Destination Defender brought an unforgettable weekend to Temecula Valley.
One of the most respected names in the world of off-roading, Defender is a brand with proud British heritage and virtually limitless adventuring spirit. Built with the purpose of being able to go anywhere, Defender vehicles are known for their capability, dependability, and, especially regarding the new generation of Defender off-roaders, a suite of cutting-edge technology that turns epic adventures off the beaten path into an effortless act of wanderlust.
Each year, Defender brings the most passionate members of its community together for Destination Defender, a series of festivals that brings the brand’s enduring spirit of adventure to some of the country’s premier outdoor destinations. This year’s Destination Defender West took place in the gorgeous Temecula Valley in California, a mountainous winemaking paradise located southeast of Los Angeles. We got the chance to join Defender in Temecula for the latest Destination Defender, and our experience was one that we won’t soon forget.
An unlikely occurrence for southern California, rain dampened the Galway Downs Equstrian Center where the festival was held for the entire weekend, but the outdoorsy spirit of Defender enthusiasts and the festival itself refused to be threatened by wet and cold weather. Our time at the grounds started with an off-road driving experience, where we got behind the wheel of the Defender 130 for a demonstration course that would put any off-road capable SUV through its paces.
Thanks to its features like hill descent control, an electronic active differential with torque vectoring, adjustable ride height, and the 3D surround camera that helps see obstacles and clearances around the wheels and in front of the vehicle when the windshield isn’t enough, the Defender 130 made easy work of steep grades, rocks, slaloms, and even a bridge made of two narrow planks.
After that driving experience, it was then our turn to take the passenger seat, while the flagship performance Defender OCTA was driven by instructor Davy Jones, whose qualifications include winning the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. Powered by a sonorous twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine, the OCTA has an impressive 626 horsepower on tap, and on dirt roads that the rain turned into mud, Jones demonstrated its thrilling off-road launch control, its OCTA Mode that helps the car remain stable, confident, and comfortable on rough terrain at speed, and even its luxurious Body and Soul audio that allows passengers to feel music through speakers in the seats.
Grammy award-winning Icelandic rock band Kaleo performed in a private concert for the event, and even the rain and mud didn’t stop fans from enjoying the band’s hits. However, the biggest highlight of the event was the Defender Service Awards Gala, the conclusion of the year’s Defender Service Awards, presented by Chase, in which outstanding charitable organizations are given funding and a customized Defender 130 by the brand and the awards’ sponsors, all with the goal of expanding their noble missions.
For this year’s fifth annual awards, the Defender Service Awards honored organizations in five categories: the Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare Award, Presented by Disney, the Veteran and Civil Servant Outreach Award, Presented by Hearts & Science, the Community Service Award, Presented by ei3, the Search, Rescue and Emergency Support Services Award, Presented by PELICAN, and the Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award, Presented by OUTSIDE Interactive Inc., plus a Defender Service Awards Honoree Award, Presented by S&P Global Mobility for past finalists.
Each finalist had an incredible story and mission behind its tireless work and daunting efforts to better its surrounding community, and not only did the 30 category finalists this year each receive $5,000 from Chase, but also, the second-place finalists in each category were each given $10,000 from Artemis Cars, a Premier Partner of the Defender Service Awards, and additional sponsors.
The category winners, however, were each awarded with $30,000 in funding for their organizations’ missions, as well as a customized Defender 130 to expand their causes, as well. Those were Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society in Vancouver, Canada for the Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare Award, Jason’s Box in Paris, Kentucky for the Veteran and Civil Servant Outreach Award, Feeding Northeast Florida in Jacksonville, Florida for the Community Service Award, Chilliwack Search & Rescue in Chilliwack, Canada for the Search, Rescue and Emergency Support Services Award, Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada in Dorval, Canada for the Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award, and West Place Animal Sanctuary in Tiverton, Rhode Island for the Defender Service Awards Honoree Award.
The full list of 2025 Defender Service Awards finalists is:
Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare Award – Presented by Disney
- HIT Living Foundation ‑ Los Angeles, CA
- Marine Mammals of Maine – Brunswick, ME
- The Gentle Barn – Santa Clarita, CA
- Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society – Vancouver, BC
- WildCare Oklahoma – Noble, OK
Community Services Award – Presented by ei3
- Feeding Northeast Florida – Jacksonville, FL
- Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula – Pacific Grove, CA
- Meta House, Inc. – Milwaukee, WI
- Red Feather Development Group – Flagstaff, AZ
- The Food Brigade – Paramus, NJ
Search, Rescue & Emergency Support Services Award – Presented by Pelican
- Amwell Valley Ambulance Corps – Ringoes, NJ
- Boulder Emergency Squad – Boulder, CO
- Chilliwack Search & Rescue – Chilliwack, BC
- Pemberton Search & Rescue – Pemberton, BC
- Sunshine Coast Search & Rescue – Sechelt, BC
Veteran & Civil Servant Outreach Award – Presented by Hearts & Science
- Combat Recovery Foundation – Loveland, CO
- Jason’s Box – Paris, KY
- Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans – St. Paul, MN
- Project Sanctuary – Pagosa Springs, CO
- Shelter to Soldier – San Diego, CA
Outdoor Accessibility & Education Award – Presented by Outside Interactive Inc.
- Adaptive Adventures – Westminster, CO
- Catalyst Sports Inc. – Atlanta, GA
- City Kids Wilderness Project, Inc. – Washington, DC
- North Carolina Adapted Sports – Cary, NC
- Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada – Dorval, QC
With an incredible weekend of outdoor-focused celebration, off-roading, live music, and bold philanthropy to the tune of a total of $390,000 in prize funding distributed to charitable organizations, this year’s Destination Defender was undoubtedly one to remember.
