Dutch four-in-hand driver Ysbrand Chardon is the winner of the fourth FEI World Cup Driving. The triple World Champion won the last leg of the World Cup in Gothenburg, Tomas Eriksson came second, Michael Freund ended on the third place.

"It could not have been a better final," comments World Cup director Max Ammann. "The competitions in Gothenburg were superb and with the help of the fantastic audience it turned out to be a very exciting season-closer." Ammann decided beforehand that wild card driver Tomas Eriksson would receive points. He would normally not receive them, being one of the qualified World Cup competitors.

This decision proved to be decisive. Both triple World Cup winner Michael Freund, who was well on his way to renew his title, and his runner-up Ysbrand Chardon, drove a steady first round. The rivals and Tomas Eriksson qualified for the winning round. "I was very lucky to qualify for the winning round," explains Eriksson. "In the first round I had to stop because I knocked an obstacle over which I had not taken yet. I tried again to be very fast and it worked, but unfortunately I had three cones down." Eriksson as well as the other drivers praised the course, designed by Swedish course designer Dan Henriksson.

The course offered some technical and fast elements, which was challenging for the competitors and exciting for the spectators. Chardon had replaced one of his leader horses in order to be able to beat Freund: "I tried this saddlebred horse yesterday in the warming up and it went well, so I was confident that it would go well again today." Chardon knew he had to put pressure on Freund and he did: "I took a lot of risks and tried everything to win. " Chardon left the arena with a superbly driven clear round and it was up to Freund to decide the final results. Unfortunately Freund let a loop out too early in one of the obstacles and the horses went the wrong way. This cost him valuable seconds and by dropping the ball of the last gate, he knew that his chances to victory in Gothenburg and renewing the title were gone.

"Ysbrand is a great winner and it is good for the sport that we have another World Cup Champion after three years. Chardon drives with a much more difficult team and I have great respect for that," tells Freund, who has never been very lucky on Easter Sunday in the past either. Because of Ammann's decision, Tomas Eriksson took the World Cup points for the second place which would otherwise have gone to Freund, who came third. By this decision, Chardon ended 2 points ahead of Freund in the standings and a drive-off was hereby avoided. The 10 competitors for the 2005/2006 FEI World Cup season will be decided by a ranking. The drivers can win points at eleven CAI-A and CAIO competitions and the best 10 drivers qualify to compete in the World Cup, which consists of 8 events next season. There will be a final, in which the competitors will start from scratch.

Results CAI-W Göteborg:
1. Ysbrand Chardon (Ned)
2. Tomas Eriksson (Swe)
3. Michael Freund (Ger)
4. Werner Ulrich (Sui)
5. Nicke Pålsson (Swe)
6. Boyd Exell (Aus)

Classification after 7 of 7 events:
1. Ysbrand Chardon (Ned) 34
2. Michael Freund (Ger) 32
3. Werner Ulrich (Sui) 25
4. Boyd Exell (Aus) 23
5. Nicke Pålsson (Swe)/Tomas Eriksson (Swe) 18

For further information on the FEI World Cup Driving season, including standings, future competitions, driver's biographies, rules: www.worldcupdriving.com

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 2004/2005 season of the World Cup includes seven
competitions: Hannover (GER), Stuttgart (GER), Stockholm (SWE), Mechelen
(BEL) in 2004; Leipzig (GER), 's-Hertogenbosch (NED) and Göteborg (SWE) in 2005. The top 5 after 6 events will qualify for the 7th event in Göteborg. The winner of the first three editions of the World Cup was Michael Freund (GER).

Media contact CAI-W Gothenburg:
Mayvor Thorin or Lotta Amnestål, phone: +46 709 795635, e-mail: mayvor.thorin@gotevent.se

For further information:
CAI-W Gothenburg: www.goteborghorseshow.com
FEI: www.horsesport.org