCM members in the village of Sixpenny Handley, in Dorset, at the end of the 1970s.

Delain was vice-president of RMU Wavrien and delegate of the tourism commission at the FMB. Well known rallyist Hans Gonlag and his wife Riet were a lovable couple that everyone appreciated. They crisscrossed Europe back and forth rallying on a 650 Benelli Tornado. All these characters were also members of the CCM.

From left to right: Raspoutine, the late Christian 'Bacchus' Bacik, the late Remi 'Beru' Herpe who sadly passed away in 2020, and Hans Gonlag

The traditional speech of Jean-Blanckaert. In the center of the photo, wearing a barbour and having a mustache: the late Francis Rambert, also a member of the CCM

The late Jean-Blanckaert, the initiator of the Steel Horse rally.

- Jean-Francois Helias