Exloo, Netherlands – The U.S. contingent delivered excellent performances at the 2023 FEI Para Driving World Championship for Singles held in Exloo, Netherlands, from August 23-27. Tracy Bowman and Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars lead from start to finish to defend their world champion title. Led by Chef d’Equipe Jennifer Matheson, the U.S. Para Driving Team of Bowman and Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars, Bob Giles and Brynithon Flyers Magic, and Diane Kastama and Tjibbe took home the team silver medal. Individual competitor Chrissy Aitken had a strong result in her World Championship debut with Gerritje.

“I was very pleased with how the drivers did. They performed as expected,” said Chef d’Equipe Matheson. “We had three drivers with leased horses, which always presents a variable because they are not as accustomed to their horses as they would be with their ones at home. Those drivers—Bob, Chrissy, and Diane—did a great job, and Tracey Bowman absolutely deserved the win with her pony.”

For the team medals, Germany took gold with a score of 273.67 penalties. Less than a point separated the next two podium spots, but the U.S. clinched silver with a score of 298.95 penalties while Great Britain earned bronze with a score of 299.69 penalties.

“I think that we ended up right where we needed to be. We could’ve slipped a slot or two, but we held on right until the end,” said Matheson. “I was very proud of our drivers. I think it is good for us, and I’m really excited about what this means to the para community in the United States. The feedback from the FEI officials that we spoke to was that they were so excited that we were able to field four drivers for this championship.”

Bowman hoped to defend her 2021 individual gold medal with Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars, and the pair did just that in the Grade 1 division.

“This time was a little more intense because there was double the competitors and ‘Lars’ has gotten a little bit of a reputation,” said Bowman. “He had press releases [about him] and a lot of followers who were going, ‘Oh, that’s Lars!’ I definitely felt like I needed to live up to what had become expectations, so little more pressure this time.”

Bowman (Martinez, Calif.) and her 2009 Welsh Pony gelding started the competition off with a lovely dressage test to score 46.80 penalties, winning the driven dressage phase. Bowman and Lars tackled the marathon phase by quickly navigating through Jeroen Houterman’s course. A slight bobble in obstacle seven cost them some time, but they had an excellent day to finish second in the marathon phase, adding 85.43 penalties to their overall score and maintain the top spot on the leaderboard.

“If it hadn’t had been for that mistake, then I think he would’ve definitely gotten the win [in the marathon phase] because he is super-fast and won a couple other hazards,” said Bowman. “There were really good hazards here, really nicely built.”

The pair had a determined round in the cones phase to win the phase and add no penalties to their overall score to finish as the world champions on 132.23 penalties.

“That’s all pressure,” said Bowman. “One little mistake can drop you and kind of ruin your day, but he is so supple and nice and obedient on the flat. The atmosphere didn’t affect him at all. He was super drivable, super calm, and if I wanted to do something, he left me do it. He was all business, total concentration. He just makes it great and fun.”

Making her eighth World Championship appearance, Kastama was the sole U.S. athlete in the Grade II division with her leased horse Tjibbe, and they earned a strong sixth-place finish. The pair had a flowing dressage test to earn a score of 59.70 penalties to slot them into sixth place after the driven dressage phase. Kastama and the 2004 Friesian cross gelding owned by Koos de Ronde had an efficient marathon round to finish the phase in fourth place, tallying 95.74 penalties to their overall score. The duo knocked two balls down and had five-tenths of a time penalty to add 6.50 penalties to their score. Their solid performances throughout the competition earned them a sixth-place finish with an overall score of 166.72 penalties.

Giles (Morriston, Fla.) and Brynithon Flyers Magic competed in the Grade I division and were the U.S. trailblazers throughout the competition. As a new partnership with Giles leasing the 2014 Welsh Cob gelding owned by Chantal Vermerris for the world championship, they overcame some challenges to finish a respectable 13th place on the world stage. Giles and Brynithon Flyers Magic scored 80.56 penalties in the driven dressage phase to begin Giles’s fourth World Championship appearance. The duo had a solid marathon round, adding 129.38 penalties to their overall score. Giles and Brynithon Flyers Magic closed out the competition with four balls down but no time penalties in the cones phase to add 12.00 penalties to their score, finishing on 221.94 penalties in 13th place.

U.S. individual Aitken made her World Championship debut a memorable one with her leased horse Gerritje by finishing in 10th place in the Grade I division. The pair had an impressive start to the competition with a smooth dressage test to score 52.56 penalties and finish third in the driven dressage phase. Aitken (Parma Heights, Ohio) and the 2011 KWPN mare owned by Kim de Groot and Heidi Martens drove well through the marathon course to tally 127.72 penalties to their overall score. They had two balls down and one time penalty in the cones phase to add 7.00 penalties to their score, finishing in 10th place with an overall score of 187.28 penalties.

Event website | Team results | Individual results | Full results

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