Dries Degrieck and Boyd Exell are fan of the Dutch harness horses
During the KWPN Stallion Show in Den Bosch, our Dutch harness horses, as popular as they are spectacular, took center stage. Two world-class drivers entered the arena. Dries Degrieck won the competition with seconds to spare.
Among them was seven-time and reigning world champion Boyd Exell, who has claimed the FEI World Cup Driving Championships ten times. In December 2024, he won the World Cup event in Geneva. He was joined in Den Bosch by the rising young Belgian talent Dries Degrieck, who secured victory at the 2024 World Cup event in Leipzig.
Their common ground? Harness horses!
The connection between Boyd and Dries is that their four-in-hand teams consist of harness horses, making them absolute fans of this type of horse. Both drivers briefly shared which characteristics, temperament, conformation, and movement of harness horses are crucial to their success. The breeders of these four-in-hand horses were also honored. Boyd and Dries then put words into action with their horses.
Into the obstacle course
An obstacle with multiple gates was set up, along with a small cone course. Boyd started first, followed by Dries, who went all in. With loud cheers from the crowd, he set a time in the first round that was eleven seconds faster than Boyd’s. In the second round, Dries again stayed ahead of the reigning world champion with his four speed demons. What a spectacular sport!
GJ for KWPN
Photo: Paardenkrant-Horses.nl