WC Four-in-Hand Aachen | Obstacles: Koos de Ronde wins tough marathon; Australia takes the lead
After two eventful days of dressage—which saw Chester Weber emerge victorious and Germany take the lead following the opening phase—today’s marathon took place across the rolling terrain of the Aachener Soers. Eight magnificent obstacles, designed by German course builder Alexander Flocke, awaited the 53 competitors who started the event today.
The eight long obstacles, set along a course of nearly nine kilometers, were all technically demanding, yet offered drivers plenty of options to choose their best lines. The ground was wet, so the later starters, in particular, knew they might have to contend with mud in the frequently driven turns.
Koos de Ronde sets the pace in the marathon
South African Wayne van Niekerk crossed the start line at 10:00 AM. The day began with cool weather, though fortunately, it remained dry. Team drivers Tor Van Den Berge (Australia) and Tom Stokmans (Belgium) demonstrated that the obstacles could be driven at high speed, although Tom lost some time at the third obstacle and knocked down a ball.
Immediately afterwards, Koos de Ronde showed just how fast it was really possible to go. Driving fluidly and faultlessly from the first obstacle to the last, he posted the fastest times on every single one, leaving everyone waiting to see if anyone could beat his records. Austrian team driver Daniel Schneiders was the first to manage to shave a little time off Koos’s results in a few of the obstacles.
Grooms keep Glenn in the driver’s seat
Glenn Geerts had a narrow escape at the final obstacle. At the very last gate, his carriage slid against the post with such force that he nearly fell off. His horses came to a very well-behaved halt immediately, and Glenn’s navigator and backstepper managed to help their driver back onto the box seat. Kudos to the grooms! Grimacing in pain and disbelief, he made his way out of the obstacle, and once across the finish line, he was able to catch his breath. Fortunately, he was still able to turn around and embrace his partner. He finished in 14th place.
IJsbrand Chardon, starting right after Glenn, began the obstacles with speed and vigor. He lost some ground in the sixth obstacle, where a ball fell, causing him to slip to 10th place in the standings. Anna Mareike Meier, who had placed sixth in the dressage, also drove a very solid marathon. Steering her four-in-hand team smoothly and expertly through the obstacles, she finished in eleventh place.
Anna Mareike Meier, who placed sixth in the dressage, also drove a very clean marathon. Steering her four-in-hand with fluidity and precision through the obstacles, she finished eleventh.
Top 10 spots for all the Dutch drivers
Bram Chardon had to decide that morning to make a change to his marathon team; partly due to the ground conditions—which had become heavy by then—he drove at a slightly adjusted pace. However, he drove a faultless round, finishing one place ahead of his father. Consequently, all the Dutch drivers secured spots in the top ten.
The real competitive intensity arrived when Czech driver Radek Nesvacil took to the course. He made a serious bid for the top spot, clocking the fastest times in two of the eight obstacles. He lost some time and knocked down a ball in the third obstacle, ultimately finishing fourth in the marathon.
Stamina and well-chosen lines prove invaluable
With a brief rain shower occurring mid-afternoon, the final ten drivers on the start list faced tough conditions on the churned-up ground within the obstacles. However, Boyd Exell had tailored his lines so effectively to his horses that he maintained a smooth, fast pace, consistently ranking among the leaders and finishing third.
The horses of Dries Degrieck—third after the dressage—also demonstrated tremendous stamina. He achieved top-three finishes in seven of the eight obstacles but just missed beating Koos de Ronde in six of them. He finished in second place, just ahead of Boyd.
Dressage winner Chester Weber was the last to start. With all eyes upon him, he drove a solid marathon but had to settle for fourteenth place. Top three closely bunched
In the provisional standings, Boyd Exell has taken the lead from Chester Weber, who has now dropped to third place. Meanwhile, Dries Degrieck has moved up to a virtual silver-medal position. Dries and Chester need to make up 5.5 points and just over 7 points respectively on Boyd to contend for the win, though the likes of cones specialist Bram Chardon could still upset their plans.
Australia leads the team standings
Thanks to Tor Van Den Berge’s steadily improving marathon performance—moving him up to 12th place—and Boyd holding the lead, Australia currently tops the team standings (308.06).
The entire Dutch team is also well-placed in the provisional rankings, with Bram Chardon in fourth, Koos de Ronde in eighth, and IJsbrand right behind in ninth. They need to make up just over two points on the Australian team to clinch the victory (310.37). The Belgians are close behind the Dutch, trailing by less than half a point (310.82), while the German team drivers also remain very much in contention (316.69).
Suspense until the final driver: who will be World Champion?
Tomorrow’s cones competition promises to be incredibly exciting, as nothing is certain regarding individual or team medals. As Bram Chardon previously remarked: "The competition has never been this wide open!"
The first driver, Wayne van Niekerk, will start at 08:30 on the cones course set up in Stadium 2. Once all drivers have completed their rounds, the World Champion will be known and the winning nation of the team competition determined, followed by the prize-giving ceremony.
Click here for the individual standings
Click here for team standings
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