The 2025 Australian Enduro Championship kicked off in dramatic fashion in Kempsey on March 1 and 2, with world champion Wil Ruprecht narrowly edging out Daniel Milner on day one.
However, the roles were reversed on day two as Milner fought back, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling season-long battle for the Pro Enduro title.
With temperatures soaring to 34 degrees, the conditions were brutal for riders across the 11 championship and four cup classes, testing their endurance throughout the weekend.
Saturday saw an intense showdown between Ruprecht and Milner, with the gap between the two E2-class rivals shrinking to just eight seconds after five special tests. The 12km sprint lap challenged riders with a mix of grassy loam paddocks, swampy sections, and the unforgiving Aussie bull dust.
Sunday’s course was fast and open, favoring the E2 and E3 machines, which dominated the overall times, securing eight of the top 10 spots. Ruprecht and Milner continued their battle, with nothing separating the Yamaha and KTM DM31 Racing teammates in their fight for the Pro Enduro crown.
Further down the order, Will Dennett and Andy Wilksch remained locked in a tight contest, while Korey McMahon and Jonte Reynders also went head-to-head. Unfortunately, Reynders lost significant time in the second test, dropping approximately 15 seconds and slipping to sixth. Jye Dixon, Jeremy Carpenter, Cooper Sheidow, and Buxton rounded out the top 10.
Pro Enduro Class
Wil Ruprecht set the benchmark on Saturday with a consistent and calculated performance. He won four of the five special tests—his final victory coming by just 0.333 seconds over Milner—marking a strong start to the newly introduced Enduro Pro class, which measures the fastest riders across E1, E2, and E3.
Milner kept the pressure on all day, claiming a crucial win in stage four to cut Ruprecht’s lead to just under eight seconds.
Behind them, Will Dennett and Andy Wilksch engaged in a fierce battle for third, with only four seconds separating the two at the end of the day.
Jonte Reynders led the E1 contenders in fifth, followed by Korey McMahon, Jye Dickson, and Cooper Sheidow.
E2 riders dominated the outright times once again on Sunday in the journey to become overall Pro Enduro champion. The Sunday course was largely fast and open, which suited the E2 and E3 bikes down to the ground as they occupied eight of the top 10 places.
Ruprecht and Milner again traded blows with nothing separating them.
Dennett and Wilksch again battled throughout, as did McMahon and Reynders. However, Jonte Reynders came unstuck in the second test, dropping approximately 15 seconds and relegating him to sixth in the order. Dixon, Carpenter, Sheidow, and Buxton rounded out the top 10.
E1 Class
Saturday’s E1 battle was a war of attrition, with Cooper Sheidow making an early statement by winning the opening special test. However, it was the consistency of Jonte Reynders—riding through a foot injury—that proved decisive. By the halfway point, Reynders had taken the lead and held it to the finish. Sheidow stayed focused, avoiding mistakes to finish second, while 2024 junior champion Jett Yarnold rounded out the podium.
On Sunday, despite an early fall, Reynders maintained control of the E1 class. Conscious of his injury, he rode within his limits but still managed to secure back-to-back victories.
Jett Yarnold impressed once again, holding off Fraser Higlett in the opening two tests. However, Higlett responded with a strong late charge, setting his fastest lap of the day in the final test to secure third. Yarnold finished just outside the podium in fourth.
Cooper Sheidow, determined to challenge Reynders, pushed hard throughout the day and claimed a well-earned second place.
E2 Class
The E2 class delivered thrilling battles from the start, with only five seconds separating Wil Ruprecht, Andy Wilksch, and Daniel Milner after the opening test. However, Wilksch’s challenge was hampered by a crash and mechanical issue, forcing him into a tight contest with Josh Dennett. Meanwhile, Ruprecht and Milner pushed each other to the limit, with Ruprecht ultimately taking the win. Dennett held off Wilksch to secure third.
Sunday’s racing saw another electrifying duel between Ruprecht and Milner. Ruprecht took the early lead, but Milner steadily gained ground, eventually flipping the script to lead by just 0.4 seconds before the final test.
Milner then delivered a masterclass in the final test, besting Ruprecht by 3.1 seconds to claim victory. Wilksch recovered from Saturday’s setbacks to finish third, while Dennett and Jeremy Carpenter rounded out the top five.
E3 Class
Korey McMahon made a powerful start to his E3 campaign, dominating the first two tests on Saturday. Jye Dickson fought back in the third, closing the gap to just seven seconds, but McMahon responded with two flawless runs to seal the win. Dickson finished second, while Riley McGillivray took third.
McMahon carried his momentum into Sunday, thriving on the fast layout and even posting the fourth-fastest outright times in the final two tests.
Dickson found more pace throughout the day but was unable to challenge McMahon, settling for second. The battle for third was fierce, coming down to the final test. Josh Whitehead held a slim 2.2-second lead over McGillivray, but misfortune struck when Whitehead failed to finish, handing the final podium spot to McGillivray.
EW Class
Jessica Gardner set the pace on Saturday, topping all but one of the day’s tests. Madi Simpson kept her honest, taking the fourth test win, but was never close enough to truly threaten for the lead. Ebony Nielsen edged out Emelie Karlsson to claim third.
On Sunday, Simpson took things up a notch, pushing Gardner all day long. Gardner rode consistently but couldn’t quite match Simpson’s pace, finishing second while securing valuable championship points. Nielsen once again completed the podium in third.
EJ Class
The EJ class produced some of the closest racing of the weekend. Kogan Lock took charge early on Saturday, leading by 15 seconds after three tests before stretching his advantage to 26 seconds by day’s end. Behind him, Oliver Paterno and Will McInnes were locked in an intense fight, separated by just 0.6 seconds heading into the final two tests. Paterno held steady to secure second, with McInnes in third.
On Sunday, the battle intensified. Paterno stepped up, winning four of the five tests to claim the round victory. Lock managed to win one test but had to settle for second, leaving the pair tied in the championship standings. McInnes again showed impressive speed, finishing third.
Championship Moves to Rawson
The 2025 Australian Enduro Championship now heads to Rawson, Victoria, 135km east of Melbourne. Originally scheduled for Traralgon, the round was relocated to Rawson this week and will run alongside the 2025 Victorian Off-Road Championship.
Full Results can be found here:
| Pro Enduro Championship Standing After Round 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Name | Points |
| 1 | 1A | Daniel Milner | 47 Points |
| 2 | 4A | Wil Ruprecht | 47 Points |
| 3 | 32A | Andrew Wilksch | 38 Points |
| 4 | 88A | William Dennett | 38 Points |
| 5 | 153A | Korey Mcmahon | 31 Points |
| 6 | 14A | Jonte Reynders | 31 Points |
| 7 | 28A | Jye Dickson | 28 Points |
| 8 | 92A | Cooper Sheidow | 25 Points |
| 9 | 44A | Jeremy Carpentier | 24 Points |
| 10 | 17A | Jett Yarnold | 21 Points |
| 11 | 101A | Tom Buxton | 19 Points |
| 12 | 21A | Fraser Higlett | 19 Points |
| 13 | 7A | Riley Mcgillivray | 18 Points |
| 14 | 29A | Stefan Granquist | 12 Points |
| 15 | 84A | Max Midwinter | 11 Points |
| 16 | 486A | Ryan Hayward | 7 Points |
| 17 | 50A | William Price | 7 Points |
| 18 | 62A | Eli Tripcony | 6 Points |
| 19 | 16A | Deegan Graham | 5 Points |
| 20 | 20 | Broc Grabham | 4 Points |
| E1 Championship Standing After Round 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Name | Points |
| 1 | 14A | Jonte Reynders | 50 Points |
| 2 | 92A | Cooper Sheidow | 44 Points |
| 3 | 21A | Fraser Higlett | 38 Points |
| 4 | 17A | Jett Yarnold | 38 Points |
| 5 | 29A | Stefan Granquist | 31 Points |
| 6 | 62A | Eli Tripcony | 28 Points |
| 7 | 486A | Ryan Hayward | 28 Points |
| 8 | 50A | William Price | 28 Points |
| 9 | 878A | Luke Chellas | 25 Points |
| 10 | 54A | Dallan Villani | 22 Points |
| E2 Championship Standing After Round 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Name | Points |
| 1 | 1A | Daniel Milner | 47 Points |
| 2 | 4A | Wil Ruprecht | 47 Points |
| 3 | 32A | Andrew Wilksch | 38 Points |
| 4 | 88A | William Dennett | 38 Points |
| 5 | 44A | Jeremy Carpentier | 32 Points |
| 6 | 101A | Tom Buxton | 30 Points |
| 7 | 84A | Max Midwinter | 28 Points |
| 8 | 16A | Deegan Graham | 26 Points |
| 9 | 18A | Jake Henderson | 24 Points |
| 10 | 72A | Brock Nichols | 22 Points |
| E3 Championship Standing After Round 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Name | Points |
| 1 | 153A | Korey Mcmahon | 50 Points |
| 2 | 28A | Jye Dickson | 44 Points |
| 3 | 7A | Riley Mcgillivray | 40 Points |
| 4 | 20 | Broc Grabham | 36 Points |
| 5 | 89 | Max Rikys | 29 Points |
| 6 | 116A | Cody Howell | 29 Points |
| 7 | 47A | Bailey Malkiewicz | 29 Points |
| 8 | 23A | Joshua Whitehead | 24 Points |
| 9 | 49 | Brodie Young | 23 Points |
| 10 | 408 | Jack Rann | 23 Points |
| EW Championship Standing After Round 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Name | Points |
| 1 | 63A | Madi Simpson | 47 Points |
| 2 | 737A | Jessica Gardiner | 47 Points |
| 3 | 632A | Ebony Nielsen | 40 Points |
| 4 | 788A | Emelie Karlsson | 36 Points |
| 5 | 762 | Courtney Rubie | 32 Points |
| 6 | 117N | Mia Tongue | 30 Points |
| 7 | 231A | Jade Chellas | 27 Points |
| 8 | 767 | Kristie Mckinnon | 24 Points |
| 9 | 764A | Shaylynne Kuhnke | 22 Points |
| 10 | 616A | Monique Simioni | 21 Points |
| EJ Championship Standing After Round 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | No | Name | Points |
| 1 | 274A | Oliver Paterno | 47 Points |
| 2 | 6A | Kogan Lock | 47 Points |
| 3 | 45A | Will Mcinnes | 40 Points |
| 4 | 434A | Tomas Porto | 34 Points |
| 5 | 64A | Beau Tripcony | 31 Points |
| 6 | 476A | Fletcher Tucker | 30 Points |
| 7 | 82A | Mason Phillips | 28 Points |
| 8 | 68A | Ryan Jordan | 28 Points |
| 9 | 86A | Oscar Harris | 23 Points |
| 10 | 161A | Bjorn Cardenas | 23 Points |
