FEI World Cup Driving Update: Preview Den Bosch

From 17 to 20 March, the Brabanthallen in 's-Hertogenbosch will host the only FEI World Cup Driving event in the Netherlands. The top five drivers of the standings after 's-Hertogenbosch qualify to compete in the last competition in Gothenburg, which takes place the week following 's-Hertogenbosch (26-27 March). The popular Dutch four-in-hand driver Ysbrand Chardon will, if he wins at Indoor Brabant, end on the same amount of points as triple World Cup winner Michael Freund. This will make the last competition in Gothenburg an absolute sensation cracker. But Chardon¹s opponents in 's-Hertogenbosch are to be counted for. Sweden's Tomas Eriksson, currently in sixth position in the standings, will have to win or come second in the renewed Brabanthallen in order to end in the top five, which currently consists of Michael Freund, Boyd Exell, Werner Ulrich, Ysbrand Chardon and Chester Weber. Hungary's Joszef Dobrovitz and Zoltan Lazar as well as Eriksson's compatriot Jan-Erik Palsson will offer Chardon and Eriksson strong competition in the Brabanthallen.

Indoor Brabant, always looking for renewing their programme, has scheduled an extra driving competition on Thursday evening, March 17th, to decide who will receive the wild card. Six Dutch four-in-hand drivers; Harry de Ruyter, Mark Weusthof, Ton Monhemius, Hans Heus, Peter de Ronde and Herman ter Harmsel will compete against each other in this exciting competition. The winner receives the wild card and gets to stay the whole weekend.

The warm up competition (one round) will take place on Saturday March 19th at 17.20 hrs. The World Cup is scheduled on Sunday, March 20th, at 20.30 hrs. This competition will take place over two rounds, the best three competitors of the first round qualify for the second round.

For further information on the FEI World Cup Driving season, including standings, future competitions, driver's biographies, rules: www.worldcupdriving.com

Created in 2001, the Driving World Cup has provided an innovative new style of competition for indoor events, with courses combining marathon and cone driving obstacles. The 2004/2005 season of the World Cup includes seven
competitions: Hannover (GER), Stuttgart (GER), Stockholm (SWE), Mechelen
(BEL) in 2004; Leipzig (GER), 's-Hertogenbosch (NED) and Göteborg (SWE) in 2005. The top 5 after 6 events will qualify for the 7th event in Göteborg. The winner of the first three editions of the World Cup was Michael Freund (GER).


Media contact CAI-W 's-Hertogenbosch:
Gerrit Jan Swinkels, phone:             +31 653 212304      , e-mail: gjswinkels@hetnet.nl

For further information:
CAI-W 's-Hertogenbosch: www.indoorbrabant.nl
FEI: www.horsesport.org