Defenders On Tour

The second 2019 Defender Trophy event kicked off in Limpopo and was unique in that participants camped in three different countries…

- Pat Cruywagen

I now live in England but African blood runs through my veins. In nearly 20 years as a 4x4 journalist, I have attended over 10 Defender Trophy events. They are always held in southern Africa, and, as the name suggests, they are for Defenders only. Last year Englishman Phillip Young did do it in a Toyota Land Cruiser, but only because he could not get his Defender through customs in time after shipping it over from the UK for the event!

As I exit the OR Tambo arrivals hall in Johannesburg I walk straight into the welcoming hot Highveld air. After a few minutes of waiting, the mother of all Defender 130s appears – it’s the Front Runner demo model. It might just be the most-accessorised Defender I’ve ever seen. Ryno Cloete is behind the wheel, and doing what he does for a living; demonstrating Front Runner products to the world’s media. Ryno whips out a packet of biltong and places a cold drink in my hand. “Welcome home, brother,” he declares.

Our first stop is the Front Runner factory and world-class showroom at Kyalami. Even though it’s a Saturday there are loads of (mostly) Defenders lined up and waiting to get some or other accessory added. Marketing man, Jaco Nel, meets us at the entrance and takes us on a guided tour. The place has expanded tenfold since my last visit over a decade ago. Front Runner is one of the big South African 4x4 success stories, with offices and warehouses all over the world.

DAY 2:

Even though we only have to report for Defender Trophy duty on Monday afternoon, we head off on Sunday morning. I’m in the 130 with Ryno while two of my best mates, Aldri van Jaarsveld and Lindsey Parry, are in a Defender 110 Td5. Aldri has tied a big South African flag to the back of his Land Rover. He is impossible to miss.