News

FEI Driving World Cup at Jumping Mechelen is more popular than ever!

3 December 2024

New sponsor, three Belgians in action, and a unique driving demonstration with dressage phenomenon Flore De Winne.

Once upon a time, the World Cup of Driving was placed on the program of Jumping Mechelen as a final test to save the arena for the jumping riders. Nowadays, even the heaviest carriages can’t break down the modern sand arena of Jumping Mechelen, but driving remains the spectacular finale of the event. Not because it has to, but because it is simply the perfect climax! So be sure to reserve a spot in your calendar. The FEI Driving World Cup will take place on December 30 at 22h in the Nekkerhal, preceded by a blistering warm-up on December 29 at 14h40.

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 foreign competition

Anyone heading to the Nekkerhal on December 29 or 30 can expect top-level sport. The qualified drivers are certainly not the least:

Dries Degrieck (BEL) – Belgische troef en winnaar van de wereldbekermanches in Lyon en 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 GermanyJerome Voutaz (SUI) – Swiss precision at its best

In addition, there are two wildcards for Belgian riders:

Glenn Geerts (BEL) – He comes to the start with a new team and is looking forward enormously 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 Championship team – at the start of the FEI Driving World Cup, Belgium once again demonstrates its strength in the driving sport. Dries Degrieck has already secured a World Cup victory for our country this year. The outlook looks promising, but the competition remains fierce.
Chef d’équipe Marc Wentein, who has been involved with driving at Jumping Mechelen as a speaker for 20 years, is eagerly looking forward to this year: “The Belgian drivers are performing incredibly well, and Jumping Mechelen is traditionally the perfect finale to yet another fantastic year for driving sport.”

Dries Degrieck: “Staying focused is a big challenge at Jumping Mechelen”

Driving fans might quietly 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 round in Stockholm last weekend. The odds are looking good.

But the competition is undeniably tough. Moreover, performing in front of a home crowd brings its own set of challenges.
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 truly made us a stronger team. I won both the final and the warm-up in Lyon and Stockholm, and I’ve already beaten everyone who will compete in Mechelen. However, while I’m really looking forward to giving my best at Vlaanderens Kerstjumping, I know it will be even more challenging there. The crowd is already incredibly enthusiastic, but when you enter as a Belgian driver, it feels like the stands are about to explode. Driving is gaining popularity in our country, and our fans are exceptionally loyal and passionate. Literally every Belgian driving fan wants to be at the Nekkerhal to cheer us on. On top of that, I have a large group of friends who come out in big numbers every year to support me. It’s fantastic, but even during the course walk, they’re already going wild. That makes it a huge challenge for me to stay focused.”

Tom Stokmans: A special World Cup debut at Jumping Mechelen

Tom Stokmans is a notable newcomer to the World Cup circuit. 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.

Unique demo: Driving with the Stars with Flore de Winne

December 29 will be a highlight for riders. After the spectacular warm-up in which all the stars will show the best of themselves 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 pan and then let Flore take over the reins.

Flore is looking forward to it, but admits, “I’m still 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 totally sees it: “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.”