FEI Driving World Cup presented by Laiterie de Montaigu: Dries Degrieck from start to finish!

There was an amazing atmosphere in the stands for the conclusion of the Lyon stage of the FEI Driving World Cup at the Longines Equita Lyon, Concours HippiqueInternational. Seven drivers, among the best in the world, took part in this inaugural stage of the 2024/2025 season of the sport's indoor show-piece. Having already won yesterday's "warm-up" event, Belgium's Dries Degrieck took first place once again, beating his rivals by some distance and setting the stage for the rest of the circuit, which will finish in a few months' time in Bordeaux, France.

With thirteen obstacles to overcome – without knocking over a single bail – and seven of the world's best drivers (including one female driver), the audience in Lyon needed nothing less to confirm its reputation as a hot, hot crowd! Some seven thousand people cheered on the drivers at the Longines Equita Lyon, Concours Hippique International this afternoon, in an event that caught the imagination of the public in Lyon right from the first instalment of this FEI Driving World Cup in 2018. For this sixth meeting with the sport's top drivers, the field was wide open in the absence of the man who currently dominates the discipline (and the event in Lyon), the living legend of the sport, Australia's Boyd Exell.

In this electric atmosphere, Germany's Georg von Stein was the first to start and set the bar very high from the outset, with a faultless run around the obstacles... but in a time that seemed beatable. And indeed, the very next competitor, France's Anthony Horde, no doubt buoyed by the raucous Lyon crowd, shaved more than 5 seconds off the time! The only female driver in this FEI Driving World Cup stage presented by Laiterie de Montaigu was unable to take the provisional leader, recording four penalty points and a slower time. Then, there was a major surprise, as the Dutchman Ijsbrand Chardon, currently the fourth best driver in the world and reigning world champion, got caught on four obstacles and had to make do with the seventh and last place. At the halfway stage of the first leg, the title seemed within reach for Anthony Horde, who finished seventh in last year's event! But then the last drivers to take to the arena were also dreaming of victory in Lyon! In a Franco-French duel, the showman Benjamin Aillaud, the driver sponsored by the event's partner, Laiterie de Montaigu, put in a perfect performance in a great time, taking provisional first place from his compatriot! Switzerland's Jérôme Voutaz pulverised that time soon after, and Aillaud lost pole position to the man who won the first Driving World Cup in Lyon in 2018. The last driver out was Belgium's Dries Degrieck, who had the last word, despite knocking over a bail. He qualified with lightning-fast round for the drive-off between the three best performers from the first round.

And during the drive-off, the French fans really believed they would see a French victory... at least for two-thirds of the leg! First to start was the crowd favourite Benjamin Aillaud, who unfortunately knocked over a bail. But his time was so good that the crowd still believed. Even more so, when the Swiss driver Voutaz failed on two obstacles, in a time that was in slower than that of the Frenchman. A home victory in the Cup was maybe on the cards? The Lyon crowd roared, applauded and stomped their feet! But then there was the brilliance of the "Red Devil" Dries Degrieck, who was simply untouchable in this final leg, driving a clear round two seconds faster than the Frenchman. In the end, he won the FEI Driving World Cup in Lyon, presented by Laiterie de Montaigu, in a competition he dominated from start to finish! 

What they said: 

Dries Degrieck (BEL) 
"Today was the third time I have taken part in the Longines Equita Lyon, Concours HippiqueInternational and its FEI Driving World Cup stage, and I've always loved this French event! It's always a great moment. The crowd in Lyon is incredible. They encourage us and that helps us a lot. The course was tricky, with a number of gates and turns that you had to be very careful about. My horses responded very well to what I asked of them. I'm still young on the world's elite circuit and I'm learning every day, especially by watching the other drivers."

Benjamin Aillaud (FRA)
"Today, there was not much in it, half a second: that's what top-level sport is all about. My horses are getting better and better. We started with them here two years ago and I knew I'dneed a bit of time to get them up to speed. Today, they listen and give everything and they are a great team. They are stable and reliable. They've really made progress in terms of their physical abilities. Until they were 12 years, I only used them for horse shows. In just two years, they have gone from free-style performers to World Cup super horses. I think that is amazing! I really want to set them aside for indoor events. Taking part in a competition like Lyon is a real pleasure. When I see how the competition has evolved since the first World Cup in 2018 and what GL events Equestrian Sport did at the Olympic Games, I think it is great for the equestrian world. I find it incredible how Sylvie Robert has managed to bring a really human-side to one of the biggest events on the planet. You'd think you were in a small village, but in fact we are in a major centre for equestrian sport events. It's incredible."

Jérôme Voutaz (SWI) 
"I'm pleased that Benjamin (Aillaud) finished in second place, even though he beat me (laughs). I’m delighted with my horses. On Saturday, I was a bit worried about my speed. We changed one of the horses and improved our time by 7 seconds today. It was the right choice. It's always a pleasure to come back to Lyon. Firstly, because it's not very far from home and, above all, because it's a great crowd that really gets behind the drivers."

Results: 

1. Dries Degrieck (BEL) – 146.36
2. Benjamin Aillaud (FRA) – 152.23
3. Jérôme Voutaz (SWI) – 158.16