Silver Kings HEWC thriller goes Brightmore’s way in Idaho

2026 Hard Enduro World Championship

Round Three – Silver Kings Hard Enduro

2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship – Round Three

Silver Kings delivered one of the tightest Hard Enduro World Championship finishes of recent seasons, with Mitch Brightmore getting the better of Trystan Hart and Manuel Lettenbichler in a three-way fight that ran all the way to the final climb at Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho.

Brightmore completed the six-lap Thunder Bowl Finale in 2h16m41.47 on his GASGAS, only 5.55 seconds clear of Hart’s KTM, with Lettenbichler third, 1m04.42 from the win.

That margin at the front told only part of the story. Teodor Kabakchiev was fourth for Sherco, but almost 13 minutes down on Brightmore, while Ashton Brightmore completed the top five for GASGAS. The leading trio were in a race of their own.

For Mitch Brightmore, this was the conversion of pressure into victory. He had already shown serious speed earlier in the season, pushing Lettenbichler all the way to the line at Extreme XL Lagares, but in Idaho he went one better. This time the final metres fell his way.

Hart starts fast, Lettenbichler works forward

Hart had been sharp from the start of the American round. The Canadian qualified third in the Super Kings Prologue, then stamped himself as one of the key threats by winning Off-Road Day 1 across the demanding mountain course.

Trystan Hart charged through the Idaho timber on his way to a strong Silver Kings weekend, taking Off-Road Day 1 victory before finishing runner-up in the finale.

Lettenbichler had a less straightforward start to the weekend. The Red Bull KTM rider was only 10th-fastest in the Prologue, but worked his way forward on the longer mountain stages and placed himself back in the lead battle by the time the finale arrived.

Fresh from a record-equalling fifth consecutive Red Bull Erzbergrodeo victory earlier this month, Lettenbichler was not quite able to impose himself in the same fashion at Silver Kings, but he again showed why he remains the championship benchmark. Even on a weekend where he did not win, he still left Idaho with a podium and the red plate.

Three-way fight to King Slayer

The Thunder Bowl Finale became a flat-out contest between Brightmore, Hart and Lettenbichler. Across the two-hour race the three traded positions, stretched clear of the field, and arrived at the final King Slayer hillclimb still fighting for the win.

Hart was right in contention to the end and briefly put himself back into the lead near the finish, but Brightmore had enough left to respond. The British rider’s final push delivered the victory, and also the maximum main-race points on a weekend where 33 points were available across the three stages.

Hart’s runner-up result was still a strong weekend in championship terms, despite the frustration of coming so close. He won Off-Road Day 1 and finished second in the finale, confirming again that he remains one of the most potent riders on North American hard enduro terrain.

“It was a really cool race and a great battle all weekend,” Hart said. “The three of us were fighting at the front for almost the entire race, trading positions and pushing each other the whole time.”

Lettenbichler was also satisfied with the bigger picture, even if victory escaped him.

“It was probably one of the closest races we’ve had in the last few years,” Lettenbichler said. “Those kinds of battles are what make racing so enjoyable.”

Lettenbichler still leads, Brightmore closes in

The championship picture tightened in Idaho. Lettenbichler still leads on 88 points, but Brightmore’s victory and strong points haul moved him to second in the standings on 75, reducing the gap at the top to 13 points.

Trystan Hart

“It was a really cool race and a great battle all weekend. The three of us were fighting at the front for almost the entire race, trading positions and pushing each other the whole time. I felt strong all day and was able to put myself in contention right until the finish. To come away with the win on Off-Road Day 1 and second place in the finale is something I can be proud of. Of course, it’s a little disappointing to miss the win so close to the line, but it was an awesome race and a lot of fun. We’ll take the positives and move on to the next one.”

Hart kept himself in the victory fight all the way to the final King Slayer climb, eventually missing the Silver Kings win by just 5.55 seconds.

Manuel Lettenbichler

“I’m pretty happy with how the weekend went. I think Trystan [Hart], Mitch [Brightmore], and myself showed just how high the pace was because we were able to pull away from the rest of the field. It was probably one of the closest races we’ve had in the last few years, and those kinds of battles are what make racing so enjoyable. The course was really good and I felt like I gave everything I had. There wasn’t much more I could have done, so I’m happy to take the points and keep hold of the championship lead heading into the next round.”

Manuel Lettenbichler worked his way into contention after a difficult Prologue, finishing third at Silver Kings to retain the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship lead.

Kabakchiev remains third on 68 points after another consistent finish, while Ashton Brightmore has moved to fourth on 49 points, one point ahead of Mario Román.

Mitch Brightmore topped the Silver Kings podium ahead of Trystan Hart and Manuel Lettenbichler after one of the closest Hard Enduro World Championship finishes of recent seasons.

Billy Bolt, who had been third in the standings after Lagares, remains on 44 points and has slipped to sixth. Eddie Karlsson is seventh on 31 points, with the Stark rider also classified eighth in the Silver Kings result, two checkpoints down.

Ryder LeBlond was sixth in the Silver Kings finale, while Matthew Green placed seventh for KTM. Karlsson rounded out the top eight on the Stark.

With Silver Kings now complete, the championship moves toward its second half with a far tighter title fight than Lettenbichler would have wanted after his maximum-points weekend in Portugal. Brightmore has gone from contender to genuine challenger, Kabakchiev continues to bank points, and the arrival of Forza Orza in Sweden next up adds a fresh variable to the season.

For Lettenbichler, Idaho was still a successful damage-limitation weekend. For Hart, it was another near miss in front of the North American crowd. For Brightmore, though, Silver Kings was a statement win.

2026 Silver Kings Hard Enduro Results

2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Standings

2026 FIM HEWC Calendar

The 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is set to span eight rounds across Europe, North America and Africa, reduced from nine following the cancellation of the Wildwoods event.

• Round 1 – 24MX Alestrem Hard Enduro
  April 17-19 – Ales, France
• Round 2 – Extreme XL Lagares
  May 1-3 – Porto, Portugal
• Round 3 – Silver Kings Hard Enduro
  June 18-20 – Idaho/Silver Mountain Resort, United States
• Round 4 – Forza Orza
  August 20-22 – Orsa, Sweden
• Round 5 – Abestone Hard Enduro
  September 4-6 – Arezzo, Italy
• Round 6 – Roof of Africa
  September 23-26 – Maseru, Lesotho
• Round 7 – Sea to Sky
  October 8-10 – Kemer, Turkey
• Round 8 – 24MX Hixpania Hard Enduro
  October 23-25 – Aguilar de Campoo, Spain