World Four-in-Hand Driving Championships Aachen | GOLD for Boyd Exell and Team Netherlands
After three days of competition across the first two phases—dressage and marathon—the World Four-in-Hand Driving Championships in Aachen concluded today with the cones driving phase. Rarely have the margins between competitors and in the team standings been so narrow, or the tension so high. As Boyd Exell put it: “At the end of the day, we know if it’s crying or smiling.”
Wayne van Niekerk kicked off the final, decisive phase today under sunny skies at Stadium 2. It remained dry all day, which was naturally a great relief for the drivers and everyone in attendance. Marcel Luder was the first to make a serious attempt at finishing within the time limit. Unfortunately for him, four balls fell, but his run demonstrated just how tight the time allowed was.
After the break, Daniel Schneiders was the first driver to finish with fewer than ten penalty points, incurring one ball down and a small amount of time penalties (6.25). Subsequently, penalty counts dropped rapidly as drivers edged closer to a "double clear" (fault-free and within the time).
Bram wins the cones phase with a clear round
Koos de Ronde knocked down one ball, but his time penalty was minimal—bringing him even closer to a zero-penalty score—yet it was cones specialist Bram Chardon who ultimately pulled it off! He was ecstatic, gasping for breath with excitement and shouting for joy.
Three drivers remained who had to defend their virtual podium positions. Chester Weber knocked down a ball early in the course, knowing he could not afford any further errors if he wanted to maintain his standing in the overall classification. Dries Degrieck also had to keep his cool and avoid mistakes to secure the silver medal. Slight time penalty for Exell
The same applied to Boyd Exell: make no mistakes, keep the balls on the cones, and drive smoothly at a high pace. Both drivers performed at their best and delivered the goods. Boyd—with Melissa Van Den Berge (wife and groom of team member Tor) joining his top groom Emma Olssen on the back of the carriage—kept all the balls on the cones but incurred a fraction of a time penalty. This placed him second behind Bram. Dries took one and a half seconds longer but finished third in the cones course. Thus, Bram Chardon was the only one to drive a clear round within the time limit!
World Champion for the Eighth Time
It has rarely been this close, but Boyd Exell has done it again: he has successfully defended his title and is the 2026 World Champion! For the very first time, Dries Degrieck stands on an international championship podium—wearing a silver medal, no less—and achieves this feat at the World Championships in prestigious Aachen. Meanwhile, Chester Weber takes the bronze, setting a world record in the dressage phase in the process. What a magnificent podium!
Grateful and Happy Winners
Afterward, Boyd said: “I am so grateful to my horses. They did it for me. My 19-year-old wheeler, Checkmate—a personal favorite—was fantastic today, and I had great communication with my leaders.”
In addition to praising his team and horses, Dries also commended the organization and the atmosphere in Aachen: “I am so happy to be standing here with my horses.”
Chester is also grateful: “I feel honored to stand here, and I am deeply grateful to my sponsors, my family, and especially my 21-year-old horse, Amadeus. He carried me through all three phases of the competition.”
The Netherlands Retains the World Title
The team competition was also incredibly tense. Germany led after the dressage; Australia took the lead after the marathon; but ultimately, thanks to the outstanding driving skills of both Bram Chardon and Koos de Ronde, the Netherlands claimed the world title!
Australia finished second, delivering superb performances from Boyd Exell and Tor Van Den Berge, despite not having a third team member’s score to use as a ‘drop score.’ Belgium secured the bronze with super-talents Dries Degrieck and Glenn Geerts, alongside the experienced Tom Stokmans.
“A true team effort”
Bram speaks on behalf of the golden trio: “We really delivered a team effort, as all three of us played our part in this competition. I won the cones phase; I faced some setbacks before the marathon started, but Koos and my father did an excellent job.”
During the prize-giving ceremony, it wasn’t just the winners who were celebrated and rewarded; the grooms also received a lovely memento of this fantastic World Championship in Aachen. To conclude with the wonderful words of commentator Sarah Dance: “Thank you all and stay safe, wherever you are in the world.”
Also read
