After the eventers, the four-in-hand drivers set off on the cross-country course round the Aachen Soers. The Dutch driver, Koos de Ronde, has the best day in the Marathon, the Prize of schwartz GmbH today.

It looked a bit like Koos de Ronde was driving a go-kart through the grounds in Aachen today. However difficult the obstacles were, however tight the turns, the ears of Koos de Ronde’s four sports partners Alino, Bariton, Emir Morocco and Zerino were always pricked towards their master on the reins, who succeeded in steering the quartet through all of the tight spots with ease. The team took seven minutes and 16.78 seconds to complete the course. So, 109.20 minus points were added to the dressage score

The Belgian driver, Glenn Geerts, provided the second fastest round in seven minutes and exactly 47 seconds, i.e. 116.75 minus points to add to his dressage result. Third place in the Prize of schwartz GmbH went to the old hand, Ijsbrand Chardon, also from the Netherlands (7 minutes and 50.74 seconds/117.68 minus points).

Individual classification

Today’s Marathon shook up the rankings in the individual classification of the four-in-hand drivers, the Prize of Family Richard Talbot, which is the accumulated scores from the dressage, Marathon and final obstacle driving competitions. The defending title holder and winner of the dressage Boyd Exell (AUS) is now currently only lying in fourth place with 167.96 minus points. Ijsbrand Chardon is the overnight leader on 161 minus points, followed by Koos de Ronde on 167.17 minus points. The German driver, Mareike Harm, is in third place (167.57).

The Dutch drivers are clearly in the lead in the team classification, the Boehringer Ingelheim Nations Cup, with a total score of 312.980, ahead of Germany (339,440) and Belgium (342.090).