International driving awards announced

6 November 2001

Germany and Sweden take FEI pairs and team driving titles, while Paul Mowbray is best of the British in 12th place

The FEI Top Driver Award in Horse Teams for 2001 has been won by Germany’s former World Champion, Michael Freund, while Sweden’s Yngve Kall took the FEI Van Der Weil Harness Top Driver Award for Horse Pairs.

Michael finished ahead of Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich and the current World Champion, Tomas Eriksson of Sweden. USA’s Chester Weber finished 6th and qualifies, along with the top five team drivers, for the forthcoming Four-in-Hand Indoor World Cup.

Great Britain’s National Horse Teams Champion, Barry Capstick and leading lady four-in-hand driver, Karen Bassett, were 44th and 50th respectively after just one international outing during the season.

Pairs proves popular

British-based Australian Boyd Exell was runner-up in this year’s points award for pairs drivers, just one point behind Yngve Kal. Boyd, 29, represented Australia in the recent World Horse Pairs Championships at Riesenbeck with Sarah Garnett’s black gelderlanders, Deemster & Julius.

Great Britain’s leading International Horse Pairs driver, Paul Mowbray finished in an excellent 12th position among the 120 pair drivers who contested the points championship from around the world.

The former British National Champion scored well with his black Cumberland cobs, Jake & Eileen, at three events and was just three points behind the current World Horse Pairs Champion, Vilmos Lazar of Hungary in eighth place.

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