Driving is one of the most spectacular, adrenaline-fuelled equestrian sports, with fearless horse and driver teams displaying incredible skill, stamina and versatility.
Annual Report 2018
FEI Driving
& Para Driving
2018 FEI Driving facts and figures
1,049
Athletes
(+13% since 2009)
2,823
Horses
(-3% since 2009)
296
International events
(+89% since 2007)
28
Countries hosted international events
2018 FEI Para Driving facts and figures
38
Athletes
(+443% since 2009)
40
Horses
(+567% since 2009)
Top 3 NFs with events in Driving
FRA
USA
POL/AUT
Greatest increase since 2017: Slovenia with +10 events
Top 3 NFs with registered athletes in Driving:
FRA/NED
GER
USA
Greatest increase since 2017: Great Britain with +15 athletes
Top 3 NFs with registered horses in Driving:
NED
GER
HUN
Greatest increase since 2017: Germany with +32 horses
Major events in 2018
An important year for FEI Driving and Para Driving which started with the crowning of the FEI Driving World Cup™ Champion Boyd Exell in Bordeax (FRA), followed by FEI Driving and Para Driving World Championships for singles in Kronenberg (NED); FEI Driving World Championships for Young Horses in Mezohegyes (HUN) and culminating in the ultimate prize, which was once again bagged by the skilful Australian Boyd Exell at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon (USA), where the host nation claimed team gold.
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- Watch all the main events live and on replay on FEI TV
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FEI Driving World Cup™ Final, Bordeaux (FRA)
Excitement until the “very last second” is what Dutch course designer Jeroen Houterman was aiming for as he lay out the cones and obstacles for the FEI World Cup™ Driving Final in Bordeaux and that’s just what he got.
Australia’s Boyd Exell took the crown for the eighth time, nearly five seconds ahead of his closest rival in a nail-biting drive-off. His superb horses charged through the course, heads down and all business, as focused as their human driver in this competition of speed, precision, concentration, and communication. Exell’s efforts, as well as those of navigator Emma Olsen and backstepper Hugh Scott-Barrett, were well rewarded, shaving seconds off the clock thanks to their synchronised manoeuvres on the back of the carriage.
17th
Season
7
Qualifiers
7
drivers
Podium
Jérôme Voutaz (SUI)
Boyd Exell (AUS)
Koos De Ronde (NED)
FEI Driving and Para Driving World Championships Singles, Kronenberg (NED)
It was a close call between Polish driver Bartlomiej Kwiatek and Saskia Siebers (NED) in the single horse competition, but in the end Kwiatek and Sonet’s score of 139.27 was good enough to claim the world title. Siebers won silver with Axel, while Marion Vignaud and Winston took home the bronze for France.
The team competition provided Siebers with the gold medal she longed for. Together with her teammates she took the win for The Netherlands ahead of France and Poland in silver and bronze.
The World Para Driving Championship was also tinted with Dutch orange as they scooped five medals with wins in Grade I, Grade II and the Team competition. The Dutch also won bronze in Grade I and II with Germany taking silver each time.
Driving Team Podium
FRA
NED
POL
Driving Individual Podium
Saskia Siebers (NED) and Axel
Bartlomiej Kwiatek (POL) and Sonet
Marion Vignaud (FRA) and Winston W
Para Driving Team Podium
GER
NED
GBR
Para Driving Grade I Podium – Individual
Heiner Lehrter (GER) and Dashwood
Jacques Poppen (NED) and Anniek Van De Ooesterzanden
Martje Witvoet (NED) and Havehoeve’s Boy
Para Driving Grade II Podium – Individual
Alexandra Roder (GER) and Equistar Lucie
Francisca Den Elzen (NED) and Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars
Aad Van Marwijk (NED) and Kyra
FEI Driving World Championships for Young Horses, Mezohegyes (HUN)
In the lead-up to the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon, the FEI Driving World Championships for Young Horses took place in Mezohegyes (HUN), putting the five, six and seven-year-old future talents to the test.
Germany triumphed in all three categories: Adele M, driven by Bettina Winkler, claimed the five-year-olds; the six-year-old category was won by FST Charly Brown and Jessica Wächter; and, Fortino and Marie Tischer claimed the seven-year-old division.
Podium (5-year-old)
Frombork and Bartlomiej Kwiatek (POL)
Adele M and Bettina Winkler (GER)
Finesse 374 and Alexander Bösch (AUT)
Podium (6-year-old)
FST Laurin and Lars Krüger (GER)
FST Charly Brown and Jessica Wächter (GER)
Renesans and Bartlomiej Kwiatek (POL)
Podium (7-year-old)
Greydanus and Cristiano Cividini (ITA)
Fortino and Marie Tischer (GER)
Loxia and Weronika Kwiatek (POL)
FEI World Equestrian Games™, Tryon (USA)
Boyd Exell produced a driving dressage masterclass with a team of horses he rates as his “best ever” on his way to a third individual gold medal at the FEI World Equestrian Games™. For Exell, it was his greatest dressage performance to date, but with American Chester Weber hot on his heels, the Australian knew that he could not let his guard down.
Home-favourite Weber kept up the pressure, and when the braking system of the all-conquering Australian was compromised during the marathon, things could have taken an unexpected turn. However, Exell kept his cool and came through with the third best score of the day, increasing his overall lead. In the closing cones phase, Exell came in second, which earned him the gold medal almost 10 points ahead of Weber in silver. Edouard Simonet from Belgium took the bronze.
After three long days of intense competition, and missing individual gold by a heartbeat, Weber did take home team gold for the USA together with his compatriots James Fairclough and Misdee Wrigley-Miller. Silver went to the Dutch and bronze to Belgium.
5
Teams
19
Athletes
9
Countries
Team Podium
NED
USA
BEL
Individual Podium
Chester Weber (USA)
Boyd Exell (AUS)
Edouard Simonet (BEL)