Hartbeespoort’s very own Red Bull Obstacle Course racing athlete, Thomas van Tonder, has been crowned the first-ever Red Bull Rancher Strong Champion after taking on 16 elite male athletes in a high-stakes showdown in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas.

The Red Bull website states: “The seven course obstacles have been designed around actions you would endure on your everyday ranch but with a fitness spin to them.”

Kormorant reports that, bringing together the worlds of fitness and agricultural life, Red Bull Rancher Strong features an adrenaline-fuelled course of eight ranch-inspired obstacles – from cattle roping and hay hauling to fence jumping – all designed to push strength, stamina and speed.

“It was not an easy race by any means. It was a super tough event, and with the injury to my arm, it was really tough, but I managed to push through and win. This event exceeded all my expectations. What a vibe!” Van Tonder says.

In this first-of-its-kind event, athletes went head-to-head in timed heats on a course as intense as it was unique. They swung from monkey bars, hauled feed sacks, pushed trailers, climbed hay bales, tiptoed over stumps, and dragged a weighted bull sled while riding a stationary horse. The course ended with a final climb back to the barn balcony.

Van Tonder told the Red Bull website that he’s been doing obstacle races for over 10 years.

“I’ve been doing it professionally since 2017. So it’s almost like I’ve been training for this for a good decade. I have had my setbacks — I broke my arm in February in a big competition in Dubai, and it was really a struggle from there to rebuild and come back into form. So being able to come here to the heart of Texas and take a win.”