The Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore (AusEnduro) launched into 2025 in Kempsey on March 1, with the returning world champion Wil Ruprecht (Yamaha) edging out KTM’s Daniel Milner in what’s expected to be a tantalising season-long battle for outright Pro Enduro honours.

The gap between the two E2 class riders was just eight seconds after five special tests around a 12km sprint lap that had everything: grassy loam paddocks, boggy swamp-like conditions and hard, baked-out true Aussie bull dust.

Temperatures topped out at 34 degrees, which ensured a battle of stamina raged all day long for the 11 championship and four cup classes in in the AusEnduro Championship.

KEMPSEY DAY ONE RESULTS HERE

Wil Ruprecht launches into 2025 with a win at round one

Pro Enduro
Ruprecht showed the way with consistent times on a course where mistakes could easily be made. He won four of the five special tests – the last one by just 0.333 seconds over Milner – to strike the first blow in the all-new Enduro Pro class, which measures the fastest times across the E1-E3 classes.

Milner kept the pressure up all day long, though, winning stage four to trim Ruprecht’s lead to under eight seconds.

Milner went 3-2-2-1-2 in the special tests to claim second, while Will Dennett (Yamaha, E2) and Andy Wilksch (Beta, E2) went toe-to-toe in third and fourth with just four seconds separating the duo.

Jonte Reynders (KTM) was the first of the E1 riders in fifth from Korey McMahon (KTM, E3), Jye Dickson (Beta, E3) and Cooper Sheidow (Yamaha, E1).

The talent pool is deep: Pro Enduro will show us who is the best in the business.

Milner kept the pressure on Ruprecht all day

E1
The day started tight between the heavy hitters of E1, with Sheidow landing the first blow in the first special test. But it was the consistency of Reynders – battling through a foot injury – over the next two tests to move into the lead at the halfway mark and would not be challenged through to the back end of the day.

Sheidow maintained his flow, minimising the mistakes and closed out the day in second over 2024 junior champion Jett Yarnold (Yamaha).

Jonte Reynders pushes through the pain of a foot injury

E2
The opening E2 lived up to all expectations with only five seconds separating Ruprecht, Wilksch and Milner after the first test. An issue and a fall would see Wilksch drop some extremely valuable time and put him into a battle with Dennett, which would go all the way to the final test.

Both Ruprecht and Milner pushed extremely hard in the final test, but it would be Ruprecht who stood on the top step, while Dennett was third from Wilksch.

Wil Ruprecht blasts his way towards a victory in the E2

E3
McMahon, new to KTM, launched out hard picking up the first two tests convincingly before a fight back in the third from Dickson saw the gap shrink to seven seconds and the battle appeared to be heating up.

But the strength of McMahon fought back in the next two, stretching his lead to 17 seconds and landing himself on the top step. Dickson was second from Riley McGillivray (Husqvarna).

Korey McMahon dealing with an injury of his own held strong throughout

EW
A dominant performance by Jessica Gardner (Yamaha) saw her quickest in all but one test throughout the day. Madi Simpson (Yamaha) ensured that Gardner was not able to drop her guard, quickest in the fourth run through, however never really got into striking range of our leader and would finish second.

Third in the round went to Ebony Nielsen (Beta) managing to hold out the challenge from Emelie Karlsson (Triumph).

Jessica Gardiner navigates her way through the trees

EJ
A very hotly contested EJ class this year saw the riders deep inside the top 30 in the Pro Enduro standings, with Kogan Lock (GASGAS) leading the charge. After three test he commanded a 15-second lead, which he extended to 26 seconds at the end of the day.

An incredible battle between Oliver Paterno (Yamaha) and Will McInnes that saw the pair only just 0.6 seconds apart before the final two tests. Paterno would maintain his consistent times, holding out McInnes.

Kogan Lock through some of the contrasting conditions

Images: Troy Pears