WILDTRACKERS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• off Road Specialist, Trainer, Risk Assesments and NPTC Verifier

WHEN it comes to harnessing modern technology to physical endeavour, then Andy Dacey is the man to have on your side. The jovial Welshman is equally at home integrating GPS systems on to a laptop mapping programmes, lopping down trees or teaching others how to get the best out of their 4 x 4 - a skill which he puts to good use by training a number of drivers who have to go off-road for a living. For Andy, there is no such thing as a problem. Any obstacle put in front of him is taken as a challenge - and challenges are simply there to be taken on and conquered. That feisty determination might have something to do with the four-year spell he had with the Army Reserve, his degree in graphic design or his background in tree surgery. There again, it might not. It was the tree surgery which fuelled Andy's interest in the 4 x 4 scene - 90 per cent of the forestry sites he worked on could only be reached by an off-road vehicle and, Andy being Andy, he took it upon himself to test the vehicles to their limit and beyond, accessing terrain that none of his colleagues dared to venture over. So it was a natural progression from there for Andy to become involved with the Camel Trophy. He was a member of the 1990 British team that went to Siberia and then took over as convoy co-ordinator in subsequent Camel events. Since then, Andy has moved on to the next level and his involvement in Wildtrackers adds another dimension to this formidable team of experts in the exciting world of off-roading.

Job Titles:

• off Road Specialist and Camera Tracking »

Bob Ives shares a unique place in British motorsport along with brother Joe - the only Britons to have won the coveted Camel Trophy and the only brothers to have been awarded the prestigious Segrave trophy. Although an amateur driver Bob can proudly count amongst his peers the likes of Sterling Moss, Jackie Stewart and Martin Brundle - all holders of the Segrave Trophy. Bob's passion for motorsport - at first a hobby which turned into an obsession - dates back to 1978. He has driven around Australia twice on both four wheels and two, and it was there he got hooked on four-wheel drive. On returning to the UK he bought the first of many Land Rover vehicles, and began a personal crusade to represent his country in the Camel Trophy. Three failed attempts were not enough to deter him, and he was finally selected in 1989 when fate played a big hand teaming him with brother Joe. The pair overcame hostile conditions in the Amazonian rainforests of Brazil to defeat competitors from 13 other countries and win the international endurance event. The 1,062 mile route from Alta Floresta to Manaus included nine fiercely contested Special tasks, but the brothers led from the start. After that, Bob has travelled to Siberia, South America, Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia completing a further seven Camel Trophies as a convoy co-ordinator responsible for the overall safety of the teams from the 20 competing countries. It was during this time that he met today's fellow Wildtrackers, Duncan Barbour, Andy Dacey, Karl Trunk & Jim West as well as many other people he has since worked with. Bob is Land Rover trained and certified off-road instructor and ran the Camel Trophy UK Off-Road Centre for five years. He has competed in four wheel drive trials and hill rallies in this country and also in the FIA World Cup Cross Country Rally Championships in Spain, and the UAE Desert Challenge. Since then, incentive trips and vehicle launches have taken him to the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, remote regions of Botswana, and Rocky Mountain trails in Colorado and Canada. And there are of course the UK events including 4×4 training, local dealer days and the mini Camel Trophy for owners of ex-event vehicles. Along with Joe he runs the family arable and dairy farm in the south of England which is also used for vehicle launches and off-road driver training.

Job Titles:

• off Road Specialist and Camera Tracking »

WhenDuncan Barbour first got behind the wheel of a Land Rover on the family's pig farm in Scotland at the tender age of ten it was the beginning of a love affair that would last a life-time. The Scotsman clearly remembers that day - charging around a field and splattering as much mud about as possible. Over the intervening years he's manage to hone those driving skills to establish himself as one of the most respected off-road experts in the world. His fascination with all types of vehicles was evident as a teenager when he worked school summer holidays at his father's plant hire company - trucks, diggers, JCBs and bulldozers all proved too much of a temptation. And there was no stopping him come his 16th birthday when he got his tractor's licence and could legally drive on the roads! More work on farms meant closer ties with Land Rovers and other machinery and Duncan admits he was "always looking for something to drive over". Having indulged in a spot of rallying with a friend his driving skills were tested further when he went to work on sheep stations in New Zealand encountering all sorts of conditions. Life took another turn in the mid 80's when he saw an advert in a car magazine looking for entrants for the first British team in the Camel trophy. Three years running he made it down to the final six of the selection process. In the end he worked for the event as the Camel Trophy co-ordinator which entailed just about every facet of this world famous challenge - recces, selection, training, equipment, procurement. During his five years he had many memorable experiences of the Camel Trophy which was staged in places like South America, Russia, Africa and Borneo. It was during this time that he struck up friendships with Bob Ives and Andy Dacey sowing the seeds of the Wildtrackers partnership of the future. In another twist of fate, on the day Duncan was made redundant, he took a call from cameraman Nick Phillips seeking his advice about off-road camera tracking for a new film - Braveheart. And so was born the Barbour All Terrain Tracking vehicle - now known affectionately throughout the film industry as BATT 1. Its results for that particular oscar-winning movie are still one of Duncan's proudest achievements. BATT 1 has since gone on to accumulate a distinguished list of movie and television credits including - Gladiator, Harry Potter, Golden Eye, Sleepy Hollow, The English Patient and The Mummy. Duncan divides his time between the unique work of BATT 1 and expedition consultancy and management, plus vehicle launches where his experience and professionalism is renowned around the globe.

Job Titles:

• off Road Specialist and Paramedic

Job Titles:

• off Road Specialist, Training and Bush Mechanic »

Another Camel Trohpy refugee who has worked with the team for many years. Not only a skilled off road instructor with the patience of a saint, Karl can fix almost anything, almost anywhere from clutches, gearboxes, overworked winches, outboard motors and also does a nice line in picnic tables!

Job Titles:

• off Road Specialist and Safari / Wildlife Guide »

A life-long passion for wildlife and the bush has made Rob Clifford what he is today - one of the most reputable guides in the safari industry. He creates a living adventure in the discovery of the African continent, from tracking elephants on foot to discovering termite colonies. Rob, born and schooled in Zimbabwe, has worked with Wildtrackers on a number of jobs. Aside from guiding, he has built and run safari lodges and camps and dealt with just about every aspect of the industry.