The 2025 Yamaha Australian Enduro Championship presented by MXstore (AusEnduro) in Casterton tested the skillsets of the best in the business. Rain leading into the event made conditions ideal, with riders treated to a layout that would push them to their very limits.

Pro Enduro

Round 7: Cross Country
Wil Ruprecht (Shop Yamaha Off-Road Racing Team) had been working hard between rounds and was ready to bring the fight—launching off the start with a clear lead into turn one, just ahead of teammate Wil Dennett (Shop Yamaha Off-Road Racing Team). Andy Wilksch (Beta Australia Enduro Team) made quick moves to settle into third, with DM31 KTM Racing Team riders Korey McMahon and Milner and Jye Dickson (Beta Australia Enduro Team) next in line. Jonte Reynders (DM31 KTM Racing Team), however, did not get the start he expected, finding himself back in 15th on the opening lap with plenty of work ahead.

Over the next few laps, the lead and positions at the front changed continuously. Dennett sprinted into the lead, throwing down one of the fastest lap times of the day. McMahon hooked into a rhythm, matching the Yamaha rider’s pace as they edged away from Ruprecht, while Milner sat patiently in fourth.

The heavy surface meant the bikes were thirsty, chewing through fuel rapidly. Yamaha was forced to pit first, handing the lead to KTM. Wilksch was charging – at one point passing Milner –but a couple of small mistakes saw him drop back. Ruprecht had lost the tow and slowly fell off the back of the group. KTM would pit the following lap, and Dennett regained the lead.

Yamaha needed to stop a second time. Dennett’s lead wasn’t enough, and KTM swept by. He rejoined 10 seconds back. Milner led with McMahon right on his tail, trying to rattle the boss and launch an attack. Dennett couldn’t maintain the pace – his heavily blistered hand slowed him down. Wilksch, sensing opportunity, launched a massive late-race charge.

When the chequered flag flew, Milner was victorious, claiming a 34-second win over McMahon. Third on track was Dennett, just holding off Wilksch during an intense final-lap battle. Both riders were pushing hard, right on the edge, all the way to the line. Dennett held on, but a post-race investigation saw him handed a five-minute penalty, dropping him to seventh. Wilksch was promoted to third.

Milner has increased his lead in the Pro Enduro title

Round 8: Sprint
The opening test set the tone for a battle that would go down to the final stages. After an average cross-country showing, Dickson was back on pace in Sunday’s sprints – clocking the fastest times in the first two tests before a mistake in the third slowed his momentum.

McMahon was in the fight from the start, finishing second in the first two tests, winning the third, and never letting Milner past for the entire day. Milner was equally strong, matching the front-runners’ pace and capitalizing on Dickson’s mistake in test three.

Ruprecht looked more comfortable today. Several fourth-place finishes early on, and times close to the leaders, kept him in contention. Wilksch and Dennett took time to find form –
Wilksch clicking in test four, and Dennett firing in test five with strong results.

Dickson returned to the top in test four, McMahon responded in test five, but the sixth test proved costly for Dickson after a crash dropped him down the order. McMahon surged ahead, taking another test win and sealing his first-ever Pro Enduro overall victory. Dickson finished a hard-fought second, with Milner rounding out the podium in third.

Korey McMahon on his way to maiden Pro Enduro victory

E1

Round 7: Cross Country
Reynders didn’t get the start he wanted, buried mid-pack on the opening lap. Cooper Sheidow (BluCru Yamaha), fresh off a win at the last round, again found himself at the front and pushing hard. Will Price (Empire Kawasaki) and Jett Yarnold (BluCru Yamaha) followed, with a battle that would rage the entire race.

Reynders wasted no time, working his way past numerous riders to challenge for the lead early on lap two. Sheidow fought back but couldn’t hold the spot, slipping to second. Price and Yarnold continued to swap positions – it seemed like a back-and-forth every lap. Fraser Higlett (BluCru Yamaha) began the day well outside the top 10 – 15th in fact after lap one – but charged hard through the field each lap.

At the flag, Reynders came out on top, two minutes clear of Sheidow, with a hard-fought third going to Higlett. Price edged out Yarnold for fourth and fifth, respectively.

Round 8: Sprint
Reynders was all business. His opening test win was a statement, and he backed it up by clean-sweeping all seven tests for a commanding 20-second victory.

Sheidow continued to gather strong championship points, finishing second in every test and steadily closing the gap to Reynders across the season.

The battle for third was fierce. Yarnold, Higlett, Ryan Hayward and Ty Kean swapped positions throughout the day. With tight margins and few mistakes from any rider, it was Hayward who launched at the opportunity – grabbing third in the final test to land on the podium.

Jonte Reynders returned to the top step with a double victory

E2

Round 7: Cross Country
Off the start, it looked like Ruprecht was going to be the rider to chase. He led early, but Dennett had other ideas – blasting past and setting the pace. McMahon latched onto him, monitoring every move. Wilksch pushed forward but a small mistake left him momentarily on the ground, forcing him to restart the charge.

With the heavy conditions, Yamaha knew it’d need two fuel stops and tried to build a gap. It almost worked – Dennett returned to the track still in the fight, with Milner leading from McMahon.

Ruprecht slipped back, eventually finishing fifth. Wilksch moved into fourth. A mid-race lull saw him stuck in position, but he switched up his approach in the closing laps.

Dennett re-inherited the lead after KTM’s pit stop and again tried to stretch a gap, knowing another stop was coming. But KTM came back swinging – Milner and McMahon recorded their fastest laps on lap five straight after pitting, also the fastest of the race.

KTM pulled away, with Milner’s patience and consistency delivering another win, McMahon strong in second. The battle for third was intense. Dennett held off a huge final two-lap charge from Wilksch, but with the time penalty, Wilksch secured the final step on the podium.

Round 8: Sprint
Milner maintained his dominance in E2, shadowing his teammates’ times all day and going unchallenged in class, extending his championship lead.

Ruprecht started strong – just two seconds behind Milner in test one – and stayed close across the day, securing second overall and showing a return to form.

Dennett and Wilksch were again locked in battle, but a test five win from Dennett helped him claim the final step on the podium, with Wilksch in fourth.

E3

Round 7: Cross Country
McMahon was hungry for redemption – fast off the line, rounding turn one right on the lead. Meanwhile, last round’s winner Dickson was just trying to stay upright through turn one. Riley McGillivray (Husqvarna Australia) also got a solid start, running top ten outright and third in class.

McMahon was faultless, running with Milner up front in Pro Enduro while walking away from his E3 competitors, finishing with a 2.5-minute gap.

Dickson didn’t have the pace for cross country today. Still, a consistent ride earned him second and valuable championship points.

It was heartbreak for McGillivray, running out of fuel on the final lap, scoring a DNF. That allowed Max Rikys to take third after an epic comeback – from 42nd outright after lap one to 20th at the flag.

Round 8: Sprint
A two-man showdown between McMahon and Dickson. Both riders traded test wins and were separated by just seven seconds after five tests. The sixth test proved pivotal – Dickson, who led the field out, suffered two heavy crashes, losing around 20 seconds. McMahon capitalised, securing back-to-back wins and extending his championship lead.

Dickson was disappointed with his mistakes but remained positive about his pace and confidence heading into the next rounds.

After a heartbreaking DNF in the cross-country, McGillivray bounced back with a strong third in E3, showing his continued growth and consistency.

Korey McMahon to strong in both cross country and sprints. Image – Troy Pears

EJ

Round 7: Cross Country
Jackson Versteegen got the jump, surging inside the top 15 outright in the early laps before drifting back but maintaining a solid class lead.

Oliver Paterno had another strong day, starting outside the top 30 outright, charging to 19th, and securing second in class.

Consistency wins championships, and Will McInnes proved that again – third and looking right at home in the sandy conditions.

Round 8: Sprint
McInnes came out firing, taking the win in the first test with Kogan Lock in close pursuit. Versteegen sat third, with Paterno and Davey Gear rounding out the top five.

McInnes continued with another win and a string of runner-up finishes, while Lock matched the pace until a tip-over in test four saw him lose ground.

All four top riders claimed at least one test win, and the racing was tight throughout. Versteegen made a late charge – winning the final test to leap into the lead and complete the double victory at Casterton.

McInnes held on for second, while third place came down to the final test –Gear claimed test seven and with it, the final step on the podium.

Jackson Versteegen collects his first wins for the year

EW

Round 7: Cross Country
The EW class started with a bang. Jessica Gardiner (JGR Yamaha Off-Road Racing) led early, but Madi Simpson (Monster Energy WBR Yamaha) wanted in. A bold move within the first few turns put Simpson out front, but the excitement got the better of her –crashing hard just a few corners later. Thankfully uninjured, she remounted and began her charge.

Gardiner reclaimed the lead and never looked back – stretching the gap lap after lap to an unchallenged victory. But the battle behind was far from over.
Madison Healey returned to the AusEnduro championship after missing Tintinara for desert racing duties. She slipped straight back into form – comfortably in second while chaos unfolded around her. But her own drama was just around the corner: a flat rear tyre early on the last lap. With 20km to go, she pushed hard, managing speed and control.

Simpson, unaware of Healey’s issue, was charging – closing rapidly and making up huge ground. In the final two corners, she almost had her. At the line, Healey held on by just two seconds for second place, with Simpson right behind in third.

Jessica Gardiner once again unstoppable

Round 8: Sprint
Gardiner once again topped the class. She flew out of the gates in test one but had to overcome drama on track – tangling with another rider and even hitting the ground. Despite that, she stayed composed and determined, extending her championship lead with another win.

Healey backed up her podium from round seven with a strong second-place finish, but it wasn’t easy. Simpson and Emma Milesevic kept the pressure on. Simpson claimed a second-place test result early but slipped down the order after a sixth in test three. She bounced back with a win in test four, rejoining the fight.

Healey held strong to secure second, while Milesevic claimed third after a consistent return to racing.

Rounds nine and 10 of the 2025 AusEnduro Championship will be held in Kyogle (NSW) on September 13-14.

Images: Troy Pears