Issuu

THAXTON CLAIMS OHIO HARD ENDURO CROWN

PLUS •

2026 Trial des Nations

•

The Roof of Africa Hard Enduro

•

John Penton // Mason Dixon GNCC

•

Burning Rock National Enduro

... and much more!

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October 2026

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EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // ADVERTISING MANAGER: Steph Vetterly: stephanie@onthepegsmagazine.com

CONTRIBUTORS Abigail Buzzelli Brian Pierce // Seat Time Pep Segales Tyrone Bradley Kayla Bolton Mack Faint Tyler Shepardson Art Pepin

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On the Pegs is published monthly by On the Pegs, LLC. On the Pegs considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. On the Pegs is printed in the USA and all rights are reserved. Reproduction of this work in whole or in part without the written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The articles contained in this magazine are works of journalism and do not represent the opinions or ideas of On the Pegs. On the Pegs and the publisher assume no responsibility for the content of advertisements. Print copies of this publication are available via www.on-the-pegs.com; price will vary due to issue length and printer service utilized.

MAGAZINE

Issue 10 • October 2026 WORLD NEWS

Seat Time: Don't Override the Track with Beta USA's Jhak Walker

On the Pegs Podcast - Ep 9 | Pre-TdN - Three Paths to the Trial des Nations

Redemption on the Roof - The Roof of Africa

TrialGP: Marcelli Ends Bou's Streak

Trial des Nationsl 2026 - Spain Extends Its Reign

OHE: Thaxton Makes History

GNCC - From Mud Battles to Home-State Glory

ANEC: Toth Returns to the Top

By Brian Pierce

By Steph Vetterly

By Kayla Bolton

By Tyler Shepardson

ON THE COVER Maverik Thaxton capped off the inaugural 2026 Ohio Hard Enduro Championship season in style, overcoming rear brake failure to win the Wild Hively season finale and secure the Pro championship title. His determination and consistency throughout the seven-round series earned him the distinction of becoming Ohio Hard Enduro’s first Pro champion. STEPH VETTERLY October 2026

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WORLD NEWS FIM ANNOUNCES PROVISIONAL TRIALGP CALENDAR FOR 2027

Provisional calendar confirmed for 2027 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship

The provisional calendar for the 2027 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship has been unveiled with an extended eight-round schedule that visits eight countries and three continents over a five-month period. All rounds will feature two days of points-scoring competition with the series getting under way over the weekend of 16-18 April at Benahavis in Spain before, one week later, the world’s leading Trial riders cross the border to Portugal for round two at Viana do Castelo on 23-25 April. With both venues featured at the beginning of the 2025 season, the majority of riders will find themselves in familiar surroundings, but for round three – the TrialGP of USA on 21-23 May – many competitors will travel to Sequatchie in Tennessee, last visited by the championship in 2013 when Spanish legend Adam Raga won both days, for the very first time. From the USA the action shifts to the immaculate and hugely-popular Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan

over the weekend of 4-6 June before the focus returns to Europe for the remainder of the series with Sant Julià de Lòria in the stunning Pyrenean principality of Andorra next up on 1820 June. The TrialGP of Italy is scheduled for 25-27 June at a venue brand-new to the series at Fiumalbo, located around seventy kilometres south west of Bologna in the Province of Modena, ahead of the series’ well-earned summer break.

The championship then resumes on 27-29 August with the TrialGP of Great Britain at Geddington, a venue that made its debut on the calendar in 2025, before reaching a thrilling conclusion on 17-19 September with the eighth and deciding round – the TrialGP of France – at La Bresse, most recently visited by the championship in 2012. Trial2 competitors will join TrialGP riders at all eight rounds while TrialGP Women riders will only sit out Andorra – making the 2027 series the longest ever for the sport’s elite females – and Junior Trial3 riders will miss the USA, Japan and France. The Trial2 Women title will be decided in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Great Britain and France.

DON'T OVERRIDE THE TRACK WITH BETA USA'S JHAK WALKER WORDS PHOTOS Jhak swept all six Pro 2 tests that weekend and won one of the sections outright. He also had to deal with some very unfamiliar New England conditions: deep dirt, big embedded rocks, rain, deep ruts, technical hills, creek crossings, and some sections that sounded more like Snowshoe than a typical National Enduro. We also got into what has changed for him this year as his results have started to come around, what he means when he talks about not overriding the track, how he warms up before the first test, and why he has been sticking with the Beta 250 RR two-stroke. Jhak had a tough start to the National Enduro season. He was sick at Sumter, missed Oklahoma because of an injury, and then was issued time penalties for cutting the track at Cherokee that put a big dent in his championship hopes. Since then, his season has looked a lot different. At the Barbed Wire National Enduro, Jhak became the first Pro 2 rider to win a National Enduro overall. He followed that with the Rhode Island Pro 2 win. When I asked what changed, his answer was not that he found some big secret or started riding more than everyone else. He has been focusing more on the technical side of his riding. Looking ahead, hitting his marks, using his legs more, and not getting on the brakes too late. He talked about how easy it is to override the track when you are just trying to go fast, and how much better he has been riding when he slows things down enough to focus

on what he actually needs to work on. Jhak had a good explanation for what overriding the track means to him. For him, it is braking too late and sliding into a corner, hoping there is something there to catch him. It is getting on the throttle too hard and spinning the rear tire. It is not looking far enough ahead, so you are already behind when the next turn, root, rock, or obstacle shows up. Sometimes he will ride by himself instead of riding with fast guys because it gives him the room to focus on the drill or technique he needs to work on that day. That does not mean he is going slow. It means he is not just trying to go fast. There is a difference. I asked Jhak how he gets himself ready for the first test, because this is something I hear riders ask about all the time. His routine is simple. He starts with a light run, builds his heart rate, brings it back down, stretches, does some basic bodyweight movements, and rides the bike around before his start time. But the mindset part was interesting too.

BRIAN PIERCE BRIAN PIERCE & BETA USA just be what you do because you know you should. It should prepare you to actually ride at the speed you expect of yourself once that card flips over. Jhak is racing a Beta 250 RR two-stroke, and he is clearly very comfortable on it. He likes that it is light and flickable, and that he can move it around underneath him to find different lines in the woods. He said the bike can bounce around more than a heavier four-stroke, but he has learned how to use that to his advantage.

Jhak is having a strong year, and it has been fun to watch. He is still in Pro 2 next year, he is continuing to race XC2 at GNCC, and there are clearly more good things ahead for him.

The bike is not some crazy built engine package either. He said it is basically a stock 250 with parts added to make it work for him. That was cool to hear because it goes back to the same point from the rest of the conversation: understanding what you have, figuring out how it works best, and becoming better at using it.

Click or scan to watch Brian's YouTube video

Jhak tells himself he is already 20 seconds down going into the first test. He is chasing someone. It helps him attack the test with urgency instead of treating it like a warm-up lap and trying to find speed later in the day. That has helped him start his days stronger, and it is probably a good reminder that a warm-up should not

October 2026

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Three Paths to the Trial des Nations WORDS PHOTOS

n the days leading into the Trial des Nations in northwestern Spain, three American riders arrived with three very different stories. For Ryon Land, the trip followed a breakthrough first season in Trial2, one that began with a serious injury and ended with the 16-yearold challenging near the front of the World Championship field. Alex Myers arrived for his sixth Trial des Nations as the lone returning rider from the previous year's winning U.S. men's team. Max Glueck, meanwhile, was experiencing Europe for the first time, preparing for his TdN debut aboard a familiar 125cc motorcycle as part of the Challenge team. Together, their stories offered three perspectives on American trials: an emerging World Championship contender, an experienced veteran balancing competition 8

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October 2026

STEPH VETTERLY PEP SEGALES

with everyday life, and an amateur rider finding his place in the sport. Land's 2026 season began about as badly as possible. While working on his motorcycle, an accidental push of the electric-start button pulled his finger into the clutch basket and primary gear, severing the tip. The injury kept him off the motorcycle for roughly a month. For someone who struggled to go even 24 hours without riding, the forced break was more than a physical setback. Land admitted he went through a period when he did not want to ride and questioned what he would be capable of when he returned. His comeback coincided with the opening World Championship round in Japan, making an already difficult introduction to Trial2 even harder.

Working with Adam Raga and his support team, Land began approaching training differently. Instead of repeatedly attempting a section until he cleaned it, he limited himself to one or two attempts, recreating the pressure of competition. "I try not to ride the same section multiple times," Land explained. "I try to only do maximum two attempts." The change forced him to make decisions faster and placed greater consequences on mistakes. The results followed. Land progressed from struggling around the top 20 to the top 15, then top 10 and top five. By the final round, he found himself leading on Saturday. Land now lives and trains at Raga's school, where riding, gym work, nutrition and recovery are treated as parts of the same program. His longterm objective is equally clear.

"I really wan to win the Trial2 World Championship," he said. "Knowing how close I am, I think I can." At the opposite end of the TdN experience spectrum sat Alex Myers. Spain marked Myers' sixth Trial des Nations, a journey that began after traveling to the event as an alternate and minder before earning his place on the U.S. team. His first competition appearance came in Portugal in 2021, complete with an unfamiliar European environment and one memorable mistake: slipping into a stream and completely submerging himself. "Helmet pads dripping water, the whole nine," Myers recalled. Those experiences have become valuable lessons. Myers now travels to Europe earlier, allowing more time

to adjust to jet lag and dial in his motorcycle before competition. At TdN, where American riders often receive motorcycles shortly before the event, even small setup differences matter.

OPPOSITE : Men's team (L-R) Nigel Parker, Alex Myers, Alex Niederer, Ryon Land, Eric McCurdy THIS PAGE : Max Glueck, Challenge Team

His experience also gave the 2026 team an important connection to the previous year's victory. Myers was the only returning member of the winning men's squad, joined this time by Alex Niederer and Land. Yet even after six appearances, Myers still approaches trials as a rider searching for improvement. At home, his practice is built around familiar lines that he attempts in whatever conditions Pennsylvania offers. Riding with Land in Spain, however, introduced another perspective. Myers noticed the younger rider's habit of walking a section, attempting it only a couple of times and moving on. "Maybe that's attributing to his sharp rise in skill," Myers said. "Maybe that's how I change in the future." That willingness to continue learning helps explain why Myers remains motivated despite balancing trials with a full-time career. His advice to riders hoping to make a TdN team was simple. "You gotta love trials," he said. "You gotta really enjoy riding." For Max Glueck, simply arriving in Spain represented something new. It was his first trip to Europe and his first Trial des Nations, where he would compete on the Challenge team aboard a 125, a displacement he knew extremely well after spending much of his youth racing one. After two years away from the smaller machine, Glueck quickly remembered why he enjoyed it. "You really just twist the throttle, hold it wide open for

three seconds, and then you do your obstacle," he joked. More importantly, those years on a 125 helped build the skills that brought him to Spain. Glueck remembered earlier seasons in Expert 125 when scores could reach 70 or 100 points. Progress was difficult to recognize in the moment, but looking back from 2026, when he had become a regular podium contender battling Kole Swartz, made his improvement obvious.

Three riders, three stages of their careers, and three different definitions of success. For Land, Spain represented another step toward becoming World Champion. For Myers, it was the continuation of a journey that once seemed almost unreachable. For Glueck, it proved that years spent competing at nationals and remaining involved in trials could lead to representing the United States overseas.

Hear the full conversations with Ryon Land, Alex Myers and Max Glueck in the Trial des Nations edition of the On the Pegs Podcast, where the riders discuss their training, motorcycles, career goals and plenty of trials hot takes from Spain. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full episode through On the Pegs.

His perspective on competition has also changed. Where earlier seasons focused intensely on results, Glueck has increasingly embraced trials for the challenge and community. He would still like to attempt a Pro national someday, but professional racing aspirations are not dictating his future.

Click or scan to listen now

Instead, engineering school and a potential internship will help determine how many nationals he can attend. "Priority next summer is getting a job," he said. That doesn't diminish what earning a TDN Challenge team position meant. For riders below the Pro level, it represents one of the biggest international opportunities available. October 2026

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October 2026

Redemption on the Roof

Teodor Kabakchiev claims his first Hard Enduro World Championship victory at the Roof of Africa, while Manuel Lettenbichler edges Wade Young by just one tenth of a second after three grueling days in Lesotho’s Maloti Mountains. WORDS PHOTOS

STEPH VETTERLY TYRONE BRADLEY & COURTESY OF ROOF OF AFRICA

SEPTEMBER 24-26 LOCATION: Lesotho

he Roof of Africa has spent nearly six decades earning its reputation as one of hard enduro’s defining tests. First held in 1967, the Lesotho classic lays claim to being the sport’s oldest hard enduro, sending riders deep into the Maloti Mountains where long climbs, remote terrain and elevations above 3,000 meters make simply reaching the finish an achievement. In 2026, the “Mother of Hard Enduro” once again delivered the kind of race that rewards speed, navigation, patience and survival in equal measure. Round six of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship brought the world’s best to Lesotho from September 2426, with three days of racing combining a time trial, a long mountain stage and a shorter, more technical final assault. By the end, Sherco Factory Racing’s Teodor Kabakchiev

had put together the most complete performance of the event, becoming the only Gold Class rider to finish under 10 hours and claiming the overall victory in 9:59:46.2. For Kabakchiev, the result carried extra weight. One year earlier, he had been part of the fight on the final day of the 2025 Roof before a heavy crash on a slick waterfall ended his challenge. That race ultimately belonged to South Africa’s James Moore, who held off Manuel Lettenbichler to earn his first FIM Hard Enduro World Championship overall victory. Kabakchiev returned in 2026 with another opportunity, and this time he made it count. The event began Thursday at Music Box after heavy rain accompanied the traditional city parade through Maseru the previous day. Conditions had cleared by the time competition started, and each rider was given two timed

laps, with the faster run counting toward the overall result. Defending champion Moore immediately showed that his 2025 victory had been no fluke. The South African set the official benchmark at 25:01.91, putting himself at the front of the field and into an ideal position for Friday’s mountain race. Lettenbichler was second, only 15.74 seconds back, while Ashton Brightmore followed in third. The fastest lap of the day actually belonged to Mitch Brightmore, who stopped the clock at 24:11.99, nearly 50 seconds quicker than Moore. A five-minute penalty, however, pushed his official time to 29:11.99 and dropped him to ninth. In a race decided by cumulative time, the setback was immediate and costly.

LEFT : 23 - Teodor Kabakchiev October 2026

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Friday transformed the race. The approximately 110-kilometer mountain stage placed far more emphasis on navigation and endurance, and the front of the field quickly narrowed to Kabakchiev, Young, Lettenbichler and Matthew Green. Kabakchiev was the rider who made the biggest move, completing the stage in 5:48:58 and beating Young by 32 seconds. Lettenbichler finished third on the day, while Green remained close enough to keep himself in the overall fight. Once Thursday’s time trial was added, Kabakchiev carried an advantage of roughly 42 seconds over Young into the final day. Lettenbichler sat about 81 seconds from the lead, meaning all three were still within striking distance. Green remained fourth and less than five minutes behind Kabakchiev.

ABOVE : 55 - Wade Young BELOW : Day 2 Kabakchiev opened his Roof in fourth, just over a minute behind Moore, with nine-time winner Wade Young fifth. Young’s presence alone was one of the major storylines of the weekend. The South African had missed the 2025 Roof through injury, ending

his chance to continue an extraordinary run at his home-region classic. With nine victories to his name, he returned in 2026 tied with Alfie Cox for the most wins in the event’s history and chasing a record-setting 10th.

Moore’s hopes of repeating his 2025 victory disappeared on Friday when a mechanical problem cost him more than 44 minutes. Instead of defending the lead, the South African dropped to 11th overall and faced a recovery ride on Saturday.

It was a sharp reversal from the previous year. In 2025, Moore had used a strong second day to build the advantage that ultimately carried him to victory, even after a navigation mistake and a sixth-place result on the final stage. That win made him the latest South African to keep the Roof trophy at home during a 10-year winning streak for local riders. In 2026, the mechanical issue left him with nothing to protect and everything to chase. Saturday’s Final Ascent changed the character of the race again. The deciding Gold Class stage featured two laps of a roughly 38-kilometer course with a service stop between them. Compared with Friday, there was less emphasis on extended navigation and more on technical riding, allowing the pure hard-enduro specialists to attack. Kabakchiev started at the front and never surrendered control of the race. He was not the fastest rider on the final day, but he did not need to be. His 3:44:37.0 was second quickest and, combined with the work he had done Friday, proved enough to secure the overall victory by 2:46.9. Fourth in Thursday’s time trial, first on Friday and second on Saturday, consistency had carried the Sherco rider to the top. Behind him, the fight for second produced one of the closest finishes the Roof has seen. Young entered Saturday 38 seconds ahead of Lettenbichler in the overall standings. The KTM rider started third and spent the opening lap alone, unable to close on either Young or Kabakchiev. His race changed when a charging Moore caught him. With Moore setting a relentless pace, the pair pushed together through the second lap and eventually reeled in Young. Lettenbichler gained 38.4 seconds on the South African across the final stage. When

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October 2026

all three days were totaled, Lettenbichler finished in 10:02:33.1. Young stopped the clock at 10:02:33.2. One tenth of a second separated second and third after more than 10 hours of racing. For Young, the margin meant his long-awaited 10th Roof victory would have to wait at least another year. For Lettenbichler, second place was another valuable result in his 2026 championship campaign and strengthened his position at the top of the title chase with two rounds remaining. Moore, meanwhile, delivered the ride of the day. With the overall win already lost, the defending champion attacked the Final Ascent and posted a 3:39:25.8, more than five minutes faster than Kabakchiev. The performance lifted him from 11th to fifth overall and also secured the Junior-class victory. Green completed a strong and consistent weekend in fourth. Billy Bolt, third at the Roof in 2025 and runner-up in that year’s world championship, was absent from Lesotho after undergoing knee surgery the week before the event. His withdrawal removed another potential contender from the front of the field and further reshaped the championship picture.

away. Its high-altitude passes, relentless climbs, navigation demands and changing race formats punish mistakes and expose weaknesses over three long days. In 2025, Kabakchiev’s challenge ended painfully. One year later, he returned, stayed in the fight, and became the rider who finally stood on top of the Roof. ABOVE : 424 - Samantha Ferreira

EVENT RESULTS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Teodor Kabakchiev (#23, SHR) - 9h59m46s Manuel Lettenbichler (#304, KTM) - 10h02m33.1s Wade Young (#55, KTM) - 10h02m33.2s Matt Green (#47, KTM) - 10h34m12s James Moore (#225, Beta) - 10h37m57s Thomas Scales (#414) - 10h54m48s Luke John Walker (#312) - 10h55m15s Kyle Flanagan (#16) - 10h56m21s Ashton Brightmore (#7) - 10h58m39s Mitch Brightmore (#12) - 11h04m08s

BELOW : 12 - Mitch Brightmore

At the head of it all, however, Kabakchiev had finally put together the Roof he had been chasing. Fourth in the time trial, fastest in Friday’s mountain stage and second on Saturday, the Bulgarian combined speed with consistency over three very different days. “I’m still speechless,” Kabakchiev said after the finish. “It’s been years in the making and I’m really happy to make it happen today.” That may be the simplest way to explain what winning the Roof of Africa means. This is not an event that gives much October 2026

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MARCELLI BOU's ENDS

STREAK

ROUND 7 - Spain LOCATION: Pobladura de las Regueras

WORDS PHOTOS

STEPH VETTERLY PEP SEGALES

he 2026 Hertz FIM Trial World Championship came to a close at Pobladura de las Regueras, Spain, where three championships remained undecided entering the seventh and final round. Toni Bou had already secured his twentieth consecutive TrialGP crown, but the TrialGP Women, Trial2 and Trial2 Women titles were all still on the line, while

RIGHT: Gabriel Marcelli

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Gabriel Marcelli and Jaime Busto arrived separated by just seven points in their fight for second in the premier-class standings. Returning to the purpose-built Circuito Permanente de Trial for the first time since the 2024 Trial des Nations, riders faced a course that blended imposing manmade obstacles with a slippery riverbed, steep natural climbs and a technical gully. It was a fitting stage for a championship finale, and with pressure mounting in nearly every class, mistakes quickly became expensive.

October 2026

For Bou, however, Saturday looked much like the majority of his season. After wrapping up the championship one round earlier in the Netherlands, the Repsol Honda rider immediately returned to winning form. Bou opened the first race with six consecutive cleans before the more natural river sections began adding marks to his score. Even then, the newly

October 2026

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LEFT: Berta Abellan BELOW: Jaime Busto RIGHT TOP: Toni Bou

crowned champion remained in control, finishing on 11 marks to beat Marcelli by nine. Behind him, the far more important battle was unfolding between Marcelli and Busto. Busto entered Spain with the advantage after a strong weekend in Zelhem had erased what had previously been an eight-point deficit, but his Saturday unraveled through the middle of the opening race. Four consecutive fives dropped the Beta rider to fourth, while Marcelli’s second-place finish began cutting into the gap. Marcelli continued applying pressure during the second half of the day. Busto recovered from a heavy crash on the first section but could only manage fourth, while Marcelli again finished second behind Bou. By the end of Saturday, the championship picture had completely changed: Marcelli had turned a sevenpoint deficit into a one-point advantage with only one day remaining. The TrialGP Women championship also tightened before finally swinging back toward defending champion Berta Abellan. Abellan entered the weekend 11 points ahead of Andrea Sofia Rabino following Rabino’s four-race sweep in Great Britain. The Spaniard responded immediately on home soil, dominating Saturday’s opening race with just two marks lost while Rabino endured her worst finish of the season in fifth. That single race pushed Abellan’s championship advantage out to 20 points. Rabino answered in race two, winning on 10 marks, but Abellan recovered from a slower start to finish third. The defending champion carried a 15-point advantage into Sunday and stood within touching distance of a second consecutive world title. 18

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October 2026

Rabino refused to make it easy. The Italian defeated Abellan in Sunday’s first race, trimming three points from the championship lead, but the decisive moment arrived early in race two. While Abellan remained near the front, Rabino collected a five on section four, effectively ending her challenge. Abellan responded like a champion, dropping only two marks across the race to secure the title. “Finally, I have won the title again and I am so, so excited,” Abellan said. “It has been an amazing season.” Behind the championship fight, Alice Minta completed an impressive finish to the season by securing third in the standings ahead of Alessia Bacchetta. Trial2 had arguably produced the most unpredictable racing of 2026. Seven different day winners had emerged through the first six rounds, and Arnau Farré entered Spain only 13 points clear of the championship battle after taking over the series lead in France. Saturday strengthened his position. Farré won the opening race on 11 marks, then finished third behind George Hemingway and Alex Canales in race two. Hemingway’s victory kept his championship hopes alive, but Farré carried a 17-point cushion into the final day. That margin proved vital. Under the pressure of racing for his first world championship, Farré struggled Sunday and finished tenth in both races. Hemingway closed quickly, finishing fifth in the opener and fourth in the finale, but his charge came up five points short. Despite producing his worst overall result of the season at the worst possible time, Farré had done enough. “I was suffering from a lot of pressure in the second

race and I made some big mistakes,” Farré said, “but luckily I had the points advantage.” Alex Canales won the final race of the season to secure third in the championship, while Jack Dance claimed Sunday’s overall Trial2 victory. Trial2 Women delivered an equally tense conclusion. Matilda Arbon arrived in Spain five points ahead of Abril Montserrat Junque, but Saturday completely reversed their positions. Montserrat Junque rode consistently while Arbon recorded her worst finish of the season, transforming the Spaniard’s five-point deficit into an eightpoint championship lead. Montserrat Junque remained composed Sunday while Czech rider Petra Budinova completed a remarkable four-race sweep in her only championship appearance of the season. The Spanish rider’s steady five-four scorecard was enough to secure the Trial2 Women crown, with Daniela

Hernando winning a tie-break over Arbon for second in a championship where only eight points separated the three medalists. With the championships settled, Marcelli provided one final twist in TrialGP. Starting Sunday just one point ahead of Busto, Marcelli did more than protect second place. He attacked Bou. Marcelli defeated his teammate by three marks in the opening race, then produced another inspired performance in the season finale. Bou eventually won the final race on a tie-break after Marcelli took a single dab in the deciding section, but Marcelli’s consistency earned him the overall victory for the day—only the second TrialGP overall win of his career—and secured championship silver. It also handed Bou his first overall defeat of an extraordinary season. Bou still ended 2026 with his twentieth TrialGP championship and 40th world title, while Repsol Honda completed a one-two

finish in the championship with Marcelli second. For Marcelli, who arrived in Spain seven points behind Busto, the turnaround was the perfect way to finish a season that had rarely been straightforward. “It’s been up and down—a bit like a rollercoaster,” he said, “and there has been a lot of pressure today, so this is a great way to end the championship.” After a season stretching from Japan through Andorra, Italy, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands, Spain provided one final weekend of drama. Abellan successfully defended her crown, Farré and Montserrat Junque became world champions, Marcelli transformed a deficit into championship silver, and Bou closed another record-setting campaign from the top of the TrialGP standings. The championships had largely been shaped over the previous six rounds. In Pobladura, the final pieces finally fell into place.

October 2026

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ABOVE: Andrea Sofia Rabino

EVENT RESULTS*

ROUND 7 - SPAIN (TOTAL DABS) SATURDAY - TRIALGP

SUNDAY - TRIALGP

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Toni Bou - 22 Gabriel Marcelli - 35 Harry Hemingway - 48 Miquel Gelabert - 48 Jaime Busto - 50 Matteo Grattarola - 67 Aniol Gelabert Roura - 71 Sondre Haga - 86 Hugo Dufrese - DNF Jack Peace - DNF

Gabriel Marcelli - 16 Toni Bou - 19 Harry Hemingway - 35 Jaime Busto - 39 Aniol Gelabert Roura - 62 Miquel Gelabert - 79 Matteo Grattarola - 66 Sondre Haga - 90 Hugo Dufrese - DNF Jack Peace - DNF

SAT - TRIALGP WOMEN

SUN - TRIALGP WOMEN

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Berta Abellan - 14 Alice Minta - 28 Andrea Sofia Rabino - 34 Alycia Soyer - 30 Alexxia Bacchetta - 36 Kaytlyn Adshead - 51 Nikita Smith - 54 Alicia Robinson - 55 Sophia Ter Jung - 72 Martina Gallieni - 76

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

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October 2026

SERIES STANDINGS

Final positions determined by championship points per loop

Berta Abellan - 10 Andrea Sofia Rabino - 20 Alice Minta - 21 Alessia Bacchetta - 27 Kaytlyn Adshead - 31 Alycia Soyer - 36 Alicia Robinson - 51 Sophia Ter Jung - 63 Sophie Bailey - 69 Martina Gallieni - 67

TRIALGP

TRIALGP WOMEN

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Toni Bou - 514 Gabriel Marcelli - 388 Jaime Busto - 378 Matteo Grattarola - 326 Miquel Gelabert - 305 Harry Hemingway - 281 Jack Peace - 223 Hugo Dufrese - 162 Sondre Haga - 131 Luca Petrella - 49

Berta Abellan - 368 Andrea Sofia Rabino - 349 Alice Minta - 258 Alessia Bacchettta - 254 Alycia Soyer - 232 Kaytlyn Adshead - 210 Denisa Pechackova - 167 Alicia Robinson - 155 Nikita Smith - 144 Sophie Bailey - 82

TRIAL2

TRIAL2 WOMEN

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Arnau Farre - 354 George Hemingway - 349 Alex Canales Martos - 345 Harry Turner - 297 Benoit Bincaz - 287 Francesco Titli - 283 Billy Green - 262 Jack Dance - 236 Gerard Trueba Tio - 156 Pablo Echene - 145

Abril Montserrat Junque - 180 Matilda Arbon - 172 Daniela Hernando - 172 Justyna Lonycz - 153 Queralt Fontdevila - 126 Wilde Moi - 123 Sophie Ferguson - 88 Petra Budinova - 80 Eloise Gachelin - 74 Brianna King - 66

Gear: helmets, jerseys, pants & protectors Parts: Jitsie, OEM plus various aftermarket parts Bikes: Beta, Electric Motion, Vertigo & TRS October 2026 ONTHEPEGS.COM 21

Spain Extends Its Reign at Trial des Nations WORDS PHOTOS

STEPH VETTERLY PEP SEGALES

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October 2026

he 2026 TrialGP season may have belonged to individual championships and season-long battles, but one week after the world series concluded, the sport’s focus shifted from individual results to national pride. At Arteixo, Spain, the world’s best riders traded their factory colors for national jerseys as the FIM Trial des Nations brought together teams from across the globe for one final outdoor showdown.

For Spain’s men, the result followed a familiar script. Toni Bou, Gabriel Marcelli and Jaime Busto arrived as the top three riders from the TrialGP season and as overwhelming favorites on home soil. By the end of a rain-affected day among Galicia’s granite boulders, they had delivered Spain its 32nd Trial des Nations victory and extended a winning streak that now stands at 22 consecutive years.

Great Britain earned silver for the second year in a row, while Italy edged France by a single mark for bronze. In the women’s competition, Great Britain reclaimed the title from Italy in a much closer contest, while Norway captured the International Trophy and Germany topped the mixedgender Challenge des Nations. Arteixo was no unfamiliar destination. The wooded valley, packed with

massive granite rocks, had last welcomed the world championship in 2023, and its natural terrain provided the setting for 15 sections ridden twice. Only the two best scores from each three-rider team counted in each section, adding a tactical element that separates the Trial des Nations from a normal TrialGP weekend. THIS PAGE: Team Spain, winners of the World Championship class

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Spain’s strength was obvious before the competition began. Bou had just secured his 20th outdoor TrialGP world championship, Marcelli finished the year as runnerup, and Busto completed the championship’s top three. The trio was identical to the team that had claimed the 2025 Trial des Nations title in Italy, leaving its rivals facing another difficult challenge. The opening sections showed just how quickly a team competition could change. Spain and France began with clean scores through the first two sections before the third delivered the first separation. Spain collected five marks, Great Britain matched that score and moved into second, while Italy and France sat level on eight overall. From there, the defending champions began to pull away.

Sections four and five caused little trouble, but the difficulty increased deeper into the lap. Section 10 proved particularly costly for Spain’s challengers. Bou, Marcelli and Busto escaped clean while France added three marks, Great Britain six and Italy 10. When rain began falling late in the opening lap, Spain reached the halfway point on just eight marks, already 19 clear of Great Britain. France followed with 39, while Italy sat fourth with 45, including a time penalty. The weather only strengthened Spain’s position. Rain made the smooth granite increasingly difficult to read, reducing grip and raising the consequences of every small mistake. Sections that had offered relatively straightforward passages on the opening lap became

considerably more challenging as water coated the rocks. Spain was not immune to the conditions, adding 19 marks on the second lap, but its advantage was substantial enough to absorb the increase. The final tally was 27 marks for Spain, compared with 65 for Great Britain. For Marcelli, the setting made the victory particularly meaningful. The Galician rider had already capped his TrialGP campaign as world championship runner-up, but winning for Spain close to home offered a different reward. 24

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October 2026

“It has been very special for me to win here in Arteixo near my home in Galicia,” Marcelli said. “The whole team has worked so hard and given one-hundred per cent and we are all super-happy.” The victory was Marcelli’s fourth in four Trial des Nations appearances. For Bou, it marked an extraordinary 21st victory with the Spanish team, another addition to a résumé that had already grown during

Left to right: USA's Max Glueck (#313, TdN Challenge), Francesco Titli (#8, Italy World Championship), Team USA, Team USA's Kylee Sweeten (#120)

Harry Hemingway had scored three overall TrialGP podiums over the final five days of his rookie premier-class season, while George finished runner-up in Trial2 and Turner collected two Trial2 overall victories. That form carried into Arteixo, where the trio held second through deteriorating conditions to secure another silver medal.

2026 with his latest TrialGP world championship. “I am very happy to win another title for Spain,” Bou said. “We are on a great run of winning the Trial of Nations for many years, but each edition is different and maintaining this streak means a lot.” Behind them, Great Britain’s young lineup reinforced the promise it had shown throughout the world championship season. Brothers Harry and George Hemingway were joined by Harry Turner, giving the British team an average age under 20.

The final podium position produced considerably more drama. Italy’s Matteo Grattarola, Francesco Titli and Gianluca Tournour found themselves behind France’s Benoit Bincaz, Alex Ferrer and Pablo Echene after the opening lap.

If the men’s title lacked suspense at the finish, the Women’s Trial des Nations delivered one of the weekend’s closest battles. Great Britain brought ten-time TrialGP Women champion Emma Bristow out of retirement to join Alice Minta and Kaytlyn Adshead, reuniting the trio that had won the title in 2024.

Bristow had stepped away from top-level competition after a remarkable career, but her experience remained a valuable asset alongside two riders who had enjoyed strong world championship campaigns. Minta finished third in the 2026 TrialGP Women standings, while Adshead placed sixth.

However, Italy responded as the conditions worsened. The Italians added 49 marks on lap two, compared with France’s 56, overturning the deficit to claim bronze with 94 marks, just one ahead of France on 95. For Grattarola, who finished fourth in the 2026 TrialGP standings, the medal provided another positive conclusion to a strong international season. October 2026

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Defending champions Italy returned Andrea Sofia Rabino, Alessia Bacchetta and Martina Gallieni, the same lineup that had earned the nation's first Women’s Trial des Nations victory in 2025. Rabino entered the weekend following a world championship season in which she finished runner-up to Spain’s Berta Abellan, making the Italians a formidable threat. Spain countered with Abellan alongside 2026 Trial2 Women champion Abril Montserrat and championship runner-up Daniela Hernando. Italy held the early advantage, completing the opening lap on just two marks to Great Britain’s four. Spain was already well back on 21, leaving the title fight squarely between the British and Italians. Great Britain reduced the deficit during lap two before the decisive swing came at Sections 12 and 13. Italy added nine marks across the pair while Britain escaped with only one, transforming a close contest into a seven-mark British lead. The final man-made section, built from concrete slabs, giant pipes, rocks and tree stumps, still left room for drama. Unlike the natural sections, the hazard remained dry under its protective cover, providing a final technical test where a single mistake could have changed the outcome. Both nations successfully negotiated the closing section without penalty, securing Britain's 11th Women's Trial des Nations title and third victory in four years. The official results showed Great Britain on just seven marks after 30 section attempts, Italy second on 14 and Spain third with 50. France finished fourth ahead of Germany. “Today has been amazing,” Adshead said. “We all made 26

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October 2026

mistakes, but we worked hard as a team. It all came down to the last section and we did it.” The United States finished sixth in the women’s competition as Maddie Hoover, Kylee Sweeten and Abigail Buzzelli combined for 121 marks, behind Germany's 111. For Buzzelli, who moved into the Women’s Pro ranks domestically during 2026, Arteixo provided another opportunity to gain experience against some of the sport’s strongest international competitors. The International Trophy produced arguably the closest fight of the day, with the championship decided only after Norway and Germany completed their two laps with identical scores. Defending champion USA entered with Alex Myers, Alex Niederer and Ryon Land, hoping to repeat its success Left to Right: Team USA's Alex Myers (201), Great Britain's Alice Minta (108), Team USA's Ryon Land (203), and Team USA's Alex Niederer (202)

from 2025. Germany, however, set the early standard as Paul Reumschüssel, Jonathan Heidel and Rodney Bereiter completed the first lap with just one mark. Norway, led by TrialGP competitor Sondre Haga alongside Jarand-Matias Vold Gunvaldsen and Jone Sandvik, sat four marks behind. The second lap completely reversed the situation. Norway added only one mark while Germany collected five, leaving both nations tied on six. Norway claimed its fourth International Trophy victory on the tie-break, having recorded more clean section scores. “It’s been a great day, although it got way more exciting than we expected,” Haga said. “We had a five on the first lap that set us back and we were lucky it started to rain as that made it easier to make mistakes and we were able to fight back.” Japan finished third with 14 marks, represented by Shinya Hirohata, Jin Kuroyama and Yohito Takeda. The United States narrowly missed the podium in fourth with 21 marks, seven behind Japan. Myers, Niederer and Land completed the opening lap on seven before adding 14 on the second, delivering a solid performance against a competitive 16-nation field but falling short of defending the championship.

said, “but together as a team we worked well and I’m delighted with how it went.” The United States was represented by siblings Maximus and Kylie Glueck, who finished seventh with 147 marks. The result added another international

appearance to the young riders’ experience as they continued developing within the American trials program. For all the tight battles elsewhere, the weekend ultimately belonged to Spain’s continuing men’s dynasty.

The country first won the Trial des Nations in 1989 with a team featuring Jordi Tarrés, beginning a period of Spanish dominance that would eventually reshape the event’s history. Great Britain interrupted that success in 2002 and 2003, but since

Germany did leave Arteixo with a victory in the Challenge des Nations, the mixed-gender team competition introduced in 2022. Marco Laure and Magdalena Hubner combined for 21 marks to defeat Spain’s Oriol Garcia and Queralt Fontdevila on 28. The Czech Republic’s Tadeas Mikunda and Petra Budinova completed the podium with 42, narrowly ahead of Norway on 43. “It was hard work for Magdalena and me,” Laure October 2026

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Team Spain's Jaime Busto (#2, World Championship)

EVENT RESULTS

Spain reclaimed the title in 2004, no other nation has stood on the top step. Bou joined the winning lineup for the first time in 2005, and more than two decades later remains at the center of a streak unlike anything else in international Trial. Arteixo offered another reminder of why that success has endured. Spain arrived with the world’s three highest-ranked riders, handled the dry granite, adjusted when the rain changed the event and once again left with the trophy. Yet the performances from Great Britain’s young men’s team, the return of its women to the top step, and the closely contested International Trophy demonstrated that competition remains fierce throughout the event. For the rest of the Trial world, the challenge heading toward 2027 remains the same: finding a way to finally break Spain’s hold on the Trial des Nations.

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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1. 2. 3. 4.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Spain - 27 pts Great Britain - 65 pts Italy - 94 pts France - 95 pts

INTERNATIONAL TROPHY 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Norway - 6 pts Germany - 6 pts Japan - 14 pts United States - 21 pts Sweden - 57 pts Austria - 95 pts Andorra - 104 pts Ireland - 111 pts Australia - 114 pts Czech Republic - 121 pts

Great Britain - 7 pts Italy - 14 pts Spain - 50 pts France - 81 pts Germany - 111 pts United States - 121 pts Poland - 170 pts Andorra - 275 pts

TDN CHALLENGE TEAM 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Germany - 21 pts Spain - 28 pts Czech Republic - 42 pts Norway - 43 pts Italy - 64 pts Austria - 118 pts United States - 147 pts Sweden - 168 pts Australia - 188 pts Canada - 212 pts

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ROUND 6: LIGHTNING STRIKES LOCATION: Tippecanoe, OH

Thaxton Makes T History: Ohio Hard Enduro Crowns Its First Champions

ROUND 7: WILD HIVELY LOCATION: Little Hocking, OH

WORDS & PHOTOS STEPH VETTERLY

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October 2026

he inaugural Ohio Hard Enduro Championship came down to two very different final tests. At Lightning Strikes, rain transformed a fast, flowing course into a late-race fight for traction and gave Hayden Mosa the opportunity he needed to chase down Maverik Thaxton. Three weeks later at Wild Hively, nearly perfect conditions produced a much different kind of finale as Thaxton survived a failing rear brake, held off Mark Fortner and closed the season as the first Ohio Hard Enduro Pro champion. The amateur championship proved every bit as competitive. Bentlee

Bredekamp used a Round 6 victory to overturn Cory King’s points advantage, while Graham Kobak saved one of his best rides of the season for Wild Hively. When seven rounds were complete, Bredekamp had done just enough to secure the Amateur championship by only three points. Together, the final two rounds provided a fitting conclusion to the first-ever AMA state hard enduro championship. LIGHTNING STRIKES Round 6 brought the championship to Lightning Raceway for the third running of the Lightning Strikes Hard Enduro, with course design once again handled by Quinn Wentzel. The penultimate round featured an approximately seven-mile amateur loop and an eightmile Pro/A course, with three

hours of racing and additional technical splits waiting for the afternoon field. The layout mixed flowing trail with harder features, including several obstacles where riders could choose between attacking the difficult line or sacrificing time on an alternate route. Familiar Lightning Strikes features returned as well, including the EnduroCross course, the barn jump and The Wall, a large rock splatter roughly 20 minutes into the lap. Conditions changed significantly between races. The amateur field competed on a relatively dry course, although rain earlier in the week had left moisture in several creeks and low areas. That played directly into Bredekamp’s strengths.

Kobak by 8:28 and turning the championship picture upside down. Kobak finished second in 2:33:43 despite his own eventful afternoon, which included arm pump, a loose triple-clamp bolt and another backward flip at Chicken Hill.

and a mistake in a creek cost him energy and allowed Kobak through. King, meanwhile, finished fourth on a course that did not play to his strengths.

Still, Kobak considered Lightning Strikes one of his best races of the season.

Bredekamp left Lightning Strikes with the overall Amateur points lead, three points ahead of King with only Wild Hively remaining. In the B-class championship, Bredekamp held a more comfortable 37-point advantage over Kobak.

“The course was set up awesome,” he said. “It might be one of my favorite courses of the season. I was really smooth. I felt really good.” Cory Jones rounded out the podium in 2:36:20. Jones had been running strongly through the first two laps before traffic

Those results had enormous championship consequences.

Rain arrived shortly before the afternoon start, immediately changing the character of the hard-packed terrain. Another light shower later in the race made the already slick dirt increasingly difficult, particularly in places where riders had previously expected to make time. The drama began immediately.

If the amateur race had largely escaped the weather, the Pro/A field was not so fortunate.

Thaxton washed his front wheel in the first turn and went down, creating a bottleneck that caught Mosa and Coran Calvert. Both Thaxton and Mosa entered the woods near the back of the field, forcing the two eventual leaders to

Coming into Lightning Strikes, Cory King had held the Amateur championship advantage, but Bredekamp had been steadily building momentum throughout the season. The faster terrain suited his background in motocross and hare scrambles, and he wasted little time taking advantage of it. “The course was really fun – one of my favorites; top three favorite course, at least,” Bredekamp said. “It was kind of wet in a few creeks, but they dried up towards the end.” His race was not entirely clean. At Chicken Hill, Bredekamp flipped backward and damaged his throttle. Without the proper tool to repair it, he improvised, using a rock to knock the throttle back into place before continuing. Once moving again, he found his advantage in a slippery rock garden where he was able to create separation from Graham Kobak. Bredekamp completed the race in 2:25:15, beating OPPOSITE: Maverik Thaxton (125) THIS PAGE: Bentlee Bredekamp October 2026

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became some of the most difficult terrain on the course. Mosa, who had spent the previous weeks concentrating on hydration, training and cycling, continued closing. Thaxton knew he was coming. The decisive moment arrived at a technical offcamber late in the race. Thaxton washed his front wheel and spent significant time recovering the motorcycle. He managed to continue, only to struggle again at the following off-camber. Mosa arrived directly behind him. begin their races by working through traffic. Mosa stayed patient. “I don’t think anyone listened to Quinn about not winning the race in the first five minutes because it was going to be super slick,” he said. By halfway through the opening lap, Mosa had already climbed into second. Thaxton, however, had made an equally impressive recovery and controlled the front of the race. What followed was a longdistance game of cat and mouse. Thaxton would build an advantage, only for Mosa to claw it back. At times the lead stretched to approximately five minutes; at others, Mosa had closed to roughly a minute. THIS PAGE : Hayden Mosa (11), Graham Kobak (219) OPPOSITE : Mark Fortner (30), David Wilson (1117) in Bobcat Cave 32

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“I thought I was in control and I feel like I was,” Thaxton said. “Hayden and I were playing yo-yo a little bit.” Mosa’s race nearly ended at The Wall on lap three. After attacking the rock splatter twice, he flipped backward and damaged his throttle. Yet he continued, helped by course workers giving him updates on the gap to Thaxton. The second rain shower changed everything. The hard-packed trails became extremely slick, and what had previously been the fast sections

October 2026

“He went to go and I was pushing him, obviously, and

he slid again, and that’s where I passed him,” Mosa said. “I just rode right by him.” From there, Mosa completed the comeback. He reached the finish in 2:46:16, 4:21 ahead of Thaxton’s 2:50:37. Fortner completed the Pro podium in 3:06:47 after moving through his own problems early in the race. He had briefly led before mistakes in the EnduroCross and creek sections dropped him back, then passed Calvert at The Wall to establish himself in third. For Mosa, the win carried added significance after a difficult stretch of his season. “This win means the world to me,” he said. Thaxton may have lost the race, but second place accomplished something almost as important: it strengthened his championship position heading to the finale. Rather than needing to attack Wild Hively desperately, he would arrive with the advantage.

WILD HIVELY Three weeks later, the series gathered for one final race. Wild Hively on October 3 marked Round 7 and the conclusion of the inaugural Ohio Hard Enduro season. Long-time course creator Jeff Husted laid out an approximately 10-mile route containing many of the venue’s recognizable features: Brent’s Diner, the Appetizer, Upper and Lower Hively, Bobcat Cave and a collection of steep hillclimbs. Two new caves at the far end of the property were added for 2026, while the afternoon Pro/A race received additional technical sections. Friday’s constant light rain could have created another

mud race. Instead, Saturday morning arrived with blue skies, temperatures in the low 70s and nearly ideal dirt. It was the kind of “hero dirt” racers spend all season hoping to find. Kobak made the most of it. The Amateur race began quickly, with roughly the opening three miles carrying a much faster rhythm before dropping into the creeks and more technical terrain. Kobak attacked from the beginning. “It was fast for about the first three miles, then it went down into the creek and it stayed there for a while,” he said. “It turned into some hill climbs that were pretty gnarly, but

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I think the dirt was pretty prime.” Rather than treating the technical terrain as a reason to conserve himself, Kobak approached the race almost like a hare scramble. He barely stopped. He did not even drink from his hydration pack during the race. Aside from sliding his front wheel on a root and briefly laying the motorcycle down, his run was remarkably clean. The improvement represented a dramatic contrast to the beginning of his season. Kobak admitted afterward that his early-year preparation had been lacking, but as the rounds progressed, he began running again, improving his fitness and spending more time training. Just days before Wild Hively, he rode creeks with Thaxton and John Kroll, gaining experience in terrain remarkably similar to what awaited him at the finale. The work paid off. Kobak completed the Amateur race in 2:34:05, beating Justin Farley by 10:46. Alex Badilla Arias completed the overall podium in third. Farley’s runner-up result was another sign of rapid progression for a rider who had only begun competing in hard enduro during the 2026 season. Wild Hively was just his fourth event.

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“My first hard enduro ever was Yellowbush, and the rock sections definitely took me out,” Farley joked while reflecting on how much his riding had improved. Even with Kobak winning the finale, the championship belonged to Bredekamp. His work throughout the season, and especially his Lightning Strikes victory, proved enough. Bredekamp finished the championship with 152 points, only three ahead of King, securing both the overall Amateur crown and the B-class title in the inaugural season. Then it was time to decide the Pro championship. Thaxton and Fortner added an unusual twist before the race even began. Rather than taking their normal positions near the front, the championship contenders decided to start on the final row behind the entire field.

October 2026

The idea was simple: make the last race interesting. It worked. Both immediately had to carve their way forward through traffic. Fortner initially made strong progress but took a wrong turn and found himself passing several of the same riders for a second time. Thaxton eventually moved ahead, worked his way past Leiber Ponce and began trying to create separation.

THIS PAGE: Georgia Eversole (007), Quinn Dickey (655) OPPOSITE : Shane Huffman (1423), Donnie Alborn (814)

Fortner would not disappear. What should have been a controlled championship ride became considerably more difficult midway through the race when Thaxton began losing his rear brake. The pedal initially became soft before eventually

dropping toward the floor without providing meaningful braking. Thaxton temporarily repositioned the mechanism and got it working again, but the repair did not last. By the final lap, he had no rear brake at all. On Wild Hively’s steep descents and fast trails, that was a serious problem. Thaxton began relying heavily on engine braking, dropping into first or second gear for corners and using the front brake wherever possible. Fortner, meanwhile, was strongest through precisely the sections where Thaxton was now vulnerable. “I knew he was carrying the mail,” Thaxton said. Fortner kept hearing that the gap was only a few minutes, but despite pushing throughout the final lap, he never quite reached visual contact. Thaxton did everything he could to stay in front. At times, braking for corners meant simply trying to scrub speed and use the terrain around him. “With the rear brake and stuff being gone, I was overshooting all the catch berms,” he said. Even the championship leader was not immune to Wild Hively fighting back. At one point, a vine caught beneath his helmet after he overshot a turn. Still, he continued. Thaxton finally reached the checkered flag in 3:06:32, winning by 3:01 over Fortner. Ponce finished third overall and first in the A class. Fortner had pushed until the end, negotiating Brent’s Diner, slick rocks and the finale’s mixture of high-speed trail and technical terrain in pursuit of a rider he knew could not afford many mistakes. “It was a good mix of everything – fast trails, tight stuff, hard stuff; it was a good day,” Fortner said. October 2026

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But the day belonged to Thaxton. The Wild Hively victory lifted him to 161 championship points, 33 ahead of Fortner, and secured the first Ohio Hard Enduro Pro championship. It was an appropriate conclusion to a season in which Thaxton had rarely enjoyed an uncomplicated race. Mechanical problems, changing weather and battles with many of the region’s strongest riders had repeatedly tested him, yet consistency kept him at the front of the championship. At Wild Hively, even losing his rear brake could not stop him. “I’m happy to get a championship under my belt,” Thaxton said. “That’s a good feeling.”

Seven rounds earlier, Ohio had begun an experiment: the first AMA state championship dedicated to hard enduro.

By Wild Hively, it had become much more than that. The season produced close championship fights,

established events alongside new challenges, young riders such as Bredekamp and Kobak showing measurable progression, and battles involving racers with experience from regional events all the way to the national hard enduro stage. Lightning Strikes and Wild Hively captured that first season perfectly. One race changed with the rain and was decided by a late charge through treacherous terrain. The other delivered near-perfect dirt but created its drama through mechanical problems, traffic and championship pressure. Mosa left Lightning Strikes with a hard-earned victory. Kobak finished his season with his strongest performance. Bredekamp survived a championship fight decided by three points. And Thaxton left Wild Hively as the rider who will forever hold one distinction no future champion can take away: The first Ohio Hard Enduro champion.

TOP : Cory King (1621) BOTTOM: Justin Farley 36

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EVENT RESULTS - ROUND 6 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

OVERALL PRO

Hayden Mosa (RJU) Maverik Thaxton (KTM) Mark Fortner (BET) Chase COnfer (SHR) Justin Remley (KTM) Coran Calvert (HSQ)

OVERALL AMATEUR

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Bentlee Bredekamp (HSQ) Graham Kobak (SHR) Cory Jones (KTM) Cory King (SHR) Nathan Glynn (KTM) Sam Simpson (KTM) Marty Robbins (KTM) Patrick Rexing (BET) Lucian Whitener (KTM) David Beam (KTM)

EVENT RESULTS - ROUND 7 OVERALL PRO/A

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Maverik Thaxton (KTM) Mark Fortner (BET) Leiber Ponce (KTM) Justin Remley (KTM) Cory King (SHR) Quinn Dickey (KTM) Jared Fortner (BET) Tim Baroni (BET) Clayton Costello (KTM) Bentlee Bredekamp (HSQ)

OVERALL AMATEUR

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Graham Kobak (SHR) Justin Farley (HSQ) Alex Badilla Arias (KTM) Patrick Rexing (BET) Noah Lowe (BET) Lucian Whitener (KTM) Marty Robbins (KTM) Michael Currier (KTM) Brody Vance (KTM) Andres Turriago (GG)

SERIES RESULTS PRO

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 6. 8. 9. 10.

Maverik Thaxton - 161 pts Mark Fortner - 128 pts Justin Remley - 80 pts Nick Fahringer - 73 pts Drew Fortner - 58 pts Tobin Miller - 55 pts Braxton Hintze - 55 pts Robert Cornwell - 50 pts Hayden Mosa - 48 pts Coran Calvert - 33 pts

A EXPERT

1. 2. 3. 3. 5. 6. 7. 7. 9. 9.

Leiber Ponce - 155 pts Tim Burwick - 127 pts Jacob Lesko - 60 pts Makana Barger - 60 pts Gage Hill - 56 pts Paco Suazo - 48 pts Davin Shike - 36 pts Dylan Ewing - 36 pts Owen Luzier - 25 pts Bentlee Bredekamp - 25 pts

WOMEN PRO

Georgia Eversole - 180 pts

WOMEN

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Kristin Capenos - 170 pts Abagail Hill - 121 pts Alicia Cherry - 109 pts Sasha Vitalie - 50 pts Merik Uplinger - 21 pts

AMATEUR

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Bentlee Bredekamp - 152 pts Cory King - 149 pts Graham Kobak - 121 pts Cory Jones - 119 pts Emmett Covington - 88 pts Justin Farley - 68 pts Patrick Rexing - 64 pts Marty Robbins - 64 pts Joel Rockwell - 43 pts Alex Badilla Arias - 41 pts

October 2026

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FROM MUD BATTLES TO HOME-STATE GLORY ROUND 10: John Penton GNCC LOCATION: Millfield, OH

ound 10 of the Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series, an AMA National Championship, concluded Sunday with a challenging day of bike racing at The Wiseco John Penton GNCC. Rain throughout the day transformed the legendary Ohio course into a slick and muddy battleground, forcing riders to navigate deteriorating trail conditions, deep ruts and slippery hills as they fought for valuable championship points. From the morning races 40

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through the afternoon’s Pro competition, riders were tested from start to finish as the 2026 season resumed following its summer break. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Grant Davis put together a commanding performance in Sunday afternoon’s Pro Bike race at The Wiseco John Penton GNCC, battling through the demanding Ohio terrain to emerge at the front of the field and claim the overall victory. Davis continued to push through the conditions to the checkered flag to earn his second overall win of the 2026 season, adding

October 2026

another impressive victory to his campaign. Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Steward Baylor had to battle his way through the pack during Sunday afternoon’s race, navigating the muddy and slick conditions that made The John Penton GNCC especially challenging. Baylor steadily worked his way toward the front as the race progressed, making key passes and maintaining a strong pace through the deteriorating Ohio terrain to ultimately cross the finish line second overall at Round 10 of the 2026 season.

WORDS PHOTOS

KAYLA BOLTON MACK FAINT

Phoenix Racing Honda’s Jordan Ashburn continued to push himself throughout the afternoon at round 10, keeping himself in the fight at the front of the pack despite the slick and muddy Ohio conditions. Ashburn maintained a strong pace as the race wore on and continued battling among the frontrunners, ultimately crossing the finish line third overall. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Angus Riordan turned in another impressive performance, racing his way to fourth overall against the premier PM Bike field while

leading the charge in the XC2 250 Pro class. Riordan’s strong ride through the slick and muddy Ohio conditions earned him the XC2 class victory, marking his fifth win of the 2026 season and adding another strong result to his championship campaign. FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Ben Kelley had to work his way through the pack during Sunday afternoon’s PM Bike race at The John Penton GNCC, steadily gaining ground as the race progressed. Kelley continued to charge despite the slick, muddy conditions and challenging Ohio terrain, making his way into the top five before ultimately crossing the finish line fifth overall on the day. AmPro Yamaha’s Kailub Russell also continued to push himself throughout the duration of the race, maintaining a strong pace as conditions tested the field from start to finish. Russell battled through the demanding course and kept himself in the mix throughout the afternoon, ultimately earning sixth overall at Round 10 of the 2026 season. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Michael Witkowski and AmPro Yamaha’s Liam Draper found themselves locked in a battle for position as they pushed through the slick and muddy Ohio conditions at Round 10. The two continued to challenge one another as the race wore on, with little room for error on the deteriorating course. Witkowski ultimately held the advantage through the checkered flag to secure seventh overall, while Draper came through just behind him in eighth overall after a hardfought afternoon at The John Penton GNCC. Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green teammates Grant Baylor and Josh Toth rounded out the top 10 overall finishers in Sunday

afternoon’s Pro Bike race at The John Penton GNCC. Baylor battled through the slick and muddy Ohio terrain to come through ninth overall, while Toth followed in 10th, as the Kawasaki teammates capped off a challenging Round 10 with both riders earning spots inside the top 10 overall.

followed closely behind, crossing the line 14th overall and taking the win in the Open A class. Carlo Clary also put together a strong ride through the challenging Ohio terrain, finishing 16th overall and second in the 4-Stroke A Lites class to round out the top three amateur finishers from the PM race.

The XC2 250 Pro class featured plenty of action during Sunday afternoon’s PM Bike race, with Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Jhak Walker putting together a strong performance to secure second in the class. Precision Off-Road/MX Tech Suspension/Husqvarna’s Gavin Simon battled his way through the demanding Ohio terrain to finish third in XC2, earning the final spot on the class podium and capping off a solid afternoon at The John Penton GNCC.

Sunday morning’s AM Bike race at The John Penton GNCC saw Gary Fridley rise to the top of the overall standings with an impressive

ride through the challenging Ohio terrain, while also earning the Super Senior A (45+) class victory. Gavin Abboud put together a standout performance of his own in the 150 B Schoolboy (12-17) class, racing his way to second overall and taking the class win. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Korie Steede completed the AM Bike overall podium with a strong third-place finish while also claiming the

The Top Amateur honors from Sunday afternoon’s bike race at The John Penton GNCC saw Jiggs Fustini lead the way with an impressive 13th overall finish while earning the 4-Stroke A Lites class victory. Cole Whitmer

OPPOSITE : Grant Davis THIS PAGE : top: Steward Baylor Jr bottom: Brandy Richards

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WXC podium at The John Penton GNCC. Shriver’s Pharmacy/ Formation Cementing/Bi Con Winland’s Landscaping’s Ellie Winland battled her way to fourth through the Ohio conditions in the WXC class, while KTM's Carly Lee rounded out the top 5 WXC finishers.

WXC class victory. Steede battled through the slick and demanding conditions to lead the WXC field and secure a spot inside the top three overall, capping off an impressive morning of racing at The John Penton GNCC. Behind WXC winner Korie Steede, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Brandy Richards put together a strong ride at Round

10 of the 2026 season, battling through the challenging Ohio conditions to secure second in the class. AmPro Yamaha’s Danielle McDonald would get a good jump off the line, earning the $100 Coopersmith Racing WXC Holeshot Award followed with a solid performance of her own, racing her way to third and earning the final spot on the

Shifting gears to Sunday’s WXC Bike race, conditions would only get tougher after Saturday night’s storm and continued rain throughout the day. With an already challenging John Penton course becoming even more demanding, the WXC riders lined up ready to battle through the mud for valuable championship points. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Korie Steede put on quite a show in the

WXC race, taking control early and leading the class from start to finish. As the rain continued and the course deteriorated, Steede battled through increasingly difficult conditions while holding off FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Brandy Richards. The two separated themselves from the rest of the field as the conditions took their toll, with Richards continuing to close the gap late in the race. Steede would ultimately hold on to earn the WXC win, crossing the finish just 21 seconds ahead of Richards. Behind the lead duo, the deteriorating course turned into a battle of survival. Am Pro Yamaha’s Danielle McDonald worked her way into third to earn the final spot on the WXC podium, while Shriver’s Pharmacy/Formation Cementing/Bi Con Winland’s Landscaping’s Ellie Winland came through fourth and Chopper Automotive’s Carly Lee rounded out the top five. In the Women’s class, Kyleigh Fridley battled her way through the challenging conditions to earn The John Penton win. Megan Janyssek would cross the finish in second, while Madison Harmon rounded out the podium in third. In the Women (30+) class, Dayna Bergman battled through the difficult conditions to earn the class win, completing one lap of the grueling John Penton course. Malee Cottrill battled through two laps of the treacherous course to win the Women’s C class. Pita Andonopoulos finished second, while Zola Andonopoulos rounded out the podium in third.

THIS PAGE : Gary Fridley AM overall, Korie Steede (1) OPPOSITE : Craig Delong (342) 42

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ROUND 11: Mason Dixon GNCC LOCATION: Mount Morris, PA

he Parts Unlimited Mason-Dixon GNCC brought another actionpacked weekend of racing to Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, as competitors took on the challenging terrain along the Pennsylvania–West Virginia border. While Round 11 of the Progressive Grand National Cross Country (GNCC Racing) Series, an AMA National Championship, served as a non-points-paying event for select classes, with no championship points on the line, racers still lined up ready to battle for the victories. With championship pressure temporarily set aside, the weekend provided plenty of exciting racing as competitors pushed for bragging rights and a spot atop the Mason-Dixon podium. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Craig

DeLong put together a determined ride in front of his home-state crowd, battling throughout the afternoon to keep himself at the front of the pack in Pennsylvania. DeLong faced pressure as the race unfolded but continued to push the pace and hold his ground through the challenging Mason-Dixon terrain. When the checkered flag flew, DeLong emerged with the overall victory, earning his first win of the season and making the moment even sweeter by accomplishing it in his home state of Pennsylvania. Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Jhak Walker turned in an impressive performance at Round 11, battling near the front of the pack throughout the afternoon and ultimately crossing the finish line second overall. Walker’s strong ride also earned him the 250 Pro class victory, as he set the pace among the class contenders and continued to push against the XC1 competition. His

runner-up overall finish and 250 Pro win capped off a standout day at the MasonDixon GNCC in Pennsylvania. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Mike Witkowski put together a strong ride at the MasonDixon GNCC, battling throughout the afternoon before crossing the finish line third overall and second in the Open Pro class. Just behind him, Liqui Moly Factory Beta Racing’s Josh Strang used his veteran experience to navigate the Pennsylvania terrain and secure fourth overall on the day, while also earning third in the Open Pro class. Witkowski and Strang’s performances placed both riders inside the top five overall and on the Open Pro podium at the conclusion of the afternoon race. Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki Team Green’s Grant Baylor battled his way through the Mason-Dixon terrain to earn a fifth-place overall finish

at the end of the afternoon race. Close behind, Race Craft Off-Road/Husqvarna’s Brody Johnson put together an impressive performance against both the Open Pro and 250 Pro competitors, crossing the line sixth overall while earning second in the 250 Pro class. Johnson’s strong run placed him just behind class winner Jhak Walker, while Baylor’s consistent effort secured him another solid finish among the front-runners. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Jordan Ashburn continued to push through the afternoon race at the Mason-Dixon GNCC, battling among the front-runners before crossing the finish line seventh overall. Precision Off-Road Racing/ MX Tech Suspension’s Gavin Simon also delivered a strong performance in the 250 Pro ranks, fighting for position throughout the race to secure third in the class and round out the 250 Pro podium at Round 11.

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Morning Duck Motor Company/JDP Suspension’s Ryder Lafferty and AmPro Yamaha’s Kailub Russell rounded out the top 10 overall finishers at the MasonDixon GNCC after a hardfought afternoon of racing in Pennsylvania. Lafferty continued to push through the demanding terrain to secure ninth overall, while Russell followed close behind in 10th. Both riders battled through the pack to earn their spots inside the top 10 as the checkered flag flew on Round 11. The Mason-Dixon Top Amateur honors went to Lane Whitmer as he battled through to finish 11th overall and first in the 250 A class at round 11 as he battles for the class National Championship. After clinching the Open A Championship early, Cole Whitmer would come through to 12 overall to secure second on the Top Amateur podium and in the 250 A class in Pennsylvania. Hunter Smith would battle back to finish third atop the Top Amateur podium with a 13th overall finishing position and third in 250 A. The AM Bike race saw the youth riders rise to the top of the overall standings at the Mason-Dixon GNCC, with 150 B Schoolboy (12-17) competitors Gavin Abboud and Lucas Skelton claiming the top two positions. Abboud put together a strong performance to capture the AM Bike overall victory, while Skelton battled through the Pennsylvania terrain to secure second overall. Seven Henderson rounded out the AM Bike overall podium in third, while also taking home the 4-Stroke C Lites class victory to cap off an impressive morning of racing. With the Mason-Dixon GNCC serving as a non-points-paying round for the WXC class, the championship standings were not impacted, but the competition remained strong as the riders battled for podium honors in Pennsylvania. Phoenix Racing Honda’s Tayla Jones made her way 44

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Beta USA's Jhak Walker (19)

to the front of the field and captured the WXC class win, while three-time GNCC WXC Champion Becca Sheets made a strong return to GNCC competition and raced her way to second. Shriver’s Pharmacy/ Formation Cementing/Bi Con’s Ellie Winland also put together a solid performance throughout the race, navigating the challenging Mason-Dixon terrain to round out the WXC podium in third. Coming through in the Youth Bike race was Phillip Arnold, who grabbed the early lead and continued to push forward. Arnold would hold the lead from start to finish and earn his seventh Youth Bike Overall win, as well as his eighth YXC1 Super Mini Sr. (14-15) class win of the season. Both Evan Porter and Bentley Saxon would battle backand-forth throughout the day as they continued to swap the second and third place positions for the duration of the race. Porter would come through to hold second overall and in YXC1, as Saxon crossed the line third overall and in class to round out the Youth Bike Overall podium and the YXC1 class podium.

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In the YXC2 Super Mini Jr. (12-13) class it was Hunter Jones coming through to take the win, while Jase Jackson and Maverick Boyer rounded out the top three finishers in the class. Tucker Aldrich earned the 85 Big Wheel (1415) class win, Colton Propst took the 85 Big Wheel (11-13) class win and Bracin Arsenault earned the 85 (12-13) class win at round 11. Todd Toland took the 85 (11) class win, and Kane Morrison came through with the 85 (7-10) class win. In the 65 (10-11) class it was Davey Fairfield battling through to earn the win, while Kash Brummage took home the 65 (9) class win and Carson Zink took the 65 (7-8) class win. In the Girls Super Mini (12-16) class it was Aubrey Tsakanikas taking the win and Maura Tsakanikas taking the Girls 85 (7-13) class win. In the Girls 65 (7-11) class it was Matilda Revoyr earning her sixth win of the season. Aydsn Appollonia would earn the Trail Rider (715) class win. On Saturday, the Bike Micro race saw Kash Brummage battle his way through to take

the overall and MXC1 (8-9) class win followed by Jacobi Duvall in second overall and first in the MXC2 (6-8) class and Peyton Austin third overall and second in the MXC1 class. Ryder Baricska rounded out the top three MXC1 class finishers on the day, while Baron Evkovich and Micah Oaks rounded out the top three in MXC2. Coy Hill took home the 50 Sr. 1 (7) class win, Weston Rose took the 50 Sr. 2 (6) class win, Sadie Berghof would come through first in the 50 Jr. 1 (6-7) class and Weston Gaughenbaugh earned the 50 Jr. 2 (4-5) class win. In the Girls (6-9) class it was Codie Mae Lloyd earning the win, while Nash Harper earned the Micro-E (7-8) class win. Colby Hoffman earned the Micro-E (4-6) class win and Tucker Strang took the Micro-E (4-6) Limited class win in Pennsylvania. Colson Faust came through to take the Micro (4-6) Shaft Drive limited class win and Cameron Baily earned the Trail Rider (6-9) win. The AMSOIL Moto Hero went to Justin Shelott from Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

Justin serves in the United States Navy, as an E-6 rank of Petty Officer First Class. Justin has served four deployments to South America and the Middle East against counter piracy and Narco Terrorism. Justin is currently a mechanic for the Race Craft Off-Road Husqvarna team. Justin received a $250 AMSOIL Shopping spree, a commemorative Moto Hero Challenge coin and an American Flag courtesy of Columbia Flag & Sign Co. along with a gift. Certificate to their online store. GNCC Racing will continue its 2026 season with the Ironman GNCC, October 23-25, at the legendary Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana. As the championship battles continue to intensify late in the season, racers will arrive at Ironman ready to fight for valuable points and another opportunity to stand atop the podium. Known for its challenging terrain, steep hills and passionate race fans, Ironman Raceway is set to provide another exciting weekend of GNCC Racing as the championship chase continues.

Mike Witkowski (8)

EVENT RESULTS RD 10 - XC1

RD 10 - XC2

RD 10 - WXC

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Grant Davis (KTM) Steward Baylor Jr (KAW) Jordan Ashburn (HON) Ben Kelley (KTM) Kailub Russell (YAM) Michael Witkowski (HON) Liam Draper (YAM) Grant Baylor (KAW) Josh Toth (KAW) Ryder Lafferty (HON)

Angus Riordan (HON) Jhak Walker (BET) Gavin Simon (HSQ) Brody Johnson (HSQ) Jason Tino (KTM) Dylan Dela Cruz (BET) Cooper Jones (KTM) Toby Cleveland (HSQ) Jason Lipscomb (HON)

Korie Steede (HSQ) Brandy Richards (KTM) Danielle McDonald (YAM) Ellie Winland (YAM) Carly Lee (KTM) Elizabeth Allen (TRI) Lilley Sheetz (YAM)

RD 11 - OPEN PRO (NON-POINTS) RD 11 - 250 PRO (NON-POINTS) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Craig Delong (HSQ) Michael Witkowski (HON) Josh Strang (BET0 Grant Baylor (KAW) Jordan Ashburn (HON) Ryder Lafferty (HON) Kailub Russell (YAM) Ben Kelley (KTM)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Jhak Walker (BET) Brody Johnson (HSQ) Gavin Simon (HSQ) Jason Lipscomb (HON) Nicholas Defeo (KAW) Angus Riordan (HON)

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Photo: S. Romero

LiGHTWEIGHT.

2027 KTM XC-W RANGE When Enduro turns brutal, the 2027 KTM XC-W range comes alive. Compact, agile, and relentlessly responsive, these machines are designed to excel in the tightest, steepest, and most demanding environments imaginable.

KTM.COM 46

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Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. Production model specifications and options may vary from the displayed vehicles.

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October 2026

TOTH RETURNS TO THE TOP WORDS PHOTOS

TYLER SHEPARDSON ART PEPIN

ROUND 8 - XC Gear Burning Rock National Enduro LOCATION: Sophia, West Virginia

ound 8 of the Redline Oil American National Enduro Championship presented by MSR delivered a mix of redemption and championship celebrations, as Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Red Bear Kawasaki's Josh Toth returned to the top step of the Overall podium, while FMF KTM's Jason Tino and Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Korie Steede wrapped up championships with one round remaining. Toth was the rider to beat throughout the day, taking five of six test wins on his way to his first National Enduro Overall victory since suffering a broken leg last season. "It's been such a long road," Toth said. "It's bittersweet, and I had to dig deep today. It was just a true enduro." After struggling slightly in the opening test, Toth made changes to his setup and quickly found his rhythm. From there, he took control of the race and never looked back.

"I just felt great," Toth said. "I got the 250, the smaller bore, and it was handling dialed. I knew I was riding really well. I kind of hit a wall at Test 5 and just really had to dig deep to finish strong.” AmPro Yamaha's Liam Draper finished second Overall after opening the day with the Test 1 victory. Draper managed the remainder of the race to finish runner-up and maintain the Overall championship points lead heading into the season finale. "The track was gnarly. It was a tough enduro," Draper said. "Happy with second. It's actually my first second this year, so it was good, and I'm looking forward to the last round." Rocky Mountain ATV/MC Red Bear Kawasaki's Steward Baylor completed the Overall podium despite a difficult start to his day. Baylor crashed in the opening test before ripping a footpeg off his motorcycle in Test 2. While attempting to continue with only

one footpeg, Baylor struck a stump and injured his toes but continued racing to salvage third Overall and valuable championship points. From there, Baylor looked to teammate Toth's riding style to adapt to the conditions. "I saw that Josh was smoking me, so I knew from there forward it was get on your toes and try to keep that weight transferred smooth," Baylor said. "I tried to do my best Josh Toth impression. He's a hard rider to follow." Liqui Moly Beta's Jhak Walker continued his late-season charge with another Pro 2 victory. Walker found the wet, technical course to his liking and focused on staying smooth through the rocks and roots to put himself back in the center of the box. "Honestly, confidence," Walker said of what's changed for him this season. "Just knowing I can do it and going out there and doing so. Taking a step back, refining my

Josh Toth (206) October 2026

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riding and figuring out what I needed to work on has helped me a lot this year." Behind Walker, FMF KTM's Jason Tino had more than a podium finish to celebrate.

Tino entered the day needing second place to clinch the 2026 Pro 2 National Championship. After finding himself fourth early in the race, Tino turned up the pace through the final three tests and delivered when it mattered

most, charging to second in the final test to secure the position he needed and wrap up the title one round early. "The back half, all I could think was send it," Tino said. "Timmy was just like, 'Hold the throttle wide open and don't think.' That's exactly what I did." The championship comes during Tino's first full season of National Enduro competition. "It means we got a National Championship under our belt and a number one plate for the team and myself," Tino said. "It means we stayed consistent all year and rode good.”

James Jenkins rounded out the Pro 2 podium after entering the final test in second. With limited time aboard a new motorcycle and coming off surgery just two weeks earlier, Jenkins was happy to come away with a podium finish. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's Korie Steede continued her perfect season, taking her eighth consecutive Pro Women victory and officially wrapping up the 2026 championship with one round remaining. After stepping away from National Enduro racing for several years, Steede admitted she entered the season unsure of where she would stack up. Eight rounds later, she remains undefeated and has the number one plate secured. "I was super nervous coming into this season. I just didn't know what to expect," Steede said. "At every race I've just been trying to shift up a gear, stay smooth and have fun, and it paid off."

Korie Steede (444), Pro1 podium; Jhak Walker (19) 50

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October 2026

"This was definitely a dream come true," she added. "It feels really good. It's really special."

to charge back into third after struggling with the slippery conditions through the middle portion of the event.

The championship-clinching ride wasn't without drama. Steede crashed early in Test 5, allowing Shelby Turner to catch her, before another difficult final test saw her lose time in the logs and rocks. Despite the setbacks, Steede did enough to find the checkered flag and secure another victory.

With Tino and Steede officially crowned 2026 champions, attention now turns to the final round of the American National Enduro Championship, where Draper will carry the Overall championship lead into one final battle for the number one plate.

Rieju Factory Racing's Rachel Gutish finished second after battling through lingering effects from a crash during ISDE training earlier in the week. Gutish focused on staying smooth and consistent throughout the technical conditions to earn another Pro Women podium. Enduro Engineering Triumph's Shelby Turner completed the podium after finding her speed late in the race. Turner won the final two tests of the day

EVENT RESULTS

OVERALL - PRO 1

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Josh Toth (KAW) Liam Draper (YAM) Steward Baylor Jr (KAW) Grant Baylor (KAW) Craig Delong (HSQ) Ryder Lafferty (HON) Evan Smith (KTM)

OVERALL - PRO 2

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Jhak Walker (BET) Jason Tino (KTM) James Jenkins (HSQ) Colton Shields (HSQ) Nicholas Defeo (KAW) Ryan Piper (KTM) Cooper Jones (KTM) Trevor Hulin (HON)

OVERALL - PRO WOMEN

1. 2. 3. 4.

Korie Steede (HSQ) Rachel Gutish (RJU) Shelby Turner (TRI) Taylor Johnston (TRI)

SERIES STANDINGS

OVERALL - PRO 1

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Liam Draper - 198 pts Steward Baylor Jr - 175 pts Grant Baylor - 167 pts Josh Toth - 154 pts Craig Delong - 139 pts Ryder Lafferty - 129 pts Evan Smith - 73 pts Grant Davis - 60 pts Ben Kelley - 41 pts

OVERALL - PRO 2

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Jason Tino - 210 pts Jhak Walker - 177 pts James Jenkins - 151 pts Ryan Piper - 148 pts Trevor Hulin - 115 pts Nickolas Defeo - 97 pts Cooper Jones - 29 pts Jack Maki - 27 pts Collier Martinez - 27 pts Lance Maschino - 25 pts

OVERALL - PRO WOMEN

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Korie Steede - 210 pts Shelby Turner - 163 pts Rachel Gutish - 117 pts Taylor Johnston - 108 pts Kayla Oneill - 21 pts Tayler Bonecutter - 16 pts Rylie Howard - 16 pts Courtney Gregory - 16 pts Jocelyn Barnes - 16 pts Addison Harris - 16 pts

October 2026

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October 2026 On the Pegs Magazine