April 16th, 2019.

RIP Katie Hodgson #141
1994 - 2019


The quad racing fraternity is mourning the passing of Katie Hodgson who lost her life on the 11th of April 2019, competing in the ultra-tough extremist ATV event Hunt the Wolf in Romania.

This was Katie’s second time taking on the arduous ATV challenge – in 2017 she was the only female, and one of few riders, to complete all six days. This year, the twenty-four-year-old from Driffield, East Yorkshire, was part of a nine-strong UK team, that included her boyfriend Richard Freestone and team co-sponsor Graham Guy. Said Graham; “Commenting as an ambassador of Hunt the Wolf, as a friend and fellow racer … I have competed against Katie on quads for four years now. On track, she was the most determined and committed rider out there with the passion to win. But, off track, she was the nicest, most modest person you could ever wish to meet, always smiling and she could take a defeat as gracefully as the winning. She took on what is predominantly a man’s sport and then beat most of them. Beautiful girl inside and out. She will be massively missed for many years to come.”


Katie was no stranger to tackling tough endurance events; in her racing career she contested Le Touquet, Weston Beach Race, and the Great 8 amongst many others, and was leading the 2019 Dragon Quad Racing British XC Championship Lights 4x4 class. The second round of the DQR series scheduled for this Sunday, the 21st of April at Champs Parc, Northants, will still go ahead as planned with the blessing of the Hodgson family – dad Gary, mum Sara and sister Sophie. The DQR team intends to honour Katie’s memory at the weekend and hopes the start-line will be crammed with as many quad racers as possible to help it do so.


The Hodgson family played a pivotal part in the UK’s enduro quad racing scene, helping out at meetings and supporting riders. Those friends and supporters have now set up and contributed to a fund raising page to help the family meet the considerable costs of air rescue, repatriation and also funeral arrangements. Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/katie-hodgson