22 November 2013

Apeldoorn candidate for World four-in-hand Championships 2016

Palace Het Loo and the ‘Kroondomeinen’, the adjacent forest, will be put forward as candidate to host the FEI World four-in-hand driving Championships 2016.

Palace Het Loo hosted these World Championships also in 1976, 1982 and 1988. Tjeerd Velstra won his first individual gold medal in Apeldoorn in 1982, in 1988 it was IJsbrand Chardon who won his first World Championship at the beautiful site of Het Loo.

The Province of Gelderland is enthusiastic about the plans to organise the World four-in-hand driving Championships in 2016. The initiative joins the policy of the Province to host big events in Gelderland. The major of Apeldoorn John Berends, who is a driver himself, supports the plans.

Four-time World Champion Ijsbrand Chardon is clear: “Apeldoorn is the most beautiful location for the World four-in-hand driving Championships, there is no doubt about it.”
Four-in-hand driver Hans Heus, who lives in Gelderland, is also very supportive: “There is only one location in the Netherlands for the World four-in-hand driving Championships 2016 and that is Palace Het Loo. The four-in-hand sport has its home at Het Loo and many drivers agree with me.”
Two-time World Champion Boyd Exell from Australia is also excited is about the idea to hold the Championships in Apeldoorn.

The OC will use the enthusiastic and experienced volunteersorganisation of the CAI Beekbergen.