SOMERSET ‘Dickies’ Rebels held their end of season dinner and presentation night, and it was young Australian, Sam Masters, who walked away with the top accolade of Rider of the Year, as voted for by the Somerset fans.

SOMERSET ‘Dickies’ Rebels held their end of season dinner and presentation night, and it was young Australian, Sam Masters, who walked away with the top accolade of Rider of the Year, as voted for by the Somerset fans.

Not only that, but the 19-year-old was also voted the club’s Most Improved Rider of the Year as well as collecting the Fred Fountain Memorial Trophy for his performances away from the Oak Tree Arena.

In what has been his debut season of racing in the UK, Masters made an instant impression when scoring paid 13 at Rye House in his first away match in Somerset colours and ended his rookie year with a more than respectable 6.72 Green Sheet average, earning a call up to represent Australia as a member of their under-21 World Cup team.

“It has been a fantastic year for me, so much so that I have to pinch myself to make sure that it’s not all been just a dream,” said Masters after receiving his awards. Everyone has been just great, I stayed with a fantastic family who made me feel really at home, and the fans here at Somerset are just superb, and to ride alongside guys like Parks (Shane Parker) and Cory (Gathercole) was really awesome.”

The third of the trophies that were voted for by the Rebel fans, the Most Entertaining Rider of the Year went for the second successive year to Cory Gathercole, whilst Shane Parker was presented with a special award by the Somerset management as their Rider of the Year and James Holder picked up the SREF (Somerset Riders’ Equipment Fund) Rider of the Year.

Speaking of the season as a whole, Somerset co-promoter Mark Saunders said that whilst it turned out not to be the season the club had hoped for, he paid tribute to the riders that finally saw out the 2010 campaign for the Rebels.

? Somerset Rebels’ German international rider, Christian Hefenbrock, finished in second place in an international open meeting in Germany, only losing out on top spot after a run-off with Belle Vue’s James Wright.

Both riders completed their five rides with 14 points, Hefenbrock being the only rider to defeat Wright during the meeting, but unfortunately could not replicate his win over the Elite League rider when the two matched up in the run-off for first place.