The Winner: Taylor Robert

In his first ever extreme enduro, Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Taylor Robert won the 2012 Last Dog Standing. But it was no easy feat as he came across both natural and man-made obstacles. Read on to learn more about Robert's race and if he'll be back next year to defend his crown.

VO- You won the 2nd annual Last Dog Standing at Glen Helen this weekend, was this your first extreme enduro?
TR- Yes, this was my first extreme race and it was a blast. I can't wait to do some more of them because that is the kind of stuff I usually practice during the week.

What were you expecting coming into the race?
I've ridden at Glen Helen quite a bit, so I kind of had an idea of what the terrain was going to be like. The first loop was more of what I expected and it kind of had a bit of everything, but nothing that was super hard. The second and third loops had some of the National hill climbs in them and a crazy rocky canyon that was really tough.

What did you enjoy most about the course?
The man made obstacles were definitely cool for the spectators, and I really liked the 2x6 boards across the water crossing. The hill climbs were also really fun because you had to give it everything the bike had and if you hesitated at all, there was no chance of making it.

Of all the obstacles, what was the most difficult?
The third loop had a gnarly canyon that had a couple of waterfalls we had to go up (luckily there was no water coming down them though). The first one we came to was the worst and had a horrible approach, so you basically had to throw your bike to the top of it. The next two falls were tricky but thankfully I have been spending a lot of time on my trials bike and I was able to ride the rest of the canyon without getting off the bike.

Did you have any big crashes throughout the day?
I really only wrecked once the whole day besides a couple tip overs. It was during the first loop and I was coming down the biggest, steepest hill on the track. I caught my foot peg on the rut and flipped over the bars. Fortunately I was able to step off the bike and my bike did a complete flip and landed with the wheels pointing downhill. I just picked her back up and kept going.

Think you'll come back to defend your crown next year?
I definitely want to come back next year. Hopefully we can get some more top guys out there and get the event pretty big within the next few years.

Describe this race in 5 words.
Hot, gnarly, rocky, hilly, and fun!

Who would you like to thank?
I decided last minute to do the event, so I just went out with my practice bike out the back of my truck. I would like to thank my mechanic for the day, Destry Abbott, and my girlfriend for helping me. I would also like to thank the Argubright family for letting me take advantage of their AC because it was really hot on Saturday! Of course I would not be able to do this without all of my amazing sponsors as well, Monster Energy Kawasaki, Thor, Shoei Helmets, Alpinestars, Focus Apparel, Skullcandy, DVS, Dunlop, GPR, Maxima, Asterisk, Motion Pro, Akrapovic, and USWE Hydration Systems.