Main image: Boyd Exell of Australia with his horses Celviro, Hero, Jelviro And Mad Max 81 won the marathon phase during FEI Four-in-Hand Driving World Championship, Szilvásvárad, Hungary. Image by FEI/Martin Dokoupil.
Using a team of experienced horses who are marathon specialists, including one from his indoor team, Boyd Exell produced a foot perfect round over a demanding course to win on 110.4. Added to his dressage score of 33.53 from Friday, his running total of 143.93 propels him 9.2 points ahead of the USA’s Chester Weber who slips to second on 153.13.
Boyd’s horses for the marathon were Celviro, Hero, Jelviro, and Mad Max 81.
Tor Van Den Berge kept the Aussie team in contention with his 24th placing in the marathon on 132.28, and is 19th overall individually. He and Boyd hold the silver medal position heading into the final cones phase. Australia is on 323.59, just behind the Netherlands on 320.74; with a team of two and no drop score, it’s a top effort from the Aussies!
Tor’s horses for the marathon were Carbery Estate Cato, Carbery Estate Chino, Indiana, and Kerosine.
Start times for Sunday’s cones:
Tor Van Den Berge: From 12.15pm CEST/8.15pm AEST
Boyd Exell: From 2pm CEST/10pm AEST
You can watch all the action from the FEI Driving World Championships via ClipMyHorse.TV.
Boyd Exell leads the field individually following the marathon, while the Australian team is in the silver medal position. Image by INEOS FEI Four-in-Hand Driving World Championship.
The other half of the Aussie team, Tor Van Den Berge (pictured here at a previous event), was 24th in the marathon and is 19th individually overall. Image by Krisztina Horvath – Hoefnet.
Although the European Champion Bram Chardon of the Netherlands has not yet won an individual world medal, he has given himself a great chance to change that after his strong and consistent round which saw him score 114.62 for second. Combined with his dressage mark, he rises up the standings to third on 157.74, 4.61 behind Chester.
Hopes were high for marathon maestro Michael Brauchle of Germany, who is often a winner in this phase. On the course immediately after Boyd, they split the spoils between them with four quickest times each through the eight obstacles. But a few hesitations and a late penalty ball in number seven kept him off the top spot for third on 115.73 and eighth going into the cones.
Fresh from his win in Austria in mid-August, Glenn Geerts of Blegium was one of the last out of the day. He drove a confident round for fourth on 117.16 which elevated him to fourth overall and puts him in sight of an individual medal. Another one who can go into Sunday’s cones with medal hopes is Germany’s Georg von Stein who was fifth on 118.75 to move into fifth overall, despite adding four penalty points to his times with two knockdown balls.
Always competitive on the marathon, Koos de Ronde of the Netherlands contributed to the change in team order as his score combined with Bram’s put The Netherlands in the lead on 320.74. With only two on the team, the pressure was on Tor van den Berge of Australia to drive well which he did to keep them in contention on 323.59. But there’s no room for cone or time penalties as the strong German team are only 0.18 behind on 323.77, although they have some breathing space as they are ahead of the Belgians who are lying fourth on 336.17.
Organisers believe there were 16,000 spectators who came to watch the marathon which was set on hilly ground above the town and stud. Despite it being another hot and dusty day, hordes of fans arrived early to enjoy the spectacle, clustering around the obstacles which were arranged on either side of a central gravel track. With music playing there was a festive feeling, and the loudest cheers were reserved for the nine Hungarian drivers, two of which were driving Lipizzaner horses that are kept at the Stud Farm. The team has also improved their chances of a medal thanks to the typically bold rounds from father and son Jόzsef Dobrovitz Snr and Jnr who contributed to their success.
Source: FEI press release by Sarah Dance / edited by Equestrian Life
