Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544109
April 2026 17 Once the youngsters got their laps in, it was me for the "big kids" to hit the course, and the rain start- ed almost on cue for the 11 AM start. Brief spits of showers turned into a hard, pel ng rain. The ground soaked up what it could, but before long, the course was your choice of muddy, water-filled trenches, o en with mul ple diagonal ruts hidden beneath standing water. There were plenty of bikes that ended up waterlogged and had to be towed out. ISDE and Enduro Vintage Trophy vet Darrell Diamond wisely stopped his 200 Beta before water went over his tank, pulled his bike back out of the small lake that had appeared in the cross test, and s ll spent 15 minutes dewatering his bike so he could soldier on to the finish. One of the younger gal riders had a picture of herself standing in hip deep water a er pulling her bike out. Condi ons con nued to deteri- orate, and the organizers called a halt to Saturday's racing to avoid further damaging the course, bikes, and riders. Results-wise, it was the Baby Dozer show as John- ny Girroir kept the 450 KTM on the rev limiter and bested the field by 9 seconds in the first cross test. Pro 2 rider Cooper Jones took the runner-up spot with Grant Davis another 4 seconds back. Girroir was quickest through the second cross test by a second, but dropped to 3rd through the first enduro test, 8 seconds behind Davis and a second behind Jones, but s ll was the overall winner for Saturday. Australian Women's Trophy vet Danielle McDonald traded first and second place spots in the cross test with Brandy Richards, bes ng the American by a second on the first cross test, with Richards taking the second test by 6 seconds. McDonald put the hammer down in the enduro test by a 12-second margin to take P1 for the day. Brandy's P2 is quite remarkable since she was rac- ing with a b or fib fracture suffered the week before at the GNCC. Rachel Gu sh, s ll sor ng out her new Rieju 300FI, was a solid 3rd all day. I say sor ng out, as Rachel was handed the bike that won the Enduro GP championship. The bike was set up for a completely different type of riding with a completely different rider, so she and mechanic/dad Andy have been pre y much building her bike from scratch. Both of these ladies are incredible athletes who never say "never", and their performance through the week- end speaks to their professionalism and determina on in the face of adversity. The rain moved out overnight as the course crew labored to salvage the trails and drain water from the worst spots. Sun and a steady strong wind worked to dry the course out as Sunday progressed, but the early laps would s ll be "challenging" in a few spots, and the trail boss warned that line selec on would be key today. Walking the course early, I found it could be decep ve at mes. Cooper Jones Cooper Jones