By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
What began more than 50 years as a local event is now on the 2026 scheduled to be part of the American Motorcycle Association National Enduro Series. and the people involved said they “are flattered to be asked to become part of this Series.” to have been asked to become national.”
The Bob Reese Memorial Dual Sport/Enduro will be held the weekend of Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2026. The recent Enduro held in October included more than 200 riders and that number is expected to double with the now national affiliation.
More information is available at nationalenduro.com.
The Enduro is an off-road motorcycle competition that takes riders over multiple fields and timbers and through the Green River and Rock River basins, averaging a 40 to 50-mile loop each year.
Through the years, the Enduro has raised money for local charities, primarily the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities and the Henry/Stark County SWAT Team, and the event will continue to raise money for local charities.
Information received from those involved with the local Enduro states that this is the 15th year the proceeds have been donated to the Honor Flight, with total donations through the years totaling $75,000.
Checks in the amount of $5,700 each were presented recently to the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities and to the Henry County SWAT Team. The money was raised from entry fees to the 2025 Bob Reese Memorial Dual Sport/Enduro, which in 2026 is scheduled to become part of the American Motorcycle Association National Enduro Series. Contributed Photo
“These funds have enabled the Honor Flight to send numerous veterans who served in World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War to Washington, DC. They are currently accepting applications from veterans who served during the Global War on Terrorism (GWQT), as well as female veterans who have served. Applications also are being accepted for Guardians, and both application forms are available on the Honor flight website, under the Application Forms tab: www.honorflightqc.org.
The Henry/Stark County SWAT Team was the other organization receive a donation from the 2024 Bob Reese Memorial Dual Sport/Enduro. Since 2019, nearly $15,000 has been donated to the SWAT Team, which helps cover the costs of training, consumable materials used during operations, and the purchase of new equipment. The SWAT Team is made up of 12 officers who are either patrol officers or detectives from local county agencies.
HISTORY OF THE LOCAL ENDURO
Originating in the 1960’s, the Enduro became more than just an idea and the most recent ride, in October of this year, marks 60 years since the first Enduro was held in this area, although it has not been held every year due to different challenges.
Originally called the Con Rod Derby, the event was hosted by the Tri-City Motorcycle Club, based in Coal Valley. The race began on the Kershaw Farm in Colona, at the base of the Rock River Bridge, and journeyed over many areas of land in Henry County, including the Green River and Rock River bottoms, which were unsuitable for farming. The course passed through multiple landowners’ fields and wooded areas, including Bob Reese’s farm, (Bob Reese is the former owner of Springfield Armory in Geneseo).
Through the years, as off-road motorcycling became more centralized with shorter courses, hare scramble races became more popular and Enduros began to fade away.
It was in the early 1960’s that Enduro enthusiasts Ron and Harv Whipple revived the event with support form their families and friends. With backing from the Reese family, the event was renamed the Springfield Armory Silver Dollar Shootout. After a brief hiatus, the event was held at Livesay Farm in Geneseo, and later alternated between Loitz’s Farm and the Springfield Armory machine shop by the Reese Farm.
When it became difficult for the Whipple brothers to lay out a course over such long distances, they stepped back, and another Enduro enthusiast, Troy McDonald, took over and the race for a time.
In 2013, Jerrod Minnaert and some of his close friends, including the Whipple and McDonald families, took over the Enduro. After Bob Reese’s death in June of 2019, the decision was made to honor him and his legacy by renaming the event in 2020 to the Bob Reese Memorial Dual Sport/Enduro.
Minnaert and friends spearheaded efforts to keep the event alive in the area by aligning with various charities to donate the proceeds. Funds are raised through rider entry fees and the sale of raffle tickets for a chance to win a pistol donated by Springfield Armory.
“The people involved are all motorcycle enthusiasts – guys and gals who love the sport,” Minnaert said. “It takes a lot of time and effort to coordinate the event which involves about 50 miles on ground from numerous landowners. That is some of the reason there was a risk the enduro would not continue, so we decided to make it a charity event.”
The Bob Reese Memorial Dual Sport/Enduro brings together a large group of passionate motorcycle enthusiasts, individuals who embrace the challenge of the sport, year after year to raise funds for meaningful causes. Their dedication and teamwork continue to make a significant impact on the lives of others. For more information, visit the Bob Reese Memorial Dual Sport/Enduro Facebook page.