The beautiful site of the Hippodrôme de Deauville Clairefontaine in Normandy, France, was the stage of the R.I.D.E. Normandy this weekend. R.I.D.E. stands for Rencontres Internationales des Disciplines Equestres, which means an international get together of equestrian disciplines.

The top fifteen four-in-hand drivers, including two additional French drivers, were invited to provide the spectators four days of spectacular carriage driving sport. The drivers did not only compete to guarantee a starting ticket for the FEI World Cup™ Driving season 2007/2008, but also competed to win a share of the 50.000 euro prize money.

Australia’s Boyd Exell won this new type of driving competition with wins on the first and last competition day. Exell took home 15.000 euro, which is a rare prize in competition driving. It was not an obvious win however. Exell won the first competition, which was a regular cone driving competition in the main arena of the R.I.D.E. Deauville. The marathon on the second day consisted of six rather technical obstacles, designed by French course designer and National Trainer Jacques Tamalet, and had to be taken after each other with just two minutes to get from one obstacle to the next.

Exell was well on his way as last competitor on this marathon but encountered difficulties in the sixth obstacle. When his team galloped towards the ‘rope bridge’, his leader horses jumped beside the bridge. Exell managed to bring them back, but then the wheels of his carriage came off the bridge. Exell miraculously managed to get his team and the carriage into the right direction and he was able to finish the obstacle without any extra penalties. Exell took revenche in the second round of the marathon on Sunday, which was equal to the first round. He set the fastest time in three obstacles, amongst which the last one, and won the marathon as well as the overall competition.

Dutch competitor Mark Weusthof came second in today’s marathon and this was just enough to put him in 10th position in the final classification and to guarantee a starting place in the FEI World Cup™ Driving: "I knew I had to end on the second place in order to enter the Top Ten. I thought to myself that if I had to go for it anyway, I might as well go for the full win!" Weusthof tied with Sweden’s Fredrik Persson on the 10th place, but since Weusthof had higher scores throughout the season, he was able to enter the World Cup.

Werner Ulrich from Switzerland was in the lead of the standings after the second day but lost his chances to a win when he had to take two extra loops in the last obstacle. He had to be satisfied with the third place in Deauville.

France’s leading driver at the moment Benjamin Aillaud already impressed in last year’s World Cup competition in Geneva where he started with a wild card and came second. This season he performed well throughout the summer and was already certain of a starting place in his first FEI World Cup™ Driving season. Aillaud was in the lead with Ulrich after two days, but he made too many faults in the ‘marathon type indoor’ competition on Saturday. In the marathon on Sunday he put everything at stake, but lost precious time when his leader horses went on each side of a post in the first obstacle. He came fourth in the final standings and was a little disappointed: ‘Yesterday’s competition was very technical and the footing was heavy, but this is the sport. The fourth place was not my goal for this competition, but I am pleased I earned a ticket for the World Cup.’

Top drivers Tomas Eriksson and Koos de Ronde are found at an usual low place in the final standings of the CAI Deauville. The last obstacle on the first marathon day also meant trouble for Eriksson. His leader horses went beside the bridge, which caused his wheeler horses to get stuck. The team was unable to move and the horses had to be taken out of the carriage after some of the ropes, which were there to decorate the bridge, were cut. His horses were immediately checked by a veterinarian and were luckily fit to continue the competition.

De Ronde tipped over in today’s marathon after hitting a post in the fifth obstacle. Although it looked bad when a wheeler horse fell, all turned out to be ok. De Ronde however decided to retire, which was much appreciated by the many spectators at the Hippodrôme today.

The Normandy region has put in a bid to organize the 2014 World Equestrian Games and the R.I.D.E. Normandy, organized by A.S.O., is seen as a try-out competition for driving in the next two to three years. The general opinion of the drivers in Deauville about the new formula was positive. The formula as it was used now, with an obstacle driving competition, a ‘marathon type indoor’ and two marathons, does need to be carefully looked at and needs refining, but it makes the sport more attractive to the general public. The organisation in Deauville is willing to try various competition types and apply different rules in order to improve and to ensure the safety and attractiveness of the driving sport.

Final result CAI-A Deauville:
1. Boyd Exell (Aus)
2. Mark Weusthof (Ned)
3. Werner Ulrich (Sui)
4. Benjamin Aillaud (Fra)
5. Daniël Würgler (Sui)
6. Jozsef Dobrovitz (Hun)
7. Thibault Coudry (Fra)
8. Laszlo Juhasz (Hun)
9. Hans Heus (Ned)
10. Fabrice Martin (Fra)

Final standings (competitors) FEI World Cup? Driving qualification 2007-2008:
1. IJsbrand Chardon (Ned) – 82 pnt.
2. Boyd Exell (Aus) – 79 pnt.
3. Zoltan Lazar (Hun) – 76 pnt.
4. Jozsef Dobrovitz (Hun) – 68 pnt.
5. Werner Ulrich (Sui) - 65 pnt.
6. Tomas Eriksson (Swe) - 65 pnt.
7. Benjamin Aillaud (Fra) – 62 pnt.
8. Daniël Würgler (Sui) – 62 pnt.
9. Koos de Ronde (Ned) – 53 pnt.
10. Mark Weusthof (Ned) – 51 pnt.