Bill Pratney

Who was Bill Pratney?

Bill Pratney was arguably the world's greatest Māori cyclist. He won New Zealand championship titles on track and on road.

Originally named Wiremu Paratane, his mother died in 1909 and his grandmother a few years later. He was then raised in an orphanage and named William Pratney. As a teenager he won local running and cycling races and decided to concentrate on cycling. However, in 1930 he was involved in a head on bicycle crash with other racing cyclists and, after being in a coma for three days, doctors predicted he would never cycle again.

Three months after the accident he was back on his bike and in 1934 he won fastest time in the 120 mile Taranaki Round-the-Mountain Race. His road racing career peaked in 1937 when he beat the great Harry Watson in the New Zealand 100-mile Road Championships.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about Pratney's cycling career was its length. In 1950, he won the Waimate to Christchurch and in 1955 he won the Timaru to Christchurch. He took up racing again in his 70s and his last big ride was a 330 km ride in Australia at the age of 86.