FREE: Brooklyn Caudillo — Hare and Hound Hero!

Desert Dynamo

BY JOY BURGESS

PHOTOS BY MARK KARIYA AND CAUDILLO ARCHIVES

Desert racing phenom Brooklyn Caudillo might only be 12 years old, but she’s already wellknown around California off-road racing circles. She’s been racing the AMA National Hare and Hound and AMA National Grand Prix Series full time for the last two years — and winning.

How many victories are we talking about?

“That’s a hard question to answer,” the young Lancaster, Calif., native told me hesitantly, “because it’s a lot.”

Michael Caudillo, her dad, chuckled and added, “Not sure on the number of wins, but she’s won 11 championships!”

Eleven championships?! At 12? That’s badass

But what’s really amazing is what this very young lady has overcome while winning all those championships. Her story is any parent’s worst nightmare…

Despite some major medical challenges, 12-year-old Brooklyn Caudillo is a desert racing rock star — and she’s just getting started

rooklyn was just two-and-a-half years old,”

BMichael told us, “and we noticed she was going cross-eyed. Doctors initially thought she had a brain tumor, but after several days in the hospital going through tests, she was diagnosed with Arnold Chiari malformation. I’d never heard of it and had no idea what that even was.”

Chiari malformations are conditions that involve brain tissue extending into the spinal canal. In Brooklyn’s case, her skull wasn’t developing as fast as her brain. That caused the cerebellum to push down the back of the spine, disrupting the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid that circulates up and down the spine.

Knowing the condition could be life threatening, doctors operated quickly, shaving down the first and second cervical vertebrae to try to open the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

“That surgery was so scary,” Michael remembered, emotion coloring his voice.

“Here’s our little baby girl, and we had to hand her off to the doctors. I was so scared for her. But surgery went well, and after a few days in

the hospital recovering, we brought her home.”

But just nine days later, Brooklyn started displaying serious symptoms.

“We rushed her back to the hospital,” Michael said, “and after doing a quick CT scan, they found her head was completely full of fluid. They had to shave her head and do emergency surgery. We got her there just in time, and they made the decision to put a medical shunt in the back of her head to drain the fluid.”

“That second surgery was even scarier,” he continued, “and we spent two weeks in the hospital that time. I never left her side.”

Brooklyn remembers being in the hospital and not knowing why she was there. And life after surgery means annual MRIs to check for any fluid building up in the brain and visits to the neurosurgeon.

It’d be understandable for a parent in a situation like this to try to keep their child from doing anything risky after this

sort of medical trauma, but Michael allowed Brooklyn to start riding at just 3 years old.

“I started riding my PW50 with training wheels around my grandpa’s property,” Brooklyn said.

“Actually,” Michael chimed in, “she learned to ride that PW with training wheels and throttle control before she ever learned to ride a bicycle.”

Racing has always been a family affair for the Caudillo family, so it’s no surprise that Brooklyn got the bug at an early age.

“It was my dad and grandpa who inspired me to race,” Brooklyn told us, and it turns out she’s a third-generation racer. Grandpa Mike, who happens to be Brooklyn’s mechanic, got started riding and racing back in the 1960s.

“My Dad, Richard Caudillo, bought me a Tote Goat,” Grandpa told us. “It was like a giant minibike back in the ’60s. It wasn’t fast, but it sure could climb anything. Then he bought a 1966 Bultaco Matador 250, and I just

While both of Brooklyn’s surgeries were nearly a decade ago, regular medical visits and annual MRIs are part of normal life now.

“she learned to ride that PW with training wheels and throttle control before she ever learned to ride a bicycle.”

MICHAEL CAUDILLO

loved that bike. After that he bought me a 250 Husqvarna and would take me out in the desert to ride. One day a friend from high school and I went out to the desert to watch a European Scrambles, and after watching I told my friend I wanted to try that. I entered my first race in 1968, and I was hooked!”

For Brooklyn’s dad Michael, it took a bit longer to get into racing.

“I played baseball from the time I was young,” Michael said, “and I played in college, too. One summer I came home and my brother Eric was racing with AMA District 37. I thought it was the coolest thing, watching those

guys race, so I went back to college in Santa Barbara, got a second job, stopped partying, saved my money and bought a motorcycle.”

“By that fall, I was racing District 37 myself,” he added. “I took a few years off after some broken bones, but got back into it in my early 40s, and I now race District 37 in the Vintage Class, though my main focus is on Brooklyn.”

Like the rest of the family, Brooklyn also started in District 37 off-road desert racing.

“My first race was on a KTM 50 mini,” Brooklyn remembered, “but I didn’t get to finish that race because something mechanical happened to my bike.”

When they started racing D37 events in the 50cc Junior class, Michael was understandably nervous about letting her go out and disappear into the desert on her bike.

“She has a medical shunt in her head, so it was nervewracking for me at first,” Michael told us. “When Brooklyn decided to get more serious about racing, we had a visit with her neurosurgeon. We wanted to ask what she thought of Brooklyn racing motorcycles. She thought it

“When Brooklyn decided to get more serious about racing, we had a visit with her neurosurgeon. We wanted to ask what she thought of Brooklyn racing motorcycles. She thought it was cool and gave it her blessing.”

MICHAEL CAUDILLO

“I followed in case she fell and hit her head out there. I also made sure to find the medical personnel before each race and share her medical conditions with them.”

MICHAEL CAUDILLO

was cool and gave it her blessing.”

In those early racing days, Michael shadowed Brooklyn at the races on his own dirt bike. Desert loops for younger racers are generally 2-3 miles long, and since racers disappear from view, Michael followed. “D37 allows [parental following],” Michael said, “so I followed in case she fell and hit her head out there. I also made sure to find the medical personnel before each race and share her

medical conditions with them.”

These days, Brooklyn is going too fast to have people shadow her, which brings a new worry for Dad.

“My only concern is if she had a bad crash, could she shatter the shunt? What we do have is the very best helmet possible for her shunt, one that fits her head well — she has a small lump on the back of her head — so she, hopefully, doesn’t crush it if she hits her head. Yes, I’m concerned every time she lines up on the starting line, but there are always consequences with dirt bikes and we’ve gotta be able to live with them. But Brooklyn’s really into racing, so we’re going for it and living life one day at a time.”

Race days are pretty typical according to Brooklyn. “We go sign up in the morning,” she said, “I start getting ready, dad is prepping the goggles, and I’m getting warmed up.”

“Really,” Michael added with a laugh, “she’s probably getting yelled at. Where is she? Usually out farting around with her friends.”

“We also go out together and walk the course,” he said, “specifically at the National Hare and Hound races.”

There’s a reason for that…a lesson learned the hard way for Brooklyn.

“At a race in Idaho,” Brooklyn remembered with chagrin, “I didn’t see the sign telling me to keep going and loop around, and I went on the wrong loop and didn’t even get scored for the first lap. I ended up getting fourth

Above: Brooklyn with fellow District 37 rider Laci Olivas, who’s been the district’s top female rider for many years. “She’s mentored Brooklyn both on and off the bike,” Michael said, “and they have an incredible bond.”

Above left: AMA Deputy Director of Racing Mike Burkeen presenting Brooklyn with the No. 1 plate for the AMA Hare and Hound Series in the Junior Girls class. “Brooklyn is always the first person to cheer everyone else on at the podium,” Burkeen said. “Not only is she super fast, but she’s such a great mentor, helping other girls at the track even if they’re racing against her.” Above: Brooklyn with her dad, Michael (left) and her grandfather Mike (right).

“there are always consequences with dirt bikes and we’ve gotta be able to live with them. But Brooklyn’s really into racing, so we’re going for it and living life one day at a time.”

MICHAEL CAUDILLO

place because of that mistake, and that’s why Dad always makes me walk the course now, so it doesn’t ever happen again.”

“We usually walk the start, too,” Michael added, “to find a really good line.”

Despite being an 11-time champ, Brooklyn gets nervous before every race.

“When I’m on the line getting ready to go, the butterflies come,” she said. “But as soon as that banner drops and I take off, they’re gone! Once I’m racing, if I’m in first place, I just ride my race and do my best to get to the finish in the lead.”

Brooklyn’s spent plenty of time “riding her own race” in first place, dominating the Junior Girls class over the past couple years. But instead of staying in that 9-12 class where she’s been so successful, in 2023 she’s racing in the Senior Girls class with girls who are 14 and 15 years old.

“She’s racing up a class this year,” Michael proudly told me, “and I’m so stinkin’ proud of her because she’s right up there with those 14- and 15-year-old girls. She had nothing left to prove in Junior Girls, but now that she has more competition with the older girls, she’s getting a taste of humble pie and learning to accept defeat.”

“This brand-new class I’m in now,” Brooklyn continued, “I haven’t been winning as much, but I’m working to get there.”

Now that she’s getting thirds and fourths, instead of winning all the time, Brooklyn’s a lot more motivated to get to the gym, practice and get more seat time between events. Ultimately, she wants to go pro in National Hare and Hound, and she’s putting in the work to get there — and making Dad and Grandpa proud.

“I always tell Brooklyn, ‘I just want you to be the best that you can be,’” said Dad. “I just want to see her be a great overall female

rider. We’re keeping this fun, and I’m so proud of what she’s already accomplished.”

Grandpa Mike echoed that praise. “I’m so proud of her! When she first starting riding, she practiced day after day, never wanting to stop. Michael would tell her what to do, and she’d always say, ‘But I’m scared.’ But she’d listen, then do what he said, practice and then come back to the garage and say, ‘That was easy!’ When I watch Brooklyn now, it’s amazing how much she has accomplished at an early age and what she’s overcome. Many times my eyes are filled with tears of joy for her. And I don’t think she knows how good she is — to her, this is just what she does.”

Of course, while she’s kicking up dust in the desert and bringing home wins and championships, her medical past continues to be something she deals with on the side. But they recently received some great news.

“Each year we go for those annual MRIs,” Michael said, “and we’ve been tracking a small pocket of fluid in her brain for nine years now, hoping it would go away and not grow larger. It’s been sitting there idle all this time. But at this last visit the MRI showed that the spot of fluid is gone. That was just a hallelujah moment for us — it’s gone! Now we’re just waiting to see the neurosurgeon to talk about Brooklyn’s future.”

“Riding makes me feel happy. If I’m upset or grumpy, I ride my dirt bike and feel better. Riding and racing give me a chance to escape all the real-world stuff I’ve been dealing with.”

BROOKLYN CAUDILLO

Through the years of medical appointments and uncertainty, riding has been Brooklyn’s way to leave the tough stuff behind.

“Riding makes me feel happy,” she told me. “If I’m upset or grumpy, I ride my dirt bike and feel better. Riding and racing give me a chance to escape all the real-world stuff I’ve been dealing with.”

And she hopes her story will inspire other kids with medical conditions, too.

“Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do it — you can,” she exclaimed! “You’ve got this! If riding makes you happy, get out there and do it.”

Good advice…for motorcycling and for life. AMA

Special thanks to

Brooklyn’s sponsors:

Yamaha BluCru

The Wicked Family gear

Team Orbit

Simi Valley Cycles

Wiseco Pistons

Jones Racing

Coyote Trains Adventures

Bray Goggles

Church of Dirt clothing

She Rides clothing

RAD Custom Graphics

BTS Suspension

Dunlop

FMF

Acerbis

Southern Counties

Lubricants

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