25 August 2017
Gothenburg: Dutch in the lead after Dressage
The Dutch four-in-hand drivers have started the European Championships in Gothenburg very well. 2013 European Champion Theo Timmerman won the dressage, followed by his compatriot IJsbrand Chardon. Belgium's Edouard Simonet finished in an excellent third position.
Photo: Krisztina Horváth
German driver Mareike Harm was the first competitor in the arena this morning at the Heden Arena in the middle of Gothenburg City. Mareike drover a good test and was awarded with the fourth place. She is closely followed by German Champion Christoph Sandmann. The German Team are on silver after Dressage, with eight points difference to the Dutch, who are heading towards their fifth consecutive golden team medal.
Third Dutch team member Koos de Ronde finished in sixth position and celebrated his success on the large podium in the Heden Promo Village together with the five drivers who finished in front of him. The third member of the German Team Georg von Stein put down a good performance with the help of Boyd Exell and two of Exell’s horses, finishing in seventh place. Benjamin Aillaud from France set the same score with his impressive team of Arabo Friesian horses, staying close enough to the top drivers to ensure an exciting marathon tomorrow.
With Edouard Simonet in the Top Three and Glenn Geerts in ninth position, the Belgian team is on bronze at the moment.
Great Britain’s Level 4 Course Designer Barry Hunter has laid out a wonderful marathon course for the 21 drivers, including eight fantastic obstacles in the Slottsskogen Park in the middle of the City. A very large crowd is expected, which promised a perfect opportunity for the drivers to show their skills to many enthusiastic spectators.
