Ten top four-in-hand drivers plus a few wild cards will thrill audiences between November and February at some of Europe’s most prestigious indoor shows. The eight qualifying legs start in Lyon (FRA) this week and end in Leipzig (GER), leading to six places at the final in Bordeaux (FRA).
The 23rd series promises to be another epic contest between Bram Chardon (NED) and Boyd Exell (AUS). Boyd is ranked number one and has a record breaking ten FEI Driving World Cup™ titles behind him, but Bram is the current title-holder and since he took his first in 2019, the rivals have won it alternate years. It will be fascinating to see who gains the early advantage when they go head-to-head for the first time this series at the second leg in Maastricht (NED).
Bram and his father Ijsbrand Chardon (NED), a three-time winner, are juggling their schedules so that they are not at the same events until the end of the series, when Bram says they should have their horse combinations organised for the final – providing they both qualify.
“This season we are really happy with the draw because we have chosen to go to separate events for most of the series so we can help each other out if we need to or keep up the training at home while the other one is away.
“It’s exciting, because I have two new horses to add to my winning team from last year, plus the young horse we used in the prizegivings,” Chardon said.
“One of the new horses is very fast, but it is hard to find a better horse than our reliable Dreef Kapitany because he is technically so good. I will try out different combinations during the rounds and see what works by the time we get to Leipzig,” he added.
Belgium’s Dries Degrieck will hope to replicate the form he showed in Leipzig last January when he broke the Boyd-Bram stronghold to win. His campaign starts in Lyon, which without Boyd or Bram there, could be one of the most open results of the series. Joining Dries are Ijsbrand, Jérôme Voutaz (SUI), Georg Von Stein (GER) and Anna Mareike Meier (GER) plus the home nation’s two wild cards, Benjamin Aillaud (FRA) and Anthony Horde (FRA).
Another Belgian with high hopes is Glenn Geerts who recently put together a new indoor team of French and Hungarian Lipizzaners ahead of his opening event in Maastricht. The second leg is also the opener for former champion Koos de Ronde (NED) who starts the series ranked number two.
After his successful outdoor season, Florida-based Chester Weber (USA) finished in the top 10, so was eligible to join the series, but for logistical reasons declined to take his place. Instead, 11th-ranked Fredrik Persson (SWE) enters as a qualified driver and he will be using the indoor horses purchased from Chester that were used in the 2022-2023 series.
The selection of events used for the FEI Driving World Cup™ has remained the same since the pandemic, and Bordeaux has been the venue for the final on ten occasions since the series began in 2001-2002. The three early season legs in Lyon, Maastricht and Stuttgart (GER) are on consecutive weekends, then there is a gap before the mid-season action moves to Stockholm (SWE), followed by Geneva (SUI) and London (GBR). In December, it’s Mechelen (BEL) then Leipzig in January, after which the drivers who have qualified for the final are confirmed.
The qualifying legs have two competitions which run over two days, each with a drive-off, whereas the Final only has a drive-off after the second competition. The places from the first competition set the running order for the next day when the drivers come forward in reverse order. Points towards the final are earned from the second competition placings and only apply to the qualified drivers. There are five qualified drivers per competition plus up to three wild cards, and the best three results from the series as a qualified driver count towards the ranking for the Final.
The FEI Driving World Cup™ requires a unique collaboration between the horses and the three people on the carriage. The whole team needs intuitive communication which hinges on the reflexes of the driver and the responses of the horses, supported by the two people behind. The navigator oversees the routes and split times, and the lower back-stepper provides ballast and aims to keep the carriage level on the tight turns.
The format encourages participation from the fans as they cheer on their favourites against a backdrop of theatrical lighting and thumping music.
The audiences appreciate the skill and jeopardy of four powerful horses speeding through pairs of cones, boxes, marathon obstacles and water, or even over bridges, while trying not to knock any of the elements and be fastest against the clock. Each event has its own unique atmosphere with a different sized arena that impacts the design and the layout of the course. After all the preparation and planning, training and travelling, on the day it comes down to split-second decisions, teamwork, bravery, focus and accuracy – and a bit of luck.
For dates, schedules and information, click HERE.
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