The Dutch athlete has gone back to basics as he chases a historic “four-peat” in Lähden…

Life is good for Bram Chardon – and it could get even better if he achieves the remarkable milestone of winning a record fourth European Driving title in Lähden (GER) this week.

The Dutch maestro and his wife, Emma, recently welcomed their second child, Emelie, joining three-year-old son Bald. It is a joyful time at home, but Chardon’s mind is this week firmly on the competitive stage. Winning European titles in 2019, 2021 and 2023 already cemented his place among the sport’s greats as he matched the three wins achieved by Hungary’s György Bardos.

Now, Chardon is chasing history with a “four-peat” at the FEI Driving European Championship for Four-in-Hand 2025.

That target is both tantalizing and daunting. In Driving, nothing comes easily. To triumph at a FEI Driving European Championship for Four-In-Hand, a competitor must master three highly demanding phases – dressage, marathon, and cones – while also drawing the very best from four horses working together as one. Add in the natural unpredictability of the sport, where a single misstep or slice of bad luck can end a campaign, and it becomes clear why winning four in a row would be a remarkable achievement.

Season of Challenges

Yet 2025 has not followed a smooth path. After finishing second in the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final in February, Chardon’s outdoor season began with disappointment in Lähden, where he finished only 11th on his debut appearance at the venue in May. For an athlete accustomed to podium places, the result was sobering.

“This year has been a bit up and down,” he admitted. “I wanted to improve my dressage phase, so I made changes to the team. I took two less experienced horses to Lähden, but it didn’t work out. It’s always hard to change things up because there is always a big championship not too far away – one year it’s the Worlds, then it’s the Europeans.”

The setback convinced him to rip up his season plan. He reverted to tried-and-tested combinations for Aachen a month later, but more misfortune followed when one of his horses stepped over the rope in the marathon, leading to elimination.

“We had a regular team in Aachen, but our sense of routine was gone,” he explained. “Horses struggle when their partners keep changing.”

Rebuilding Trust

What followed was a reset – and a clear emphasis on stability. With several weeks away from competition, Chardon immersed himself in training, determined to restore the rhythm and understanding that make a team tick.

His line-up for Lähden reflects that philosophy. Freddy, Maestro and Jantijn V – all part of the squad that claimed silver at last year’s World Championship in Szilvásvárad (HUN) – return, joined by Generaal, the veteran who helped Chardon to his first European crown in 2019. Hugo Van Hapert, a dressage specialist usually driven by his father Ijsbrand, has also been drafted in.

“The team for the Euros are horses that have proven themselves,” Chardon said. “I put them together after Aachen and have kept the same for two months. They’ve been together, no mixing up, every horse in the same position.”

That attention to detail is central to Chardon’s approach. Training sessions at home have been complemented by time in Kronenberg, where he put the horses through their paces on a competition course. “Importantly, there has been no switching,” he stressed. “Every horse has stayed in the same position.”

Learning from Experience

The Dutchman insists that the disappointment of May will not play on his mind when the European Championship begins.

“For me, it is just about the last two months of solid training,” he said. “Everything before that we can forget – we are going down a different path.”

If anything, he draws strength from setbacks. Last season, faced with inconsistencies in the marathon, he made bold changes in the run-up to the World Championship – and ended up on the podium.

“I have to take confidence from that,” he said. “In particular, confidence in my decision making, the management of horses and getting them fit and ready for when the championship comes around.”

Rising Competition

Chardon’s willingness to innovate has also been fueled by the evolution of his rivals. For more than five years, the sport has been dominated by his rivalry with Australia’s Boyd Exell. Between them, they collected almost every major prize. But the most recent FEI Driving World Cup™ season offered a different picture: four different athletes won events, and six finished in the top two.

“I think it’s great for the sport,” Chardon said. “It’s boring if it’s the same people always winning, and doing so easily. We need adrenaline in the sport. The others are improving and pushing us on. That can only be really good for Driving – and for me too. I welcome the strong competition.”

Road to Lähden

Exell will not compete in Lähden, but the field remains stacked with talent. Chardon knows his fellow Dutchmen, including father Ijsbrand and Koos de Ronde, will be formidable. Germany brings depth and experience, Belgium is resurgent, and Sweden’s Fredrik Persson – fourth at last year’s Worlds – continues his upward trajectory.

“For me, there is not a favorite,” Chardon said. “It will be an exciting competition. I know that my teammates and rivals will all be strong. I want to defend my title – and I’ll do everything to make sure it happens.”

Chasing History

That determination, combined with his knack for learning quickly and adapting under pressure, makes him dangerous in any championship setting. Few athletes can boast his blend of technical skill, tactical awareness, and the calmness required when piloting a four-in-hand through complex obstacles at speed.

If he does complete the “four-peat” in Lähden, it will be more than a personal triumph. It would underline his resilience, highlight the strength of Dutch Driving, and reinforce his role as both competitor and standard-bearer for the sport.

For Chardon, the challenge ahead is clear: hold his nerve, trust his horses, and rise once again to the occasion.

Watch some of the world’s top Driving Athletes in action when the FEI Driving European Championship for Four-In-Hand 2025 and the FEI Para Driving World Championship 2025 are held in Lähden (GER) from 3-7 September. Watch the action live on FEI TV and visit the official website here.