Round three of the 2025 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship, presented by MXstore (AusEnduro), on April 5 delivered a thrilling day of intense cross-country racing in challenging Rawson (Vic) conditions. Overnight rain set the stage for a day that would test the skill levels of Australia’s best enduro riders, with riders battling through slippery, hard-pack terrain.

Related: Can hometown hero Milner shake off Ruprecht in Rawson?

The Pro pack in launch mode, with Milner (#1) leading the way

Pro Enduro
The battle for Pro Enduro supremacy continued between Wil Ruprecht (Shop Yamaha Off-Road Racing Team) and Daniel Milner (DM31 KTM Racing Team), which went the former’s way for the second time this season. Korey McMahon (DM31 KTM Racing Team) made an impressive start, remaining in the top three for the majority of the race as he kept the pressure on the leaders.

Jonte Reynders (DM31 KTM Racing Team) fought back after a poor start, finishing fourth, while Jye Dickson (Beta Australia Enduro Team) rounded out the top five in fifth.

Wil Ruprecht (#4A) was the star of  the cross-country show

E1
Reynders secured victory after a dramatic race. Despite a challenging start that saw him positioned well back, Reynders fought through the field to post lap times that rivalled the leading Pro Enduro riders at the end of the three-hour race. Stefan Granquist (Triumph Australia) finished a strong second after consistent battles throughout the race. Cooper Sheidow held on to third place, banking valuable championship points, with Fraser Higlett (Yamaha) and Ryan Hayward (KTM) completing the top five.

Jonte Reynders pushing the limits on his KTM

E2
Milner got off to a lightning start, claiming the holeshot, while Ruprecht found himself nearly last in his group through the first turn. Despite a mistake from Milner that saw him drop to second, the two riders battled it out throughout the race, rarely separated by more than five seconds.

Ruprecht surged ahead after the pit stop, eventually stretching his lead to 38 seconds. Milner held onto second, with Andrew Wilksch (Beta Australia Enduro Team) fighting through to finish in third after an early crash left him deep in the field. Will Dennett (Shop Yamaha Off-Road Racing Team) and Tom Buxton (GasGas Australia) rounded out the top five.

After the fuel stop, Wil Ruprecht put a tidy gap between himself and Milner

E3
McMahon was in a class of his own in E3 cross country. He grabbed himself a fantastic start and was deep in the battle of top three in Pro Enduro. This pace saw his E3 lead grow lap by lap. A small mistake late in the race saw him dial down the pace make sure of victory. Equally impressive was Jye Dickson (Beta Australia Enduro Team) who was in fourth on the opening couple of laps. He would maintain his place on track until late into the race and finishing second in E3. Riley McGillivray (Husqvarna Australia) had a quiet race in third, while KTM duo Joshua Whitehead and Max Rikys were fourth and fifth.

Korey McMahon impressed in Rawson

EW
The EW class was filled with excitement, as the lead changed multiple times throughout the race. Ebony Nielson (Beta Australia Enduro Team) quickly moved into the lead early as the girls came to grips with the tough conditions. Jessica Gardiner (JGR Yamaha Off-Road Racing) and Madi Healey (KTM) were the next two riders in line who all had a turn at leading the race at one stage or another.

Madi Simpson (Monster Energy WBR Yamaha) found herself deep in the pack trying to make her way forward. These riders would trade positions all the way to the finish with Gardiner landing on the top step, Healey returning to the AusEnduro Championship with a solid second place and Nielsen home in third. Simpson worked her way through to fourth from Monique Simioni (Husqvarna).

Australian Motorsport Hall of Famer Jessica Gardiner

EJ
Another strong start from Kogan Lock (GASGAS) positioned himself in the lead early and never looked back. Throughout the day he continued to extend his lead to 15 minutes at the close of the day.

Coming home in second was Bjorn Cardenas (KTM) who had troubles of his own, riding a majority of the race with evidence of a fall and no peak. Fletcher Tucker (KTM) kept the pressure on for the entire race, leaving no chase for Cardenas to ease off, finishing just 20 seconds behind after nearly three hours of racing. Will McInnes (KTM) and Jackson Rossi (KTM) closed out the top five.

The next round of the championship promises more excitement, with Round Four Sprint Racing set to push riders to their limits both physically and mentally as the battle for the championship continues.

Images: Troy Pears