The FEI Driving World Championship for Singles will return to the famous French National Stud in Normandy after the success of the 2022 event. It’s the 14th Singles Championship since the biennial series began in 1998 in Ebbs (AUS) and the fourth time France has hosted it, more than any other nation, with Conty in 2002 and Pau during the Covid year of 2020, when it was one of the few events not canceled.

In line with previous entry numbers, 77 athletes from 19 nations and 81 horses are on the definite entry list. Nations can nominate a spare horse, and if they have enough athletes on their traveling squad, they can enter a team of two or three athletes plus additional individuals—it’s anticipated there will be 16 teams.

The ground jury features Andrew Counsell (GBR) President, Melinda Kelemen (ROU), Anne-Marie Turbe (FRA), Miguel Angel Camarillo Gutierrez (ESP) and Pia Skar (DEN), and Course designer Johna Jacobs  (NED). More detail in link below.

Live Streaming

Official Calendar and Results

Entries for the FEI World Driving Championships for Single Horses 2024

The Ones To Watch

Defending champion Saskia Siebers (NED) is one of the most successful single drivers of recent times. Forming a formidable combination with her KWPN gelding Axel, they also won individual gold in 2020, silver in Kronenberg (NED) in 2018, and bronze in Piber Köflach (AUT) in 2016, plus team golds in 2018 and 2020. While she won’t be there to defend her title in 2024, she will be helping Canadian Kelly Bruder.

Canada Has A Team

Canada’s Kelly Bruder, based in the Netherlands, is currently ranked number one. With her Oldenburg gelding Flip, she took individual bronze two years ago in a close contest between the top three drivers, which included current number three Marion Vignaud (FRA) and her KWPN gelding First Quality. Kelly has a team this year with fellow Canadians Katherine Levasseur and Carole Precious.

The host nation is one of the favorites to retain the team title because of its experienced squad, which includes Clare Lefort, who placed fourth in 2022, and Magalie Aillaud, fresh from supporting husband Benjamin at the World Four-in-Hand Championship in Hungary.

Germany Defending Team Gold

Germany has won the team event the most, with four consecutive golds between 2010 and 2016. They are boosted by four-time Young Horse World Champion Jessica Wächter and long-term team member Dieter Lauterbach, who won his first individual bronze 18 years ago in Pratoni del Vivaro (ITA) in 2006 and team and individual gold ten years later in Piber Köflach (AUS) in 2016. Also driving is his wife Claudia, who won individual silver and team gold in Izsák (HUN) in 2014.

USA Has Come A Long Way

The six athletes and horses representing the USA will be the furthest-traveled squad. The team, with Single Horse Veterans Leslie Berndl and Taylor Bradish, have been based at Boyd Exell’s while Raymond Helmuth was in Germany training with his cousin Vernon Helmuth. Maryanna Yaeger, Jennifer Thompson, and Tasha Wilke have been at the Riant Stables with Meike van Tergouw, preparing for their international debut.

Rocketman Mario Gandolfo (SUI) Ready to Rumble

The Swiss squad includes another young horse specialist, Mario Gandolfo, and the versatile Stefan Ulrich, a team member who won silver last year in Le Pin at the Horse Pairs World Championship. His famous father, Werner, was on that team too and is a former World Four-in-Hand Champion, a title he won at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Italy.

For Luxembourg, father and daughter Franz and Marie Schiltz are members of the squad of four. Franz is the athlete representative on the FEI Driving Technical Committee. Marie, ranked number two, will drive Frodo, the 16-year-old Oldenburg gelding who won the Young Horse World Championship (7-year-old category) 2015 in Hungary with Franz.

Mark Wentein was the Four-in-Hand Chef d’Equipe for Belgium recently in Szilvásvárad (HUN) and is one of six athletes on their squad.

The Dressage and Cones will be in the arena in the recently revamped complex, and the Marathon will take place around the beautiful Parc du Hautbois parkland, with a controlled warm-up followed by Section B and the obstacles.

The provisional programme:

Wednesday 18 September

09:00 – Horse Inspection

17:30 – Opening Ceremony

Thursday 19 September

Dressage Test Single Horse CAI 3*

09:00 – Dressage Day 1

Friday 20 September

09.00 –Dressage Day 2

Saturday 21 September

09.00 – Marathon

Sunday 22 September

09.00 – Cones

16:30 – Award Ceremony