Driving

The final day of the four-in-hand driving, the Prize of Event Rent GmbH, offered material for a Greek tragedy with all it entails. The German team were the tragic heroes in the Boehringer Ingelheim Nations’ Cup.

Bram Chardon (NED) remained superior in the third competition of the four-in-hand drivers, the obstacle driving test, the Prize of Event Rent GmbH, and triumphed ahead of Dries Degrieck (BEL) and Boyd Exell (AUS). Exell clinched his twelfth (!) victory in the Prize of Family Richard Talbot, the individual classification of the four-in-hand drivers, on an overall score of 146.27 minus points. The positive thing from a German point of view: Mareike Harm came second (167.64) and Georg von Stein third (167.97).

But that was the end of the good news for the German drivers. The national coach, Karl-Heinz Geiger, made no bones about it when he said “I am frustrated!”, referring to his team’s performance in the Boehringer Ingelheim Nations’ Cup. Not because they came second and the Dutch were able to add a further triumph to their series of victories at the Soers that is unbroken since 2007. That wasn’t the problem. But Germany had never got that close to snatching up the victory ever before. Mareike Harm, Michael Brauchle and Georg von Stein already headed the field after the dressage. They put in magnificent performances in the Marathon and had such a clear lead at the start of the cone driving competition, that their competing at all today just seemed like a formality. However, anyone who is familiar with Murphy’s Law knows: Anything that can go wrong, does.

It went wrong in Michael Brauchle’s round, he namely drove through the wrong obstacle with his team of horses and was thus eliminated. That was bitter! The European Champion of 2015 was crying when he drove from the arena. It was still possible for Georg von Stein and Mareike Harm to drive the victory home, but then one ball too many fell. The dream of the long-awaited triumph was shattered. “But I am delighted about the second and third place in the individual classification, with regards to the World Championships in Hungary,” the German Coach, Karl-Heinz Geiger, stated.

The Netherlands completed the Nations’ Cup on a total score of 334.520 minus points, the German score was 335.610. Third place went to Belgium on 352.560 minus points.

Hoards of visitors flooded into the grounds of the Aachen Soers today to watch the Marathon of the Four-in-Hand Drivers, the Prize of schwartz Group, live. They were offered driving sport at its finest.

“It is a nice course! Technical, but also with obstacles that allow you to gallop through at a high speed” – is how the German coach, Karl-Heinz Geiger, described the Marathon course of the Four-in-Hand Drivers, which was designed by Alexander Flocke and led to the day being a fantastic advertisement for the driving sport.
Boyd Exell from Australia, who came second in the dressage completed the obstacle course in the fastest time today. When he drove over the finish line he was beaming from ear to ear. Not only because he had won the Prize of schwartz Group, but above all because his team gave him a fantastic feeling today. “The horses put in a super performance. They worked together as a team and were in flow. It was great fun!”

With an overall score of 104.48 minus points, Boyd Exell asserted himself against Michael Brauchle, who finished on a total score of 110.56 minus points. Third place went to Austria’s Daniel Schneiders (112.25). Mareike Harm (116.86) secured herself a remarkable sixth place. On the one hand, she was the second best German driver, on the other hand it is an historical achievement because it is the highest placing that a women has ever attained in the Marathon at the Soers. And it also meant she climbed up to second place in the combined individual classification, the Prize of Family Richard Talbot. Boyd Exell is currently in the lead, with the winner of the dressage, Chester Weber (USA) in third place. Weber finished twelfth in today’s competition.

The overall result of the German drivers is also sensational, they are on track to put an end to the Dutch team’s unbroken series of wins at the Soers. The Netherlands have been unbeaten since 2007. On a combined score of 318.520 minus points, the German team currently hold a clear lead in the Boehringer Ingelheim Nations Cup, ahead of the Netherlands (328.140) and Australia (332,880).

The national coach was correspondingly satisfied with the outcome of the day: “I am incredibly proud that we have such a clear lead and that three Germans are ranking under the best six!”

Namely in addition to Mareike Harm, Michael Brauchle is presently in fourth place and Georg von Stein is sixth.

So, now we have to keep our fingers crossed for tomorrow’s cone driving competition, the Prize of Event Rent GmbH.

Before the four-in-hand drivers set off on their Marathon course tomorrow, absolute precision and mathematical skills were called for in the “Top Score” competition of the Prize of Fa. Horsch, Der Entsorger.

The “Top Score” competition of the Fa. Horsch, Der Entsorger is an obstacle driving class of the special kind. The driver doesn’t have to drive through the obstacles in a set order, he can choose freely which obstacles he takes within the space of three minutes. Points are awarded for each obstacle and the more difficult the task the higher the points awarded. The only rule is that each obstacle cannot be driven through more than twice. The driver that has collected the most points in the fastest time wins.

And today that was Boyd Exell from Australia. With his team comprising of Celviro, Checkmate, Hero and Ivor he was the only driver to collect 1,900 points. Hence, it didn’t matter that he wasn’t the fastest to cross the finish line, because the time is only decisive if there is a draw. Second place went to the driver from the Netherlands, Bram Chardon on a score of 1,840 points. The Swiss driver, Jérôme Voutaz, came third (1,820 points).

The first victory goes to the partner country, the USA, at the CHIO Aachen 2024! This was thanks to Chester Weber in the dressage competition of the Four-in-Hand Drivers in the Prize of Martello Immobilienmanagement GmbH & Co. KG – a fact which literally left him speechless for joy.

With a dynamic, supple performance, which impressed the judges, spectators and Chester Weber himself, the US American driver won the dressage test of the four-in-hand drivers in the Prize of Martello Immobilienmanagement GmbH & Co. KG hands down! His score: 35.59 minus points and thus a huge lead ahead of the eleven-time winner in Aachen, Boyd Exell from Australia (38.79 minus points). Third place went to Mareike Harm representing Germany (40.99).

Chester Weber was so overwhelmed about his victory that he couldn’t speak. Whereby, he didn’t really get the opportunity to say anything because he was immediately surrounded by a hoard of ecstatic fans after finishing his test. Boyd Exell was very pleased with his horses, but not really with himself – although his performance was exemplary in terms of its precision. Mareike Harm was unfortunate – or lucky – depending on how one sees it, because her team were highly motivated. As a result they weren’t quite as relaxed in the walk tour as the judges would have liked. Otherwise, they may even have claimed second place.

Even though she “only” finished third, Harm laid the foundation for Germany taking the lead in the Boehringer Ingelheim Nations’ Cup. With a total interim score of 91.10 minus points, together with Michael Brauchle and Georg von Stein the team currently lies ahead of Australia (94.630) and the eternal winners from the Netherlands (95.830), who have been unbeaten in the Nations’ Cup of the Four-in-Hand Drivers in Aachen since 2007. So, it promises to be exciting over the next few days!