In an event that is considered the world’s toughest one-day hard enduro competition, the UK’s Jonny Walker has taken victory in the 2012 Red Bull Hare Scramble at the Erzberg Rodeo on his factory KTM.

The race lived up to its notorious reputation of delivering exciting racing from the worlds toughest riders, along with an element of drama.

Of the 500 starters listed, only seven were confirmed as official finishers when fog caused the race to be cut short after three and a half hours, half an hour short of the usual four-hour limit.

In absence of five-time winner Taddy Blazusiak, a changing of the guard saw Walker take victory on only his second start in the classic endurance event. The 21-year-old crossed the finish line with an impressive margin of 20 minutes over second placed Gas-Gas mounted trials expert Dougie Lampkin.

Early on in the race Walker lead Austria’s Lars Enockl, Britain’s Graham Jarvis and Germany’s Andreas Lettenbichler, before dramatic news from race officials saw two riders suffer disqualification.

Both Jarvis and Lettenbichler missed an entire terrace in the high-speed ‘Rosina’ section, more drama built when neither rider saw the announcement and continued racing.

Walker took a hard crash in the dreaded ‘Carl’s Diner’ section, going over the handlebars in a group of unforgiving rocks, having to regain his composure and press on. Disqualified Jarvis went on to finish first, before learning his efforts were all for nothing and three minutes later Walker rolled through to claim victory.

“I knew that Jarvis had been disqualified and in the final part I didn’t take any risks,” Walker said. “I was simply too fast at Carl’s Diner and I hurt my back a bit when I went over the handlebars. It’s simply fantastic to be the winner in only my second start here in Erzberg.”

Behind Walker and Lampkin it was Great Britian’s Ben Hemingway who rounded out the podium taking third overall on his KTM.