As an off-road navigator in the Rebelle Rally, I was eager to see what this event was all aboutLand Rover is no stranger to off-road competitions. But this year's Defender Trophy went beyond testing the Defender's abilities.What do a yachting industry professional, an architect, and a stuntwoman have in common? Well, Lou Clark, Jenna Fribley and Nykki McGee are all tough as nails and some of the coolest women I've ever met. Oh, and they all competed in the recent North American trials for the Land Rover Defender Trophy competition in Mission, British Columbia, Canada. In its first year, the Defender Trophy was largely discovered via word of mouth. Clark, Fribley and McGee have all participated in the Rebelle Rally, and they said they initially learned of the competition, which is part off-road rally, part Survivor, either from other off-roading friends or through the sentient algorithm on Instagram. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut all three of them agreed: As soon as they knew about it, they wanted to compete.This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.Clark, Fribley, and McGee Could Barely Contain ThemselvesTwo Land Rover Defenders poised to start an off-road competition – Credit: Jill Ciminillo"I'm always down for an adventure," McGee told me. "I've always loved the look of a Land Rover Defender and watched them crush it during Dakar, so I was interested! … Any time there's driving and adventure, I'm in. I wasn't entirely sure of the fitness element, but being a stuntwoman, that's definitely a plus for me."Fribley, who has owned multiple classic Land Rovers, said she went down the rabbit hole of learning about the event as soon as she heard about it.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Plus, the original Camel Trophy events were so epic, I would have the worst FOMO if I didn't throw my hat in the ring for this competition, which seems to be trying to be the modern interpretation of that," she added.For Clark, it was an opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and put herself through a stress test. Though, she did initially have doubts about sending in her application."I'll admit, for the first time in my life, I had an internal conversation which went: 'You're too old for this shit,'" she said. "I begged to differ with myself, however, and ultimately, I won the debate."What Exactly is the Defender Trophy?The Defender Trophy wasn't just about testing the cars, as we all found out – Credit: Jill CiminilloAs Fribley alluded to, in some respects, it's a re-invention of the Camel Trophy, which was a rugged 16- to 30-day off-road competition held from 1980 to 2000. It tested teamwork, stamina and resilience in addition to overall off-road driving and survival skills. Similarly, the global finals for the Defender Trophy will last up to 21 days. AdvertisementAdvertisementThough Land Rover has been a bit mum about what that three-week-long competition will look like, if the trials are anything to go by, it is not going to be a walk in the park. The two-day trials began with what I like to call "feats of strength," including completing an extensive ropes course in less than 5 minutes, swimming 50 meters, completing a team exercise called Le Pencilo that entailed pulling a large pole through a maze, and an ahi-jack winching exercise.Then The Driving BeganA Land Rover Defender performing during the Defender Trophy – Credit: Jill CiminilloThat's all before they had to navigate through a forest using a compass and then run 2 miles with a 2-gallon jug of water to get to basecamp and dinner. Not to mention the pre-bedtime night navigation exercise. Day two was more about vehicle agility and teamwork, putting the vehicles through obstacle courses, building bridges, changing tires, and using the vehicles (and teamwork) to move planks from place to place. The final test of the trials included two teams paddling barges holding one of the competition vehicles around an obstacle course in a lake. Clark, Fribley and McGee walked away with plenty of bruises, bug bites and exhaustion. But they all said they'd do it again—even though none of them were selected as finalists.Can Women Be Competitive?Competitors pushing a Land Rover Defender across a lake for the Defender Trophy – Credit: Jill CiminilloFor a little context, more than 10,000 people applied globally to participate in the regional trials, and for North America, there were 120 competitors selected from the United States and Canada. Only 12 competitors were women. The four North American finalists are all men. However, in South Africa, one of the two finalists is a woman, Isabel Roux. While there's certainly a physical element to the competition, showing leadership skills and being assertive is also part of the picture.AdvertisementAdvertisement"I feel like some of the guys didn't immediately want to let women step into [leadership roles], but for the stacking of the logs, I stepped in, and things ran so smoothly that the guys started keeping me in that position," McGee said. "One of the judges for that event pulled me aside after saying he hadn't seen anyone communicate and lead a group like that and was really impressed, which made me feel incredible."The Physical Aspect, For Some, Felt Harder Than the DrivingThree competitors working together to finish a physical contest – Credit: Jill CiminilloFribley said not being pushy enough probably counted against her in this competition. "Despite being pretty confident in my skills, my tendency to be polite (i.e. not too pushy) often compromises my window of opportunity to 'be visible' in large group setting like this," she said.All the female competitors I talked with said the physical strength portions of the Defender Trophy were the most difficult segments and didn't necessarily reflect a situation you'd find yourself in while off-roading in real life. AdvertisementAdvertisement"There were times that it felt a little skewed towards physical strength and/or weight, which, generally speaking, handicaps female competitors," Clark said. "However, in a real-world situation, these obstacles wouldn't be judged on a timer, so you would have more time perhaps, to rethink the plan and adjust accordingly."Best Advice from Competitors: Get In, and Stay, In ShapeA side profile of the Land Rover Defender being used in the Defender Trophy – Credit: Jill CiminilloAfter watching the two-day competition unfold, I kept thinking: I may not be strong enough to do this. And I say that after having just completed a half-marathon. So, it should come as no surprise that the top advice these women have to offer if you might be interested in competing is to cross-train. "I thought I was pretty fit," Clark said. "But I just hit the wall on the rope climb (on the tires) where my arms just wouldn't listen to my head. There was internal dialogue, and they just refused to listen. It was a mutiny."Fribley said the emphasis on the physical challenges was a surprise, and she mentioned she would focus more on upper-body strength if she were going to do this again.Sometimes, Winning Isn't Always Crossing a Finish Line FirstI knew this as a Rebelle Rally competitor, but it's reassuring to hear it from others – Credit: Jill CiminilloEmily Miller, founder of the eight-day off-road-focused Rebelle Rally, often says, "If it was easy, everyone would do it." So, it's important to remember, like running a marathon, the win isn't always coming in first. It's getting to the starting line in the first place. Even when you know it's going to be hard. AdvertisementAdvertisement"It's just another reminder that I can do tough things," Clark said. "If you can do tough things and push yourself beyond your comfort zone, and beyond what you thought you could do physically, you can tackle the day-to-day shit. You might need to remind yourself, but you know, you can do anything."McGee agreed, saying that competing in the Defender Trophy was a reminder to step up."I can handle hard things and still help lead a team," she said. "It reminded me of the confidence within and to be more vocal again." Working Together Made Competitors Friends, TooCompetitors working together to push a Defender Trophy across a lake – Credit: Jill CiminilloMany of the people who came to the Defender Trophy competition were strangers, but they walked away with friendships forged in fire. AdvertisementAdvertisement"It was like an adult summer camp with team building," McGee said. "So, it was really fun to connect with like-minded folks that do incredible things outside of my industry. I want to do more in life, and I feel like everyone else did, too."Clark agreed and said the people were literally the best thing about the event. "I got to connect with people who all had something in them telling them to come and do this crazy event," she said. "They were awesome."Fribley added that it's the camaraderie her group developed over two days that's really going to stick with her."I think we all really bonded," she said. "We now have text groups and WhatsApp groups and great ongoing camaraderie about the experience we all shared. I think this is the aspect of this competition that is most akin to the original Camel Trophy—the community."What's Next for the Defender Trophy?There's absolutely going to be a Defender Trophy in 2026 – Credit: Jill CiminilloAt the time of this writing, Land Rover hasn't confirmed that the Defender Trophy will become an annual event. But the global finals will be held in Africa in October 2026. AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd if you have a yen to go off-road—but maybe not compete—the same Land Rover Defender Trophy Edition SUVs used in the competition are available for sale. Equipped for expeditions, these SUVs are based on the Defender 110 and start at $87,400.
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