Boyd Exell wins Maastricht Driving World Cup with four clear rounds
Boyd Exell made a winning start to his 2026/27 FEI Driving World Cup campaign in Maastricht, delivering four clear rounds across two nights to finish comfortably ahead of Belgium’s Glenn Geerts.
The Australian won Saturday’s deciding drive-off in 142.62 seconds, securing a 10.81-second advantage over Geerts. Koos de Ronde completed the podium for the Netherlands on 162.21.
It was Exell’s sixth consecutive World Cup victory at Maastricht, according to the FEI’s official report. Competing as a qualified driver, he collected 10 ranking points at the second leg of the nine-round series.
Exell credits his experienced horses
Exell won both Friday’s opening competition and Saturday’s World Cup contest at Jumping Indoor Maastricht, with the same three drivers taking the podium places on each evening.
“They felt like a million dollars!” he said. “The horses were flying – fast and furious.”
He described an experienced team responding readily to his instructions, while acknowledging the growing strength of his rivals.
“But my horses – it was like they were ‘on rails’. I didn’t have to push or hold them. I just gave them the information, and they finished it for me.”
Course designer Johan Jacobs adjusted the track between the two competitions following consultation with drivers and judges. Exell felt the changes worked well and helped create an exciting contest for spectators.
Geerts builds partnership with new team
Runner-up Geerts continued to develop his partnership with the Hungarian horses he introduced to World Cup competition in Lyon a week earlier. With another competition behind them, he was able to ask more of the team in Maastricht.
Both he and De Ronde incurred penalties in the drive-off as they pursued Exell. The pair competed as wild cards, meaning their podium finishes did not earn series ranking points.
Bram Chardon, also a wild card, finished fourth on 154.75. His first-round time on Saturday was less than a second slower than Exell’s, but eight penalty seconds cost him a place among the three drive-off contenders.
Czech driver Radek Nesvacil took fifth on 161.69 and earned seven ranking points. Contesting his first World Cup series, he has been based at Exell’s yard in the Netherlands to benefit from the training and facilities.
Anna Sandmann retains series lead
Christoph Sandmann finished sixth on 162.00, just 0.31 seconds behind Nesvacil. His daughter Anna placed seventh on 166.43, a week after becoming the first woman to win an FEI Driving World Cup leg in Lyon. Anna Mareike Meier finished eighth on 176.24.
Despite the tougher weekend, Anna Sandmann remains at the top of the standings with 13 points. Exell is second on 10, ahead of Nesvacil on nine.
The series moves to Stuttgart next weekend, where Exell will compete as a wild card. He is also managing his horses’ workload through the indoor season, with his daughter helping train right leader Duchess under saddle.