Federation Equestre Internationale News

World Cup Driving season continues in Leipzig

The international horse show Partner Pferd in Leipzig will host the fourth leg of the FEI World Cup Driving on 23 and 25 January. Last year, Leipzig made its debut in the World Cup Driving circuit and received a warm welcome from both the competitors and the spectators. Seven drivers will travel to Leipzig, amongst which double World Cup Champion and current leader of the point standings Michael Freund. Freund has received a wild card from the organisation. According to the new rules, the crowd¹s favourite will not gain World Cup points if he wins, but he will receive the prize money. The second wild card is allocated to Steffen Scholz, an international four-in-hand driver from the Leipzig area. Scholz has been a steady member of the B-kader for many years. He has achieved several top-ten placings at international events amongst which the second place at the CAI Altenfelden, Austria, in 2003. Scholz, who has not competed at international indoor level before, will compete with his team of German bred geldings. The wild card drivers will have to compete against their fellow countrymen Christoph Sandmann and Rainer Duen, Switzerland¹s Werner Ulrich and the reining World Champion Ijsbrand Chardon from the Netherlands.

The warm up competition of the Partner Pferd horse show in Leipzig will take place on Friday, 23 January at 22.00 hrs. The World Cup competition in the Leipziger Messe is scheduled on Sunday, 25 January at 13.00 hrs. Michael Freund will perform once more during the Gala evening on Saturday. Freund will treat the crowd at a world premiere by driving a pas de deux with his seven-year old son Marco, who will drive a team of Shetland ponies.

Created in 2001, the Driving World Cup has provided an innovative new style of competition for indoor events, with courses combining marathon and cone driving obstacles. The 2003/2004 season of the World Cup includes seven events with eight competitions: Stuttgart (GER), Stockholm (SWE), Mechelen (BEL) in 2003; Leipzig (GER), two competitions in Vigo (ESP), 's-Hertogenbosch (NED) and Göteborg (SWE) in 2004. The winner of the first two editions of the World Cup was Michael Freund
(GER).

Relevant internet addresses:
Partner Pferd Leipzig: www.partner-pferd.de
World Cup Driving: www.worldcupdriving.com
FEI: www.horsesport.org