Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1544109
April 2026 19 Let's talk about how tough these gals are for just a second or two. The first person I saw at 7 AM Satur- day was Rachel Gu sh, headed out to walk the two tests, this with only a couple of hours' sleep a er driving all night. Brandy Richards opted to scout the course out on an E-mountain bike and was seen favoring her injured leg while walking in the pits. I know plenty of readers have ridden injured when they shouldn't have, but to race injured and s ll post smoking hot pro lap mes really says a lot about just how serious these ladies are. I didn't even unload my bike all weekend, op ng to wal- low through the mud on foot, and scores of riders bugged out a er Saturday's mud and muck. Not our US Women's Trophy riders. Tough as nails for sure! I did have a nice trail-side chat with AMA's Mike Jol- ly about the qualifiers and the ISDE in general. Mike loved the cross test, fast, open, flowy, with a mile or more running through an old sand pit. That part of the course was very "Southwick-like" with deep sand, killer berms, and natural jumps to air it out a bit. We (meaning the US) are ge ng much be er at racing the Europeans, as our recent results have shown, but they s ll have home-field advantage as they race this kind of stuff week in and week out. The more we make our qualifiers mimic the typical ISDE special tests, the be er we'll do. Finally, you knew it was coming...when the club team kids get picked, be sure to support them. The Trophy, Juniors, and Women get a free ride from the AMA. The clubbies rely on sponsors, their local clubs, and support from folks like you and me. They and their families spend thousands of dollars to represent the USA on the world stage, and that doesn't count the thousands they spend racing and travelling every weekend to try their best for one of the few club spots available. They can't go without our grassroots support. If you have the chance to chat with any of these young guns, you'll find them very apprecia ve of everything their fellow racers do to make their dreams come true. You know what to do. -Jeff Jason Tino Jason Tino