Jeffrey AronsonThe 2026 Land Rover Defender Trophy Edition will elevate the rigor for the return of the Defender Trophy competition; JLR invites enthusiasts to apply for a spot on the US and Canadian teams.
In a recent interview, North American Brand Manager for Defender and Discovery Sam Allen expressed his excitement with the challenges of this new iteration of the international event: “I’m expecting a little bit of pain and a lot of enjoyment,” Sam explained. “The competition will involve intense tasks similar to past Defender Trophy and TReK events: navigation, problem-solving, physical fitness and off-road driving. We anticipate 170 competitors from the US and 40 from Canada. The finalists will possess the right physical, intellectual and team attributes; they’ll represent a broad church of applicants.”
“The North American finals will take place in Mission, BC, at the end of April 2026, and the winners will form two US teams and two Canadian teams. The Global Defender Trophy Finals will be held in October 2026, in a yet-to-be determined location on the African continent. The tasks assigned to the finalist teams will include wildlife conservation projects affiliated with TUSK, Defender’s partner organization. Defender wants the elite competitors to be a friend to the planet, to do the right thing.”
LR NA’s Jeff Ehoodin and Eric Valtos agreed with Sam that the revival of the Defender Trophy “meshes with Defender’s ethos, and the Defender Trophy entrant is our kind of individual.” We encourage every Land Rover enthusiast to apply for this thrilling opportunity.
Jeffrey Aronson
Editor
[The free application is at https://www.landroverusa.com]
