12 March 2024

Full program with sports and shows during CAI Exloo

Equestrian Center Exloo will focus on driving sport in the last week of March. This international driving competition is held traditionally early in the season - from March 28th through the 31st - at the location where the European Four-in-Hand Championships and the Para Driving Championships took place last year. The field of participants is overwhelmingly large and the competition will be enhanced with a spectacular show evening.

With no fewer than 120 teams from 15 different countries, it promises to be a great start to the international competition season. Since last year’s European Championships and World Championships, Exloo has become an even more popular competition. There are sections at two- and three-star level in all disciplines. The single horse three star category is the largest with 34 combinations. This is undoubtedly because the singles have a World Championship this year. This also applies to the horse teams, where the absolute top is present. The names of world champion Boyd Exell and IJsbrand Chardon appear on the start list in that section.



Photo: Krisztina Horváth

Competitive driving sport and show

In addition to the competition, the public will be treated to a stallion show from various studbooks on Saturday evening, March 30th from 7 p.m., in which the Dutch harness horses predominate. KWPN Tuigpaard Noord Region will show no fewer than 30 approved stallions, including several champion stallions. Consider the KWPN stallions Olympus HS, Magniefiek, Martin Morero, Kane BFT, Norbert FS and Salland Longtrain Running. But the Gelderland stallion Odin and his father Edmundo will also enter the ring. The Hackney stallions show themselves with, among others, Nodyvyse Cassanova, Moonshine and Dutchman’s Hannibal.

More than Dutch harness horses

On Saturday evening it does not stop at harness and show horses because the Welsh Studbook, New Forest Pony Studbook, AMHR (American Miniature Horse Registry) and the Frisian studbook are also represented with various stallions. The Barock Pinto Studbook organizes a show block with various colorful stallions on the long lines. And a spectacular fire show will be given by Working Equitation specialist Marco Boavista. Admission is also free for this show evening and that’s not all, because 300kg of horse food will be raffled among the audience present on behalf of Voermeesters.

The competition program

After the participants have arrived on Wednesday, March 27th, the first participant will appear in the ring at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, for the dressage phase. That day the VIP class, horse singles (two- and three-star), and pony singles three-stars will start. On Friday, March 29th, it will be the turn of the other categories, including the pair drivers and Four-in-Hand drivers. Saturday is all about the marathon. The competition is easy for the public to follow, because the obstacles are all located around the competition site. The denouement of the competition is during the cones course on Sunday, March 31. The spacious terrain allows two cones courses to be built, meaning the competition ends early in the afternoon.

Spectators are welcome on all days of the event; the entrance is free.

Click here for the competitors list and the program



Photo: Wilco van Driessen