The 1964 Australian Motocross Championships at St. Leonards, near Launceston in Tasmania were one of the most disappointing on record.

Only a handful of top riders attended the meeting and entrees were low due to the travel costs and time to get to the Apple Isle. Plus the treacherous weather conditions on the weekend created a sea of mud on the circuit, up to 15 inches deep in many places.

Officials and spectators had to be turned back to the main road as the half-mile approach to the circuit was a quagmire. The racing was almost over by the time Local Councillor S.G. Chapple, who was to officially open the meeting, was able to get in.

Victorian Greeves rider Ian Gaff won two titles – the prestigious Unlimited class and 250cc titles, and also won the prestigious Victorian Grand National that year at Christmas Hills. The other titles went to Stan Jones (125cc, BSA), Ray Turner (350cc, BSA) and Geoff Taylor (500cc, Cotton).

It was around this time that the riders finally got permission to wear individual colourful rugby jumpers, rather than leather suits, but all the riders were coated in thick mud and were unrecognisable.

The conditions played havoc with most of the titles.  Only one third of the riders completed each race and not one rider completed a race without crashing at least once, with many riders losing all hope of a placing when their machines bogged.  The 125cc winner Stan Jones was the only finisher in this class.

One report suggests that reigning Australian 250 and 500cc Champion Ian Gaff and Bob O’Leary, respectively,  were asked to accept the decision for the prestigious Unlimited title on the toss of a coin, which went to Gaff.   With everyone in the race being unrecognisable, none of the officials were any wiser as to the final placings. 

Geoff Taylor led the Unlimited race early, but soon fell down and retired, leaving Gaff and Bob O’Leary (reigning 250 and 500cc Australian Champion) to battle it out.  Gaff then got bogged and several minutes later when O’Leary crashed, passed him and took the flag. O’Leary remounted to finish second but lodged a protest claiming that Gaff had been bogged and was, in fact, a lap behind.