Young talents Frankie Windebank and Cooper Cassells lead a weekend of local success in Fort William
Two rising stars from the Forest of Dean have returned home as newly crowned national champions after a thrilling weekend of racing at the Lloyds National Downhill Championships in Fort William, Scotland.
Frankie Windebank and Cooper Cassells stormed to victory in their Youth categories (15–16 years), despite it being their first year racing at that level. Battling through classic Fort William conditions—wet, wild, and unforgiving—the pair showed incredible skill and composure well beyond their years to earn the top spots and their first national champions jerseys.
Speaking after her win, Frankie shared just how much the moment meant to her: “Super stoked, I have put a lot of work in for the event, I have spent some time working on both my physical fitness and mental fitness, Fort William is a Crazy hard track, I was aiming for a sub 6 minute race run and stoked to have knocked 8 sec off the target.”
They weren’t the only local names with podium success. Charlie Hatton, former World Champion and Forest favourite, narrowly missed out on the win in the Men’s Senior field, finishing just half a second behind the leader in a nail-biting race. Meanwhile, Will Haines made an impressive debut in the Elite Men’s category, finishing 14th. Hereford based Annie Dennis, secured another top spot in the Juvenile Female Category and Bella Hepburn produced a 6th place finish in the same category as Frankie. Bella’s success is part of a family affair, her brother Ioan Hepburn was recently crowned European Champion in track cycling.
Frankie and Cooper are both products of the thriving youth mountain biking scene at the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre, having come through the ranks of the much-loved Little Fodders club. Now in its 11th year, the club welcomes riders aged 5–14 of all abilities, offering everything from beginner sessions to race-ready coaching. With nearly 100 members and sessions running every Saturday during term time, and open to all during holidays, it’s become a cornerstone of the local MTB community.
For riders aged 14–17, Wye MTB picks up the baton, continuing the region’s strong tradition of youth development. This year alone, eight other Little Fodders alumni competed at the National Championship, proof that the Forest of Dean is a true breeding ground for mountain biking talent.
For Frankie her journey doesn’t stop at the finish line this weekend. She’s currently training to become a British Cycling Activity Coach (Off-Road) and will soon be giving back to the club volunteering through the summer. She’s also leading the National Downhill Series rankings with two races remaining this year and will be heading to the French Alps in under two weeks to race a three-day Enduro event in a father and daughter pairing. Her dad, David, added: “It’s super impressive stuff. There comes a point where young riders need to take ownership of their journey, and Frankie’s done just that. She’s balancing racing, GCSEs, part-time work, and all the behind-the-scenes training. Fair play, Frankie—you crushed it. She’ll return to race on her home tracks in September to race the Hope Ladies Enduro, which comes to the Forest of Dean for the first time this year, this time wearing her National Champion’s jersey.