GARY Parr is the newly crowned Prince of Wales.

The all-action, off-road racer from Westleigh has landed the title of Welsh Four Stroke Champion after topping the results in a gruelling eight meeting series throughout the Principality.

Ex-motocross rier Gary, 35, from Maple Crescent has come a long way since as a schoolboy he learned to ride aboard a Honda 70 field bike.

Four-stroke single cylinder dirt bikes have been his favourite machines since he took up competition, starting on a 560cc Bolton-built Armstrong in 1987 with Leigh MCC.

In 1991 he started riding enduros and has never looked back in a decade of gunning sweet sounding thumpers through isolated mountains, valleys and glutinous mud.

"I like the challenge of gruelling events -- races can last five hours and 160 miles," grinned Gary, who builds up his stamina for racing motor bikes by pedalling mountain bikes. You can be struggling through deep mud at one mile per hour or blasting down forest tracks at 75 -- it's brilliant."

And when the ex-North of England four stroke enduro champion isn't washing the weekend mud off his machine he's helping his bike-mad kids Gareth, nine, and Sophie, seven, hone their off-road riding skills.

Gary's success in 2000 has led to him getting works support next season with a special deal on a Husaberg 470 through the Swedish company's Preston-based British agent Dave Clarke.

Now he'll be going all out to retain his Welsh title cheered on by Gareth and Sophie, wife Amanda and a horde of sporting well-wishers.