Starting as he means to continue, reigning FEI Driving World Cup™ champion Boyd Exell (AUS) was victorious in Lyon (FRA) in the first leg of the new season. Despite an uncharacteristic error during the first round on day two, when he had to take an extra loop in the first of the marathon-style obstacles, the Australian and his speedy team had enough fuel in the tank to regain lost time and secure one of three places in the drive-off. And when places meant ranking points, Boyd was the consummate competitor, put the slipup behind him and produced another masterclass to secure a valuable victory with clear in 162.55 seconds.
“I made a novice driver’s mistake in the first round today and did an extra circle. But the horses felt like a magic million dollars so when I asked them to go faster, we got the time back. The wheelers are blood horses, so when they get some wind in their lungs, they come alive, and my leaders are very intelligent and sensitive. Then, in the drive off we put things back to where we wish them to be.
“I love horses and I love training them and I will look at this performance and look what I can do better and not impede them again. Lyon is a brilliant event to start with, and they are very hospitable and look after the drivers very well. The crowd and public are really behind the driving and it’s fantastic to be here.”
Using the same combination of horses that helped him win the title in Bordeaux (FRA) in February, Boyd won decisively on day one in Lyon too. He was the fastest after the first round in 165.96 then repeated the performance in the drive off over a slightly reduced course for a total of 320.57, which set him up perfectly for day two when the starting order reverses initial placings.
But he was pushed all the way by his old adversary and former champion Ijsbrand Chardon (NED) who was on flying form all weekend. Like Boyd, he was the only driver to have four clear rounds and finish on time only scores. The great Dutchman was slightly off the quickest times in his opening round early on Saturday morning, but he sped up in the drive off and produced a more precise round which secured him second place on 331.92.
It looked for a moment like Ijsbrand’s panache might reward him with the top spot when he was last to go in the deciding drive-off on Sunday afternoon, but Boyd had been too fast for him to catch so he ended 3.3 seconds behind on 165.85. But it was enough to secure second place and keep the flames of rivalry burning bright between the sport’s biggest names.
There wasn’t another early season victory for last year’s Lyon winner, Dries Degrieck (BEL), who despite posting two clears on Sunday couldn’t catch Boyd and Ijsbrand so took third with 169.34. It was a matching 1-2-3 on both days, a repeat of the 2023-24 season opener.
Wild card entry and crowd favourite Benjamin Aillaud (FRA) kept his French fans happy when he was fourth on both days, only toppling one ball in his opening round on Saturday and finishing on a combined total of 347.14, then time only on Sunday of 175.80. His lythe Lusitanos, who are a regular fixture on the outdoor circuit too, improve each time they appear at a World Cup and there’s every chance they will have the wild card ticket at the final in Bordeaux next February, as in previous years.
The remaining two competitors swapped their fifth and sixth places between the two competitions. Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) impressed against the clock during the first round and produced the second fastest round, but in doing so had a few knocks and had to add 16 seconds to his time. Adding another eight in the drive-off, his total was 360.06 which placed him fifth. It wasn’t his day on Sunday when several knocks plus a bell ring and clock stop due to a pair of cones having to be rebuilt meant he gained 26 penalties which added to his time gave him 205.57 for sixth.
Clearly changing gears between her rounds, Anna Mareike Meier (GER) took it relatively steady for her first outing, then stepped up against the clock for day one’s drive-off but added eight seconds to her time for 364.69 and sixth. Sunday’s round was much more competitive and had she not knocked a cone to add four seconds, she would have been ahead of Benjamin, but her total put her just 1.43 behind on 177.23 for fifth.
Due to the early morning timetabling of competition one in Lyon, there is the opportunity for all the drivers to come forward for the drive off and their scores are the combination of both rounds for day one’s placings. The second competition is more conventional with only the fastest three returning for the drive-off and the scores go back to zero, so the top three places are taken from the drive-off, and places four to six are taken from the first round.
Experienced course builder Jerome Houterman (NED) designed an open, flowing course which was ideal to start the season. There were not too many alternatives or tight turns, and he made the most of the large dimensions of the Equita Lyon arena to include a bridge and place the second marathon-type obstacle, number 10, on either side of it, which was a bit different.
Boyd is on course to gain maximum qualifying points during the season and now sits ahead in the standings with ten points. Ijsbrand earned seven from his second place, with Dries on five, Anna Mareike on three and Jérôme on two. It’s a quick turnaround for Team Exell as they are the only crew from Lyon going to the second leg next weekend in Maastricht (NED) when they will line up against father and daughter Christoph and Anna Sandmann (GER) who are making their World Cup debut together. Plus, there’s Fredrik Persson (SWE) and Glenn Geerts (BEL) who are both bringing out their Lipizzaner teams for a second season. Koos de Ronde (NED) is the wild card, a famous name missing from the qualified drivers this season, but that won’t matter much to the home crowd who will be cheering him on.
Full results here.
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