Defending AMA US Hard Enduro champion, FMF KTM Factory Racing’s Trystan Hart, is officially out of this weekend’s Grinding Stone Hard Enduro, round three of the series, due to a recent collarbone injury.

Four time USHE champion Hart joins Red Bull KTM’s Josep Garcia in being sidelined with a broken collarbone due to a training accident. The news broke last week in fact that Hart had sustained a broken collarbone in a practice crash and has already undergone successful surgery to plate his clavicle, “without complications”, and like his Spanish teammate, is now on the road to recovery.

With collarbone plates being a “routine” fix, shall we say, it was speculated the Canadian would ride at this weekend’s third round of the US series. But a statement from the FMF KTM team says, “after careful consideration, he will take the necessary time to heal and will sit out the Grinding Stone Hard Enduro”.

It’s not like that event has any risk of crashing or injury now is it?

Hart says his goal is to return for round four, the Moab Hard Enduro on April 11-12.“Bummed to miss Grinding Stone this weekend. I’m on the mend but need to be patient still. I’m grateful to be partnered with KTM through this, and we will be back, right where we left off.”

That leaves the door open for a new winner in the 2025 USHE series with last year’s Grinding Stone top dog Cody Webb a favourite to bag Yamaha a maiden victory. 

Cody will have stiff competition, not least from Will Riordan and Ryder LeBlond who both have shown strong form this year and know what the impressive sand stone rock formations at Page, Arizona have to offer.