While our official team is yet to be named for the FEI World Championships for four-in-hand driving in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, two drivers have been listed as Nominated Entries. Five-time World Champion Boyd Exell will be hoping to add to his record, while Tor Van Den Berge will be looking to make his four-in-hand Championship debut. The event begins with the first horse inspection on 21 September.

BOYD EXELL

Australia’s most successful international equestrian, Boyd Exell, will be hoping to add a sixth World Championship title to his trophy cabinet if he’s named as a Definite Entry for Pratoni this month.

As there is no four-in-hand driving at the Olympics, World Championships for four-in-hand driving are held every two years – in the past as part of WEG and then also stand-alone championships. With the last scheduled championships cancelled due to Covid, it’s been a long four years for driving enthusiasts – and of course competitors. “The cancellation of the World Championships in 2020 was a huge disappointment, but we are all excited for Pratoni so we can give the horses a chance to show their talent,” says Boyd.

The Valkenswaard-based driving sensation has enjoyed plenty of success in the past at World Championships, taking home the gold medal at the 2010 WEG in Kentucky; 2012 FEI World Four-In-Hand Championship in Riesenbeck; 2014 WEG in Caen; 2016 FEI World Four-In-Hand Championships in Breda; and also at the last championships held in 2018 at WEG in Tryon. Boyd says the most memorable of those wins was his first gold in Kentucky: “It felt like it was a long time coming; winning bronze at the 2008 FEI World Four-In-Hand Championships in Beesd was a taste of what was possible.”

For Pratoni, Boyd has 10 horses nominated: Carlos, Checkmate, Hero, Ivor, Celviro and Lodewijk, owned by Exell Holding BV; Daan 8, owned by Misdee Wrigley Miller; Neapolitano Nimrod, owned by Sarah Garnett; Jalmer, owned by Wayne Van Niekirk; and Interessant, owned by Ian Olivier.

“I am lucky to have huge strength in numbers of top-quality horses for the team,” says Boyd of his options when it comes to selecting a final team of four. “I will make my choice based on feeling in the last few weeks running up to the competition, but usually the older, more experienced horses will be the ones to make the cut.” With four-in-hand driving requiring so much horsepower, Boyd says having great owners in the mix is always important, as are sponsors, grooms and all the other people that support and help along the way. In combined driving sport, the groom in particular has many roles to play, as they don’t just prepare and care for the horses but also have a role during the competition on the carriage. As such, Boyd explains that a good, capable groom is essential to success.

Assuming Boyd is selected when the Definite Entries are announced on 14 September, the aim will be a gold medal, having taken home five World Championship titles previously. Despite his dominance in the sport, Boyd says there are a number of other competitors to look out for, in particular the Dutch drivers. That being said, his focus will be firmly on his own team performance: “The aim is always to keep focused and drive my own competition.”

TOR VAN DEN BERGE

Having worked with harness horses on the farm as a kid, Tor always had an interest in driving – although for many years he followed his other passion, dressage, and was successful at Grand Prix level. The driving bug was reignited when he broke in a harness pony for then-five-year-old daughter Olivia; he began with a few ponies and then went into partnership with friend Ross Carbery on a pair of carriage horses – initially as a hobby. He’s never looked back. In 2016 at the FEI World Four-In-Hand Championships in Breda, the Netherlands, Tor had the chance to be on the back of the carriage with Australian Mark Peel, and he decided to then stay on at Boyd Exell’s to train. In 2019, he and his family relocated to the Netherlands on a more permanent basis – and carriage driving certainly became more than a hobby!

Tor initially began driving in pairs events – and actually competed at the FEI World Championships for Pairs last year – but in recent times has stepped up to the challenge of four-in-hand driving. He says he started out with the pair to get some competition experience in Europe, but always with the ambition to compete four-in-hand and on an Australian team with Boyd. As you might expect, the five-time World Champion has had a strong influence on Tor’s driving journey to date: “It’s been so valuable to work with him for the training and also the understanding of the Dutch harness horse.

“The four-in-hand is a whole new sport and I have three new, young horses in the team. Apart from two four-in-hand competitions I did at the end of 2020, this is my first year competing teams!” says Tor, adding that while driving pairs is of course different, the experience of competing at that World Championship has provided a good grounding for what may lie ahead at Pratoni. “Any FEI competition is tough, but a World Championship is another level… so having composure competing with the pair certainly helps with the four-in-hand team.”

Although Tor’s primary focus this past year has been qualifying a four-in-hand team for the World Championships, he hasn’t parted ways with his dressage roots and says he has still been enjoying competing in the Netherlands with some really nice dressage horses. “Competing in so many big competitions with the dressage horses has certainly helped with dealing with the pressure of competition and understanding throughness, which is just as important for the carriage horses,” explains Tor.

Also benefitting from competition experience are the two carriage horses Tor took to the FEI World Championships for Pairs, Carbery Estate Cato and Carbery Estate Chino, who have also taken the step up to team driving. “Their competition experience makes them invaluable to our team. We can’t do without our girls!” says Tor. Cato and Chino are both owned by Carbery Estate and were bred in Australia by Ross Carbery and Miriam Bentley, who Tor says have long been incredible supporters.

Joining the two chestnut mares on Tor’s list of six nominated horses for the FEI World Championships in Pratoni are Indiana, owned by Leo van der Burgt; Jeebert, owned by Hans Verhoeven; Kerosine, owned by L. van der Burgt Beheer B.V and Nanda Soeterboek; and Kingston, owned by Harrie van Hoof.

When Definite Entries are announced on 14 September, it’s likely we’ll see Tor flying the Australian flag alongside Boyd in Pratoni – an exciting prospect for Aussie equestrian fans. “It’s so fantastic,” says Tor. “It’s been a tough few years with Covid and it’d be a great honour to represent Australia.” EQ

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