The American Motorcyclist Association has announced today the US riders who will contest the 88th International Six Days Enduro.

The ISDE started in 1913 and the first event was held just up the road from DBR Towers in Carlisle. The British team, which included Charles Collier, Billy Little and W.B. Gibb was victorious.

Qualification for the ISDE in the early years was difficult due to the restrictive rule of only riders from the country, with vehicles produced in that same country, could compete for the Nations Cup. That rule over the years has been loosened and the ISDE has gone from strength to strength.

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Over recent years France and in particular Italy have dominated with the Italian team collecting the Nations Cup a total of 14 times (1930, 1931, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2005 e 2007); the Junior Trophy, formerly the Silver Vase, 12 times (1960, 1963, 1968, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2008).

The US will be led by the World Trophy Team of Mike Brown, Kurt Caselli, Thad Duvall, Charlie Mullins, Zach Osborne and Taylor Robert, a contingent of 31 US riders will face the best off-road racers in the world in Sardinia, Italy, Sept 30-Oct. 5.

“We are honored to once again contest the ISDE and chase the American dream of winning this prestigious event,” said AMA Off-Road Manager Chuck Weir.

“We are excited about our entire team for 2013, not just the World Trophy Team but all the American riders. We fully expect to achieve our goal of a team world championship at the ISDE this September.”

Antti Kallonen, who guides KTM’s off-road racing teams in North American competition, manages the US ISDE team.

“We made great progress last year with our ISDE program, and I’m happy to see that we have been able to build an even better team and program for this year,” Kallonen said. “Our Trophy team is as good as it can be, and all team riders are already hard at work to make sure we are 100 percent prepared.”

“It’s fulfilling that our efforts have caught motocross riders’ and teams’ attention,” he added. “There are a bunch of great off-road riders in the motocross world, and I’m glad to have Zach Osborne teaming up in the Trophy Team alongside our solid off-road riders.”

Caselli, from Palmdale, Calif., will captain the World Trophy Team. He will race a KTM in Italy. Brown, from Bluff City, Tenn., and Mullins, from Hickory, N.C., will also be on KTMs. Osborne, from Abingdon, Va., and Duvall, from Williamstown, W.Va., will race Hondas. Robert, from Scottsdale, Ariz., will ride a Kawasaki.

“It’s great to be on the AMA’s World Trophy Team again for this years’ ISDE in Sardinia,” Caselli said. “We’re bringing the best off-road riders that the United States has to offer with a great chance of winning the World Trophy.”

Like ISDE veteran Brown, who won the 2001 125cc AMA National Motocross Championship before his career shifted to off-road racing, Osborne’s roots are in motocross. However, the 23-year-old – a newcomer to the ISDE – has been branching into off-road recently and says he is ready for the competition at the ISDE.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Osborne said. “I know it will be a challenge for me, but I’m working hard to be prepared and do my best for the team. I have to give a big thanks to everyone involved in picking me, and also my team for supporting me and giving me a bike to race.”

The World Trophy Team is one of three premier teams that represent the United States at the ISDE. The others are the Junior Trophy Team, which fields four riders younger than 23 years old, and the Women’s Trophy Team, which fields three female riders. In addition, several club team members represent the United States at the event.

The US Junior Trophy Team will include Grant Baylor from Belton, S.C.; Steward Baylor from Belton, S.C.; Andrew DeLong from Morgantown, Pa.; and Jesse Groemm from Forked River, N.J. Grant and Steward Baylor are brothers, and both will ride KTMs. DeLong will ride a Husqvarna, and Groemm will compete on a Yamaha.

The US Women’s Cup Team will include Rachel Gutish from Terre Haute, Ind.; Mandi Mastin from Whitehouse, Ohio; and Brooke Hodges from San Martin, Calif. All three Women’s Cup Team riders will field KTMs in Italy.

The US ISDE team has also designated a Senior Club Team of veterans from the club team members. This year, the Senior Club Team will include Team JAFMAR riders Scott Bright from Platteville, Colo.; Jeff Fredette from Beecher, Ill.; and Brian T. Storrie from Denton, Texas.

The Wellard Team will represent one of the strongest club teams this year. It will include national-caliber riders Nick Fahringer from Dayton, Ohio, on a Husaberg; Jimmy Jarrett from Salem, Ohio, on a Kawasaki; and Ryan Sipes, from Flaherty, Ky., on a Suzuki.

Other teams include team GoFasters.com (Johnny Barner, Ian Blythe and Alex Dorsey); AMA District 37 (Sam Buffa, Trevor Kline and Ryan Kudla); team Tony Agonis (Keith Curtis, Fred Hoess and Josh Knight); and Dewitt Powersports (Jeff O’Leary, Shawn O’Leary and Cory Pincock).

Riders at the ISDE compete in one of three displacement classes: the E1 class, which features 100cc to 125cc two-stroke and 175cc to 250cc four-stroke motorcycles; the E2 class, which features 175cc to 250cc two-stroke and 290cc to 450cc four-stroke motorcycles; and the E3 class, which features 290cc to 500cc two-stroke and 475cc to 650cc four-stroke motorcycles.