It was a rainy day today, with only a few dry moments. All competitors got a shower over them and the circumstances were the same for everyone. The footing of the arena held up well and during the breaks the AC line was extra prepared. On the grandstand were a number of driving sport lovers, who watched the performance of the 54 participants in the pair class.
For a long time, Frenchman François Dutilloy took the lead. He drove a nice test early in the morning, scoring 46.34. In the afternoon it was Martin Hölle’s turn to drive a brilliant test. He drove good exercises and the transitions were beautiful. All five members of the jury put the reigning world champion in the lead and with 35.68 penalty points. He is now far ahead in the competition. At the end of the afternoon, Franck Grimonprez (FRA) also drove a nice test. With 44.30 he passed his compatriot and finished second.
The best Dutch result was for Stan van Eijk. He stayed under 50 penalty points and finished 5th on the first day of competition. With a 7th and 8th place respectively, Sandor van Vliet and Erik Evers also performed well. Their scores were close with 51.30 and 51.60. Tomorrow morning at 8.30 am the competition starts for the Para Equestrian drivers, followed by the VIP class. From 11.30 a.m. the four-in-hands will enter the arena.