The Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS) has submitted an official bid to the FEI to bring the FEI Four-in-Hand World Championship 2028 to the Netherlands. The proposed venue and organising body is the Riant Equestrian Centre in Beekbergen. With this bid, the KNHS aims to further strengthen the international position of Dutch driving sport while also giving an impulse to the sport at home.
The application follows the FEI World Driving Championship for Pair Horses, which was organised in Beekbergen in 2025. That championship serves as an important reference point for both the organising committee and the KNHS in considering whether to support this bid. The combination of sporting quality, professional facilities and an experienced organisation makes Beekbergen a location well suited to hosting championships at the highest level.
Exceptional category
Justus Valk, Manager Sport at the KNHS, states: “The World Driving Championship for Pair Horses in 2025 showed that Beekbergen is capable of carrying a championship from start to finish. Everything was incredibly well organised: from the opening ceremony through to the finals, from accommodation to organisation. It was an event in an exceptional category and meticulously executed down to the smallest detail. With this, the team presented a strong calling card for the Netherlands towards the FEI.”
International visibility
A world championship on home soil is of great value to the driving sport. It increases the international visibility of the Netherlands as a host nation, offers Dutch drivers a stage at the highest level and has a stimulating effect on the sport more broadly. The public is introduced to the driving sport in an accessible way, in which cooperation, craftsmanship and teamwork are central – both in the competition arena and behind the scenes.
Mieke van Tergouw, owner of Riant Equestrian Centre, responds proudly to the bid: “That the KNHS is submitting this bid together with us feels like a great compliment to the entire team. In 2025 we showed what is possible when experience and passion come together. It would be wonderful to continue that line in 2028.”
The FEI will take a decision on the allocation of the FEI Four-in-Hand World Championship 2028 in June 2026. Together with the organisation in Beekbergen, the KNHS looks forward to the outcome with confidence and hopes that the championship will once again be awarded to the Netherlands.