Hannover-winner IJsbrand Chardon made his invitation pay off for the Organising Committee by putting down an excellent performance with his experienced team of Lipizzan horses. Chardon stole the show in the nearly fully booked Leipzig Messe, driving fast and sharp turns in the tricky course, designed by Dr. Wolfgang Asendorf (GER). Four times World Champion Chardon was not pleased with his horses after the last Qualifier in Mechelen at the end of December and started to train his horses three times a week. Chardon used the competition in Leipzig to put his horses to the test. His training efforts surely paid off as Chardon was on fire in Leipzig.

In the first round, Chardon had an unnecessary knock down which made him finish three seconds behind Eriksson, who had driven the only clear round so far. Chardon gave everything he had in the Winning Round, which took place over a shortened course. By driving sharp and fast turns, Chardon set a very fast time and a clear round which Eriksson was unable to beat. After 2007 and 2009, this year’s victory was Chardon’s third win at the FEI World Cup competition in Leipzig.

 

The competition in Leipzig was of Tomas Eriksson’s last chance to make it to the Final. Eriksson knew that he had to drive a clear first round, but could not allow himself to take it too easy. The double World Champion drove an excellent clear round and knew he was safe for a Top Three placing and thus a place for the Final as soon as he passed the finish line with his team of Swedish warm blood geldings. In the Winning Round, Tomas missed a shortcut to the last gate of a marathon obstacle, which cost him precious seconds. Tomas also knocked two balls down, but this did not put his second place and his ticket to the Final to danger.

Second wild card driver Christoph Sandmann had good memories of Leipzig, where he won the FEI World Cup Driving Final with a wild card in 2008. Sandmann, for whom Leipzig was his only World Cup start this season, used his team of outdoor horses in the arena in Leipzig. Cheered by the many enthusiastic spectators, of which all drivers say it is the best crowd in the world, Sandmann qualified for the Winning Round and was very pleased with his third place in the final results.

Sandmann did not compete very frequently in the 2011 outdoor season as he lend his horses to his daughter Anna and his stable manager Carola Diener, who both competed successfully at the FEI World Pair Driving Championships in Conty 2011 where Diener even won the golden individual medal.
After the FEI World four-in-hand Driving Championship on home soil in Riesenbeck, Sandmann will retire as an active driver. Sandmann won his first golden team medal at the World Championships in Riesenbeck in 1992 and feels it is time to hand over the reins to his daughter.

Zoltan Lazar had one knock down which prevented him from qualifying for the Winning Round. The Hungarian driver was however very pleased with his fourth place which secured of the sixth place in the standings and thus a starting place for the Final. Theo Timmerman (NED) came just one second short to beat Lazar. Timmerman finished fifth in Leipzig, which put him on the seventh place in the standings, just out of the Top Six.

German driver Georg von Stein started to enjoy the World Cup competition after he had received the wild card in Leipzig in 2011. After some problems on the first day, Von Stein made some changes to his team but this unfortunately did not work out for him. The riding instructor finished on the seventh place, behind his compatriot Rainer Duen.
The German drivers will now concentrate on the outdoor season with the FEI World four-in-hand Driving Championship on home soil as highlight. It is the goal of the German drivers however, to also try to qualify for the 2012/2013 season of the FEI World Cup Driving.

IJsbrand Chardon (NED): “For me it was important to drive one very good competition after Mechelen. I am very pleased with my horses now and I am ready for the Final. Boyd Exell is the top favourite to win in Bordeaux, but I certainly think there are three other drivers who are able to win, including myself.”

Tomas Eriksson (SWE): “I only had one goal here in Lepzig and that was to make enough points for the Final. I already knew after the first round that I was clear for the Final since both Chardon and Sandmann drove with a wild card and did not get points. The course was technical and difficult, but the two gates that were taken out during the Winning Round made it a little easier and faster.”

Christoph Sandmann (GER): “I am 100% pleased with my results in Leipzig and I enjoyed competing here. I used my outdoor horses and I trained at a small indoor event in the Netherlands two weeks ago to prepare for this event. My focus will from now on be on the outdoor season for the World Championships.”
 

Results CAI-W Leipzig (Ger) 22 January 2012:
1. IJsbrand Chardon (NED) 232,61
2. Tomas Eriksson (SWE) 249,21
3. Christoph Sandmann (GER) 255,05
4. Zoltan Lazar (HUN) 136,44
5. Theo Timmerman (NED) 137,18
6. Rainer Duen (GER) 143,62
7. Georg von Stein (GER) 155,31

Standings after 7/7 competitions- Top 6 Drivers qualified for the Final:1 Boyd EXELL AUS 30
2 IJsbrand CHARDON NED 24
3 Koos DE RONDE NED 24
4 Tomas ERIKSSON SWE 22
5 Jozsef DOBROVITZ HUN 15
6 Zoltan LÁZÁR HUN 15

7 Theo TIMMERMAN NED 12
8 Rainer DUEN GER 8
Georg VON STEIN GER 8
10 Werner ULRICH SUI 6