Get ready for speed and excitement at the Longines Equita Lyon, Concours Hippique International! The FEI Driving World Cup™ presented by Laiterie de Montaigu, one of four world-class competitions showcased in the International Arena, will bring together seven of the world’s greatest drivers for two spectacular classes, taking place on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. Admission is free for all of the exhibition’s visitors.
Seven carriages will be at the start of the FEI World Cup™ leg in Lyon, presented by Laiterie de Montaigu. Seven top-class drivers, each with an impressive international track record, are getting ready to compete on a course where every second counts. The new world number one will be put to the test in Lyon The change at the top of the rankings is very recent. In early October, Dries Degrieck (BEL) became the new four-in-hand driving world number one, having unseated Australia’s Boyd Exell. The Belgian driver is coming to Lyon with a track record that commands respect: the current European team silver medallist, world team bronze and individual silver medallist at the FEI World Championships in Aachen this summer also became the first Belgian to win the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final in Bordeaux in February. He has also been successful in Lyon, competing there five times with four podium finishes. Dries Degrieck was second in 2021, third in 2023 and 2025, and the winner in 2024. He’s back in Lyon this year, but this time with the added pressure of being world number one.
Very high-level competition: But he won’t be alone in the ring in Lyon. Four of the six best drivers in the world rankings will be competing in Lyon, promising a thrilling battle in the ring. Isjbrand Chardon (NED), world number four, also won the world team gold medal in Aachen. He knows the Lyon event inside out, having finished second there in 2025, 2023 and 2022, each time behind Boyd Exell.
Anna Sandmann (GER), world number five, will also be competing. As the highest-ranked woman driver in the world, she has established herself as one of the leading figures in the discipline internationally. In Aachen, she had the best German performance and finished sixth individually in the FEI World Championships. She will be competing in Lyon for the first time and will be the only woman among the seven drivers entered. Could she become the first female driver to add her name to the winners’ list in the FEI World Cup™ leg in Lyon? Glenn Geerts (BEL), world number six, completes the group of the world’s top six drivers competing in Lyon. The team bronze medallist in Aachen also has experience of competing at the biggest international events. Anthony Hordé, world number 14 and France’s highest-ranked driver internationally, will also be in Lyon, as will Benjamin Aillaud. The Laiterie de Montaigu partner rider and current world number 26, is no stranger to Lyon. His second-place finish in 2024 stands out in particular as one of his best performances in this FEI World Cup™ leg. The driver, who is a favourite with spectators, finished fourth in 2025 and will be keen to take centre stage once again in front of his home crowd.
Fasten your seat belts! In this discipline, where precision must go hand in hand with speed, the seven drivers will have to tackle a challenging course, navigate obstacles and race against the clock. At the finish line, a few seconds – or even a few tenths of a second – could be all it takes to turn the final standings upside down. Two events not to be missed, whether you’re discovering four-in-hand driving for the first time or returning to experience the thrill of the sport up close with the champions. All the exhibition’s visitors have free admission to both classes of the FEI Driving World Cup™ by Laiterie de Montaigu.
PRESS CONTACTS LONGINES EQUITA LYON, CONCOURS HIPPIQUE INTERNATIONAL Martine Dolbeau, Astrid Thisse-Prost [email protected] EL COMM’ Eloïse Lépine
