FEI Driving World Championship Four-in-Hand: Koos de Ronde drives to victory in the Marathon
Thundering hooves, splashing water, breath-taking turns and a crowd that carried every team along the course: Today, the four-in-hand Marathon transformed the Cross-Country Course at the Soers – part of the Prize of schwartz Group – into a stage for top-level driving sport.
The expansive Marathon course vividly demonstrated the unique appeal of this discipline: High speed, technical precision and perfect coordination between the driver, grooms and horses. In the second phase of the FEI Driving World Championship Four-in-Hand, the world’s best drivers battled it out to gain valuable points in both the team and individual standings – and fought for every tenth of a second across eight challenging obstacle complexes. 53 four-in-hand carriages took part in the competition, facing conditions that demanded peak athletic performance while at the same time offering an impressive backdrop. An extraordinary atmosphere prevailed along the course from the very first run to the last. Enthusiastic applause accompanied the four-in-hand teams through the obstacles and the drivers often interacted with the crowd after successful passages.
Boyd Exell created a special moment for the spectators. The seven-time World Champion from Australia impressed with a rhythmic, precise drive; his team navigated even the tightest lines with remarkable ease. Time and again after clearing obstacles, the 54-year-old acknowledged the audience, giving a thumbs-up and waving to the crowd. “I really enjoyed the crowd today. The spectators practically carried us around the course. This atmosphere is totally special,” commented the experienced athlete, whose Marathon round was defined by clear lines, smooth transitions and pinpoint precision. Driving as tightly as possible through the trickiest obstacles without losing rhythm, the Australian drove into third place (110.48). This brought him a step closer to his ultimate goal: Claiming his eighth world champion title and the one World Championship victory that has so far eluded him at the Soers.
Koos de Ronde completed the demanding test in the fastest time. The Dutch driver secured the victory with a score of 108.39 penalty points. “It was fantastic. We were really in the flow and it was incredibly fun,” said de Ronde after his winning run. His words describe a round which combined speed and precision ideally. The 49-year-old found exactly the right lines through the obstacle complexes and confidently kept his team on track, even through the most technically demanding sections. The Belgian World Cup winner, Dries Degrieck, who finished second on 109.53 penalty points, was also very satisfed: “My horses are in excellent form. They worked brilliantly today and I am very happy with our run.”
The Marathon was the second phase of the FEI Driving World Championship Four-in-Hand. In the overall standings after the dressage and the Marathon, Boyd Exell leads on a score of 142.34 penalty points, ahead of Dries Degrieck (147.72) and the American driver, Chester Weber (149.61). The battle for the individual medals with thus remains wide open through to the final cones – the same also applies for the Team Competition. Australia enters the final as the leading nation with 308.06 penalty points, followed by the Netherlands on 310.37 points and Belgium on 310.82 points. Tomorrow, the gold, silver and bronze medals will be decided in the Prize of Event Rent GmbH.