4 February 2018
Bordeaux 2018: Boyd XXL in Bordeaux
After a thrilling competition in Bordeaux, Boyd Exell proved to be at an extraordinary level and was crowned FEI World Cup™ Driving Champion for the eighth time in his career. The silver medal went to Jérôme Voutaz from Switzerland, while Dutchman Koos de Ronde took home the bronze, which resulted in the exact same podium as the 2017 World Cup Final in Gothenburg.
Boyd Exell
Photo: Krisztina Horváth
The three top drivers battled it out in the winning round over the shortened course, designed by Dutch level 4 Course Designer Jeroen Houterman, who was responsible for the course in the Final for the first time. Houterman had laid out a challenging course for the seven drivers, with fast and technical parts and nice to look at for the many enthusiastic spectators who witnessed the performances of the drivers, supported by encouraging music.
De Ronde was only 3.68 seconds behind Exell when he entered the winning round. Koos de Ronde gave it all, but knocked two balls down which resulted in the third place: “I am very happy with my podium place. Looking back at the season, this was the best I could do. Two of my best indoor horses were not fit before the season started, so I used two piebald horses from my father. In Leipzig I drove with horses from my brother, but this did not work out well. After Leipzig I was not sure about Bordeaux, so I did not expect this result. It was a good move to use my best outdoor horse for the speed, so I am very pleased.”
The difference between Voutaz and Exell was only 0.63 seconds and the Swiss mechanic, by profession, drove very fast through the course, cutting corners with his small Freiberger horses: “These horses really perform with their heart, they are just fantastic. I am able to take the shorter routes and this allows me to rival the best in the world.” Voutaz gave Exell just a little more air when he knocked a ball down in the last marathon obstacle, which in the end resulted in the second place for the successful Swiss driver.
Last man in the arena Boyd Exell could still feel the pressure, as he knew just one ball would diminish his chances for victory. After being beaten by Jérôme in Leipzig two weeks ago, Boyd was determined to win again. He had put in a more experienced leader horse in his team, which did a great job: “The fear of loosing keeps me going,” said Boyd at the press conference. Boyd had a knock down in the first round after loosing his concentration, which changed the whole game. In the winning round he kept his head clear and drove magnificently, not wasting any time or space which resulted in his eighth World Cup title.
Boyd was very pleased but mentioned that one of his most loyal team members, Sarah Garnett was greatly missed, as she had to stay home to look after her husband.
Boyd also announced that his sponsor Willy Naessens has renewed his sponsor contract for another three years: “It was a great win to win on behalf of Willy,” said Boyd.
Bordeaux 2018 was not the weekend for the Chardon family. Although Bram Chardon set the fastest time, he missed the top three when he knocked a ball off the last gate. He finished in fourth place at his first final outing, just ahead of his father Ijsbrand Chardon. Second World Cup debutant in the final, Belgium’s Glenn Geerts, came sixth ahead of Wild Card driver Benjamin Aillaud representing the host nation, who was the only driver to stay clear in the first round of today.
Results CAI-W Finale Bordeaux 2018:
- Boyd Exell (AUS) 297,42
- Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) 302,91
- Koos de Ronde (Zwartewaal) 315,89
- Bram Chardon (Schipluiden) 159,35
- IJsbrand Chardon (Schipluiden) 160,25
- Glenn Geerts (BEL) 163,92
- Benjamin Aillaud (FRA) 172,06
