Driving News

A new name was added to the FEI Driving World Cup hall of fame as Belgium’s Dries Degrieck took a career-best victory in front of a full house at the 26th Partner Pferd in Leipzig (GER).   After a super second place late on Friday night in the opening competition, he and his horses went one better on Sunday to win competition two at the eighth and last leg of the 2023-24 series.  The result gained him ten ranking points and guaranteed his place at the final in Bordeaux (FRA) in early February.   Everything came together this weekend for

Reigning champion Boyd Exell (AUS) stamped his supremacy once again on the current FEI Driving World Cup™ series by winning the 7th leg in Mechelen. Video of the round below. Despite being pushed hard by the other drivers whose horses are on peak form at this stage of the season, he rose to the occasion and produced another flawless display in Saturday night’s drive-off to shave 3.43 seconds from his previous round’s time and end on 126.57.  As he has shown time and time again, when the pressure is on, he raises his game even higher to ensure he is

In an electrifying event at the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands, Boyd Exell (AUS) blazed to victory on three occasions – but only just.   In the closest contest of the FEI Driving World Cup™ 2023-24 series so far, the reigning champion was pitched against his two old adversaries, Ijsbrand Chardon (NED) and Koos de Ronde (NED), all on career-best form.   By Saturday evening’s final drive-off, the top three were so finely tuned that they produced rounds which were only two seconds apart.  But it was Boyd’s experienced combination of horses that was marginally faster, and he steered them

** Watch the video here ** FEI Driving World Cup™ 2023/2024 – written by Sarah Dance Bram Chardon (NED) was declared “King of Stockholm” by the announcer in the Friends Arena in Stockholm (SWE) after an incredible win in the 4th leg of the 2023-24 FEI Driving World Cup™. Although it was Bram’s second event of the series following his wild card ticket in Maastricht (NED), it was his first opportunity as a qualified driver to earn ranking points towards a coveted place at the final in February.   Accurately steering his supple, on-point grey horses through the course while

FEI Driving European Championship for Four-in-Hand & FEI Para Driving World Championship for Singles 2023 – Exloo (NED), Written by Sarah Dance In an elegant display, Germany’s leading lady Mareike Harm put herself into first place with a score of 38.52 in her bid for European titles – despite some heavy rain during day 2 of the dressage in Exloo. As one of the last drivers of the day, she had a long wait and witnessed the top order change as defending champion Bram Chardon (NED) broke through the sub-40 barrier with an exceptional test to finish on 39.52. With

FEI Driving World Cup™ 2022-2023 – Written by Sarah Dance In an incredible display of dominance, Boyd Exell (AUS) showed the world why he is the most decorated four-in-hand carriage driver in history.   The pressure was on in Leipzig as, for the first time in the FEI Driving World CupTM 2022-23 Series, Boyd lined up against his three closest rivals at once – the Dutch powerhouse drivers Ijsbrand and Bram Chardon and an on-form Koos de Ronde.  Yet Boyd held his nerve in spectacular style to win Sunday’s Competition 2 with two rounds of sheer brilliance. Despite a rocky Friday night

FEI Driving World Cup™ 2022-2023, written by Sarah Dance They may have been competing in the ‘Friends Arena’ in Stockholm at the 30th Sweden International Horse Show, but all notion of friendship between the drivers was thrown aside as once again, Boyd Exell (AUS) didn’t show any compassion towards his rivals, who cannot seem to topple him from the top spot.  With his fourth win from four in the 2022-23 FEI Driving World Cup™ series, the clashing cymbals of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ rang out, a now frequent sound under the spotlights of a prize-giving. Despite a gravity-defying round during Saturday evening’s drive-off

Will it be a 10th title for brilliant Boyd or will reigning champion Bram retain his crown? FEI Driving World Cup 2022-2023 – Written by Sarah Dance The world’s top ten four-in-hand drivers, eight legs plus a Final, and one new World Champion – that’s what the 2022-23 FEI Driving World Cup™ promises.   After two stilted seasons due to Covid-19, fans can look forward to a full programme of the heart-stopping, edge-of-the-seat entertainment which is the FEI Driving World Cup.  Demanding speed, accuracy and bravery from both horses and drivers, lightning reactions and steadfast commitment from the back steppers, technical

FEI World Championships 2022 Driving – Written by Sarah Dance As he set out on the Marathon, his regal horses poised, their silky black coats gleaming silver under the Italian sun, Boyd’s quest to win a record-breaking sixth individual gold medal continued.  He might have wished for a later place in the draw to watch what those before him made of the course, but fate played its hand and he found himself following one of the young pretenders to his crown, Germany’s Michael Brauchle. Josef Middendorf’s (GER) eight new obstacles, with a total of 103 balls perched on their elements,

FEI World Championships 2022, Driving Day 2 Dressage – Written by Sarah Dance The atmosphere became electric as Australian Boyd Exell defiantly launched his campaign to win a record sixth FEI Driving World Championship. The buoyant crowd had waited all day to see a sub-40 score appear on the massive digital boards flanking the Dressage arena. Their patience was rewarded as moments after Boyd’s masterful black Warmbloods exited, the score of 34.13 was met with cheers. From the second they hit the centre line, the horses showed power and panache, and proceeded to flow through the movements in a class of

FEI World Championships 2022 Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA) Driving, written by Sarah Dance As the sun broke through the early morning mist hanging over the Rocca di Papa parkland, FEI World Championships 2022 Driving horses quietly made their way down the hill from the stabling area in single file. Ready to be presented for the first inspection, each one in a bridle being led by their drivers and handlers, their coats gleamed with good health. All the anticipation of an exhilarating FEI World Championship became a reality. It was a slick operation as the squads came forward in their nations,

FEI Driving World Championships Singles 2022, Written by Sarah Dance Right down to the last set of cones, all bets were on France’s Marion Vignaud and her KWPN gelding First Quality being crowned the new FEI Singles World Champions. But nothing is for sure in sport, and it was not to be for Marion as heart-breakingly the ball rolled off the final cone, so handing defending champion Saskia Siebers (NED) the gold medal. Together with her 17-year-old KWPN gelding Axel, with whom she won the world title in Pau (FRA) in 2020, Saskia kept her nerve, and they produced a