Anna Sandmann (GER), FEI Driving European Championship 2025 - Lähden (GER), Marathon Test

Copyright ©FEI/Massimo Argenziano

06.09.2025

... in the Para classes after challenging Marathon in Lähden

There is promise of a fairytale finish as father and daughter Christoph and Anna Sandmann (GER) are sitting in first and second place in the Four-in-Hand title race.

Not only are they ahead on the leaderboard, but they and their colleagues at PSG Lähden are organising the event. But this is not an undertaking that daunts 58-year-old Christoph Sandmann, who has been winning medals for over 30 years, and has now positioned himself to win his first European individual title.

“They said to me after the Marathon that it wasn’t bad for an ‘old man’! I started the sport when I was 15 with my father and went to my first World Championship in Stockholm in 1990. 

"I have worked hard all these years for my family, my sport and my company, and I am proud of them all today.”

Christoph Sandmann

(GER) 

Driving with power and consistency through all eight challenging obstacles, Christoph credited his horses with ‘fighting for him’ after they had helped him gain a great Dressage mark too. His second place in the Marathon on 121.81, added to Friday’s 40.79, gives him 162.60. It allows him two cones plus a few time penalties to keep him ahead of his closest rival – his daughter Anna!

Keeping it in the family

Anna was the penultimate athlete to tackle the Marathon, and the crowd, who had stayed on late to support her, was rewarded as she crossed the line on a score of 126.93 for sixth place, and second overall going into Sunday’s cones on 170.25.

In a unique situation, it’s another pair of close family members – father and son – who are next in third and fourth. Defending champion Bram Chardon (NED) finished his Marathon in fifth on 126.62, just ahead of Anna, but his higher Dressage mark gave him a total of 170.87, so only 0.62 separates them. The Sandmanns know that their positions are not secure with Cones supremo Bram vying for a record fourth consecutive European title, and he has the ability to produce double clears when it counts.

If Christoph’s result came as a pleasant surprise, so did that of another titan of the sport, Ijsbrand Chardon (NED). Having put himself in contention after the Dressage, he consolidated his bid for another medal after a consistent round to finish fourth on 124.96 which gives him a total of 172.74 and fourth overall.

There were several more sets of close relations competing, such as brothers Jiri Jr. and Radek Nesvacil (CZE), and Koos and Peter de Ronde (NED), and father and son József and József Jr. Dobrovitz (HUN). Illustrating the importance of family support in Driving, there were many more family members back-stepping, navigating and helping on the ground.

Marathon winner

Daniel Schnieders (AUT) maintained the form he had shown earlier in the season for a towering display on the Marathon which resulted in a win on 119.51 that pulled him up the leaderboard into sixth place on 174.02. He sits ahead of one of the pre-event favourites, Dries Degrieck (BEL), who was eighth on 129.19 and totals 173.04 for fifth overall. Dressage leader Anna Mareike Meier (GER) slipped to seventh on 174.60 and Fredrik Persson (SWE) who was third, drops to eighth on 174.69.

Another result which must have caused some unexpected delight was that of Tom Stokmans (BEL). He was the best of the Belgians on the Marathon, finishing seventh on 127.23 and totals 177.41 for ninth. Completing the top ten is Tom’s teammate, Glenn Geerts (BEL) who is on 179.68.

Para Drivers’ positions

There were mixed emotions amongst the Para Drivers, ranging from delight to disappointment. Tracy Bowman (USA) had to concede her Grade 1 lead after Dressage to a dominant Jacques Poppen (NED) who scored 83.30 to win the Marathon and go ahead on a total of 125.95. But Tracy ties in second with Josien De Boer (NED) as they have equal totals of 133.59 – Josien was second on the Marathon with 88.63 and Tracy fourth on 92.39. Deborah Daniel (GBR) stormed round for a Marathon third on 91.11 which puts her in fourth overnight with 140.07.

Defending Grade 2 champion Alexandra Sievers (GER) seems set to repeat the domination she showed in all three phases in Exloo (NED) two years ago as she extended her lead after Dressage by winning the Marathon with 85.25 to top the table on 131.73. Hans Arends (NED) was her nearest Marathon rival for second on 88.26, which saw him rise into second overnight on 137.70, and Franz-Josef Melchers (GER) was third on 96.70 to keep his third spot on 145.90, just ahead of Aad Van Marwijk (NED) who added 97.37 to his Dressage for 146.25.

4* Single horses

Kelly Bruder (CAN) and her dependable Flip maintained their lead after a second placed Marathon to total 141.83, comfortably ahead of Marathon winner Anne Unzeitig (GER) who is on 148.86; but Marie Schiltz (LUX) is close by for third on 148.92. 

Tip and tuck in the team event

Not assured of its usual dominance in the nations event, The Netherlands nonetheless has taken the lead in both the Para and Four-in-Hand teams. In the Horse Fours, Koos de Ronde (NED) and Ijsbrand were counted for the Marathon scores and have helped take their nation into their familiar first place on 341.72. But there’s little more than a cone between them and Germany, who used Anna and Mareike’s Marathon scores for 344.85. Also tucked in close are Belgium on 347.85, with Dries’ and Tom contributing today.

For the Para Drivers’, The Netherlands has a more comfortable lead on 259.17, ahead of Germany on 287.96, Great Britain on 287.96 and the USA on 313.39. In the Single Horse event, it’s Germany that is in front on 304.71, The Netherlands is second on 316.84 and Luxembourg is third on 319.61.

The feedback after the Marathon was that it demanded respect and had to be driven positively and technically. Looking at the leaderboards, it seems that experience and wisdom were rewarded because those in front might be considered to be at the ‘senior’ end of the sport.