Boyd Exell was the Combined Driving champion here at Aachen.

With international travel on hold and Equestrian Life's 2020 tour cancelled due to Covid-19, we take a look back at the highlights from our 2019 tour with Roger Fitzhardinge. From behind the scenes stable visits to CHIO Aachen, it was certainly a holiday to remember!

By Equestrian Life

The final day of CHIO Aachen is upon us!

Today saw the CDIO5* Dressage, the deciding cones phase in the driving, and the Rolex Grand Prix Showjumping (underway at time of writing!)

FULL RESULTS.

IMAGE GALLERY.

Driving

Australian Boyd Exell has won the Prize of Family Richard Talbot, which is the Individual Classification of Combined Driving Competition here at CHIO Aachen. Over the course the event, three phases contributed to the drivers’ final scores: dressage, marathon and cones. Boyd dominated the dressage phase to top the list, and yesterday on the marathon course he finished a close third – which meant he retained his overall lead heading into today’s cones phase.

Boyd Exell flying through the cones.

Boyd Exell salutes the crowd.

Boyd delivered a masterclass in the first round of the cones today with his team, leaving all the balls on the cones to gallop home in a very quick time. Just 2.37 time penalties to his name; a small mishap where the team nearly clipped a flower box required some expert manoeuvring from the master. Only a moment lost, but probably the difference in time between his round and the fastest clear round produced by Dutchman Koos de Ronde, who finished with 0.73 time penalties. Nevertheless, Boyd took the ultimate prize!

The Dutch drivers, Koos de Ronde and IJsbrand Chardon, high five their whips as they cross paths.

The final combined driving results were Boyd and his team (Celviro / 01C: Checkmate / 01D: Daphne / 01E: Ivor) first on 158.57, Koos de Ronde second on 164.10, and IJsbrand Chardon third on 166.02.

Congratulations Boyd!

At Aachen, there is also a second round in the cones to decide the “cones champion”, however this round does not contribute to the overall combined driving championship results, nor the Nations Cup result. Boyd unfortunately had one ball down in the “drive off”, and finished in second place behind France’s Thibault Coudry – the Dutch drivers also accrued penalties in the final round and finished sixth and seventh.

The Netherlands won the driving Nations Cup team classification, with France and Belgium filling the minor placings.

Dressage

Today was the Grand Prix Freestyle CDIO5*, the pinnacle of the dressage events here at CHIO Aachen.

Isabell Werth and Bella Rose had enjoyed success in the Grand Prix and the Special earlier at the event, and were looking to score the hat trick today in the Freestyle. Well, that’s exactly what they did – if only just! The pair danced their way to a mammoth score of 90.450%, with piaffe and passage the highlights.

Isabell Werth and Bella Rose won the CDIO5* Freestyle.

Second place went to fellow German Dorothee Schneider and Showtime FRH, a seriously stunning horse that could have very easily been the winner. They scored 89.660%, just falling short of Isabell’s score. In third was Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB on 87.595%, giving Germany the top three placings!

Dorothee Schneider and Showtime.

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB were third.

Denmark’s Cathrine Dufour and Bohemian were fourth on 85.390%, while Charlotte Dujardin and Erlentanz were next on 83.995%. Then came Adrienne Lyle and Salvino on 83.560%, Therese Nilshagen and Dante Weltino on 83.395%, Daniel Bachmann Andersen and Blue Hors Don Olymbrio on 80.250%, Antonia Ramel and Brother de Jeu on 79.595%, and Claudio Castilla Ruiz rounding out the top ten on Alcaide with 79.385%.

Charlotte Dujardin and Erlentanz in the flying changes.

We are now heading up into the stands to watch the Rolex Grand Prix showjumping, an incredibly prestigious event that draws the largest crowd across all events here at Aachen. The start list is out and the atmosphere is quickly building – stay tuned for results!

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