Buffalo Rally History
In March 1969, a group of Nomads went camping at Silversands near Robertson over the Easter weekend and it was here that the idea of the Buffalo Rally originated. Over a campfire the plan for a national Motorcycle Rally was discussed by Messrs. Egon Mendel, Tony Bayley, Peter Flor, Tony Ferguson and Ray Bergman who were amongst some seventeen members who attended this event and whose names appear on a paper plate, which served as the official attendance register.
Hilary Watts, the then Editor of “SA Motor Cycle”, nominated after much searching, the Town of Bathurst, in the Eastern Cape, as a suitable venue.
Tony Ferguson was Chairman and in charge of the rally that year which drew an attendance of 250 entrants.
Even the Hells Angels were there, however, not as many as the Nomads. Nomads motorcycle club were not permitted to wear back ‘patches’ even in those days, only the small cloth ones. The Nomads Club were never given official credit for breaking the Eastern Cape drought in 1969. It poured for most of the weekend as it generally does to this very day whenever the Nomads Motorcycle Club holds a rally.
The Buff has been held at the following venues over the years:
| Bathurst | 1969/1970/1971/1972 |
| Aliwal North | 1973/1999/2000/2001/2008 |
| Oudtshoorn | 1974/1993/1994/1995 |
| Bloemfontein | 1975/1976 |
| Port Elizabeth | 1977/1978/1979/1982/1983/1996/1997/1998/2002/2003/2004 |
| Maseru | 1980/1981 |
| Mossel Bay | 2005/2006/2007/2009/2010/2011/2012/2013/2014/2015/2016/2017/2018 |
| ATKV Hartenbos, Mossel Bay | 2019/2022/2023/ |
The refusal by the Port Elizabeth City Council to permit the Nomads Club the use of the Humewood Caravan Park for the 1984 Buff, the unsuitability of suggested alternative venues, as well as, the subsequent Government Ban on open air gatherings resulted in the demise of the Buffalo Rally for a period of nine years.
After the repeal of the ban in 1992, the Nomads Club decided to resurrect the Buff, and in 1993 the rally was revived by Luderick Jacoby and ably assisted by the late Mark Schreiber. The 1993 Buff was held In Oudtshoorn and the rally continues to grow from strength to strength.