Photo: FEI/Richard Juilliart.
Equestrian Driving, the sport that combines athletic horses, daredevil drivers and state-of-the-art carriages, has been given a valuable boost today with the allocation of five major events over the next three years.
The showdown for the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final 2019, the culmination of tough global qualifiers broadcast on more than 40 television channels in 19 countries, will take place in the elegant French city of Bordeaux following allocation by the FEI Bureau.
“Driving is an exciting, high-octane sport and the crowds just love it,” FEI Driving Director Manuel Bandeira de Mello said. “Driving requires spectacular skills, the horses are clever and fast – the ultimate horsepower. This is all about precision at speed; it’s adrenaline-fueled and unbelievably electrifying.”
The FEI Bureau, the body responsible for the general direction of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), also allocated four Driving Championships at World and European level in 2020 and 2021 to venues in the French Pyrenees and the Loire Valley, Mezőhegyes – home to Hungary’s state stud farm – and to Kronenberg in The Netherlands.
Close to nature
Nine other events were allocated by the FEI Bureau, including the FEI European Endurance Championship 2019, which will take place at Great Britain’s 200-acre Euston Park venue, set in Thetford Forest – the UK’s largest lowland pine area.
2019
- FEI Driving World Cup™ Final – Bordeaux (FRA), 7-10 February
- FEI European Endurance Championship – Euston Park (GBR), 15-18 August
- FEI European Championships for Ponies (Jumping, Dressage & Eventing) – Strzegom (POL), 15-18 August
2020
- FEI Jumping European Championship for Young Riders, Juniors and Children – Vilamoura (POR), 21-26 July
- FEI Jumping European Championship for Veterans – Fontainebleau (FRA), 24-27 September
- FEI Dressage European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors – Hartpury (GBR), 27 July – 2 August
- FEI Eventing European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors – Hartpury (GBR), 27 July – 2 August
- FEI Driving World Championship for Singles – Pau (FRA), 21-26 October
- FEI Driving World Championship for Young Horses – Mezöhegyes (HUN), 10-13 September
- FEI Driving European Championship for Young Drivers, Juniors & Children – Lamotte Beuvron (FRA), dates TBC
- FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses – Madrid (ESP), 21-24 May or 4-7 June
- FEI Endurance European Championship for Young Riders & Juniors – Vic (ESP), 25-27 September
- FEI Vaulting European Championship for Juniors – Flyinge (SWE), 28 July – 2 August
2021
- FEI Driving World Championship for Ponies – Kronenberg (NED), end August – mid September
Media contact:
Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
Email: ruth.grundy@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 145