Successful ICDA Lobby Secures Additional Four-in-Hand World Championship Entries

Traditionally, when the Four-in-Hand World Championship is held as a standalone championship, each nation is limited to three team drivers. Thanks to a proposal submitted by the International Carriage Drivers Association (ICDA), two additional individual starting places per nation will now be available in Aachen.

Practical Conditions

The decision follows a review of the nominated entries received for the championship. According to the organisers, the venue has sufficient capacity to accommodate up to five Four-in-Hand competitors per nation, provided that all participating National Federations agree to a number of practical conditions.

These conditions mainly relate to the available space at the venue. Some competitors will be required to share tack rooms, horses belonging to the same driver may be stabled in different stable aisles, and no additional accommodation will be provided for extra grooms or individual competitors. Parking allocations per competitor will also remain unchanged, while the competition schedule is likely to be extended through earlier starting times, longer competition days, or a combination of both.

National Federations were given until Wednesday, 8 July, to raise any objections to these conditions. Should objections be received, the maximum number of competitors per nation will be reduced to four.

A Positive Development for the Sport

The additional starting places will allow more drivers to compete at a World Championship without affecting the size of the national teams. For countries with a strong depth of talent, the decision provides an excellent opportunity to give more drivers valuable experience at the highest international level.

What is the ICDA?

The International Carriage Drivers Association (ICDA) is the international representative body for competitive carriage drivers. The organisation represents drivers’ interests in discussions with the FEI and organisers of international events. In addition, the ICDA works to support the fair and sustainable development of the sport by contributing to discussions on competition rules, championship formats, safety and the representation of drivers within international driving sport. The request to increase the number of competitors for the World Championship in Aachen originated from the ICDA and was approved following discussions with both the FEI and the championship organisers.

Click here for the nominated entries for the World Championship in Aachen