FEI Driving World Cup at Jumping Mechelen is more popular than ever!
Once, the FEI Driving World Cup™ was scheduled as the final event on the Jumping Mechelen program to ensure the arena remained in good condition for the showjumping riders.
These days, even the heaviest carriages can't break down the modern sand arena off Jumping Mechelen, but driving still remains the spectacular finale of the event. Not because it has to, but because it is simply the perfect climax!
The FEI Driving World Cup will take place on December 30 at 10PM in the Nekkerhal, preceded by a blistering warm-up on December 29 at 2.40PM.
Belgian driving fans are in for a special treat this year.
Not only will three Belgians Belgians – including a strong contender for the win – be competing in the World Cup, but dressage rider Flore De Winne is also making a surprising appearance. Additionally, for the first time, the Nationale Loterij is sponsoring this event in collaboration with Paardensport Vlaanderen.
For the occasion, the cones will even be adorned with lottery balls instead of the iconic yellow ones!
Three Belgians at the start and strong international competition
Anyone heading to the Nekkerhal on December 29 or 30 can expect top-level sport. The qualified drivers are certainly among the best in the game:
- Dries Degrieck (BEL) - Belgian ace and winner of the FEI Driving World Cup™ in Lyon and Stockholm
- Koos de Ronde (NED) - Experienced champion and former winner
- Bram Chardon (NED) – Young, dynamic star and former winner
- Georg von Stein (GER) - Proven force from Germany
- Jerome Voutaz (SUI) - Swiss precision at its finest
In addition, two wildcards went to strong Belgian riders:
- Glenn Geerts (BEL) - Competing with a new team of horses and really looking forward to the atmosphere in Mechelen.
- Tom Stokmans (BEL) - The ambitious debutant who combines his roots as a show jumping rider with his passion for four-horse driving
With three Belgians - the entire 2024 World Cup team - at the start of the FEI Driving World Cup, Belgium is once again showing its strength in the sport of driving.
Chef d'équipe Marc Wentein, who has been the announcer of the driving competition in Mechelen for 20 years, is already eagerly looking forward to the competition:
"The Belgian drivers are doing incredibly well, and Jumping Mechelen is traditionally the perfect finale to another fantastic year for driving."
Dries Degrieck: "Maintaining focus is a big challenge at Jumping Mechelen"
Secretly, driving fans might dare to dream of a first Belgian victory in over 20 years. Dries Degrieck has been delivering stunning results this World Cup season. After winning the FEI Driving World Cup in Lyon in early November, he claimed the victory in Stockholm last weekend.
The odds seem promising. But the competition is still very tough. Moreover, driving in front of a home crowd brings its own set of challenges says Dries Degrieck:
“I’m having my best indoor season ever. Both my horses and I are still young, but the extra year of experience compared to 2023 has really made us a stronger team. I won both the final and warm-up in Lyon and Stockholm, and I've already beaten everyone who will be competing in Mechelen. However, while I'm really looking forward to giving my best at Vlaanderens Kerstjumping, I know that it's going to be especially tough there. The crowd is always incredibly enthusiastic. But when you enter the arena as a Belgian driver, it feels like the Nekkerhal is going to explode. Driving is growing in popularity in our country, and our fans are very loyal and passionate. Literally, all Belgian driving fans want to be there in Mechelen and make themselves heard. Plus, I have a large circle of friends who come to support me every year in big numbers. It’s fantastic, but even during the course walk, they’re already going wild. That makes it a huge challenge for me to maintain my focus.”
A special World Cup debut at Jumping Mechelen
Tom Stokmans is a notable newcomer to the FEI Driving. He began his career as a jumping rider and made the switch to four-horse driving during the corona period.
"I used to drive with Belgian draft horses, but during the corona period, I decided to fully commit to competitive driving. And I haven’t regretted it for a second. Since then, I’ve competed in European and World Championships and, this year, I was one of the core members of the Belgian driving team, alongside Dries Degrieck and Glenn Geerts.
I am very grateful and happy to have received a wildcard to participate in the World Cup in Mechelen. I am very ambitious and really looking forward to my debut. This is my only FEI Driving World Cup this season. For preparation, I’ve already participated in a few smaller indoor competitions, but nothing can fully prepare my horses for the loud and fantastic crowd at Jumping Mechelen. I’m very curious to see how they’ll handle it, and I hope to have a few strong rounds.”
Like every four-in-hand driver, Tom has the support of a large team behind the scenes, including his wife, who always accompanies him. His team consists of Arab-Friesians and Lipizzaners.
Driving with the Stars with Flore de Winne
December 29 will be a highlight for driving fans.
After the spectacular warm-up, where all the international drivers will showcase their best for the first time in the magnificent Christmas Arena, Paardensport Vlaanderen will organize a unique demo called Driving with the Stars.
Glenn Geerts will introduce Flore De Winne - known from the dressage sport - to the world of four-in-hand driving. Glenn will give a demonstration with his competition team before handing the reins over to Flore.
Flore is looking forward to it, but admits, "I'm a tad nervous. I'm used to being on the horse, not behind it. It seems difficult to have full control from a carriage, especially over four world-class horses that have so much power. Glenn, on the other hand, is very excited: "It will be fun to give Flore a look at our spectacular sport. I am curious to see how she will experience the horsepower. But I have no doubt she will do great."
