Preregistration is closed
From 5th to 9th of September 2018, the 4th FEI World Driving Championship for Young Horses is organized by The National Stud Farm in Mezőhegyes.
The national preregistrations were closed and the Hungarian Equestrian Federation accepted it. According to the Official Qualification Criteria in every age category 10 horses may enter the competition from every nation.
Until the specified deadline 7 countries registered 46 horses. 18 in the 5-year-olds, also 18 in the 6-year-olds category and 10 horses in 7-year-olds category. The number of participants is growing continuously if we take into consideration the former years statistics. In 2017 there were 41 horses, in 2016 30 were registered and in 2015 37 were competing for the title of Champion.
Special qualification criteria weren’t set by the FEI regarding this competition, the national federations decided who will represent their country. In this year we are going to see the equestrian ambassadors of Austria, Poland, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Romania and Hungary. The biggest teams come from Germany and Hungary. In the three categories 16 Hungarian horses compete. Hungarian breeds are well-represented: 5 are Nonius, 1 is Lipizzaner and 1 is Shagya Arabian. The German bring 12 horses, among them FORTINO and the 2017 silver medalist SKY-DWELLER TSF both driven by Marie Tischer.
Last year’s bronze medalist in the 5-year-olds category, SAN REMO ROYAL competes this year in the 6-year-olds category, driven by Franz Schiltz from Luxembourg. This year we are welcoming the sister and brother Weronika and Bartlomiej Kwiatek, Bettina Winkler and Karl-Heinz Finkler who got the podium in former years.
In Hungary 3 national competitions were organized where the judges evaluated the horses and decided who to send to the World Championship.
The Hungarian drivers and their trainers worked hard to prepare the horses for this year’s World Championship, because last year they couldn’t get to podium. Two training camps were organized where Peter Tischer from Germany trained the horses. The national results of Despot THC, Karak, Nonius 14 Vezér and Sunny are promising.
Among the registered competitors there are numerous experienced drivers.
The organizer is the National Stud Farm. The company owns three competing horses and their driver is János Papp.
When the registration is closed, on the 30th of August on a press conference will be published the final list of competitors.
Written by Zsuzsa Szabó
Translated by Zsuzsánna Margit Farkas