Anna Sandmann (GER) winner of the FEI Driving World Cup™ 2025/26 - Lyon (FRA)© FEI/Łukasz Kowalski

01.11.2026

The new FEI Driving World Cup™ series has started in spectacular style in Lyon (FRA) as Germany’s Anna Sandmann made history by winning the first qualifying leg.

Beating the defending champion Dries Degrieck (BEL) into second place, Sandmann drove her team with bravery and commitment to produce the only clear round in Sunday’s drive-off.

Glenn Geerts (BEL) finished third, just 0.70 seconds behind Degrieck.

Leading lady

As the first of the three drivers to re-enter the arena, she had earned her place in the drive-off by also going clear in the opening round. She raised her game to confidently steer her four horses on a precise course to finish on a time of 155.52 seconds.

Clearly thrilled and emotional afterwards, she said, “I am really proud and I didn’t expect it! It is my second season, and I am surprised with the win. My horses were fast today, they were focused and were great for me, and we had two really good rounds. It’s my first time here in Lyon and the crowd was great.”

Using two horses from the team she made her World Cup debut with last year, plus a new one and another borrowed from her father, former champion Christoph Sandmann, she said that the combination really came together for her. Boosted by her third place after Saturday morning’s competition one, she knew that a top-three finish was within reach.

Defending champion

As the fastest drive-off qualifier, Degrieck was last into the arena and knew what pace he had to find to repeat the win he’d had in competition one the day before. With 2.47 seconds in hand at the split point on the bridge, he seemed on track for a winning round until a late ball roll handed victory to Sandmann. Crossing the line in 155.04 seconds, he had the fastest time by just 0.48 seconds, but the four penalties took his total to 159.04.

A new team

Glenn Geerts (BEL) debuted a new team in Lyon and there was an improvement in their performances between the two competitions. Another to drive a clear in the first round, he had to follow Sandmann into the arena for his drive-off. His pace at the split was in touch, but as the team swung through one of the last pairs of cones, an unlucky hoof strike caused a ball to roll and the time of 155.74 became 159.74 for third.

The close times between the top three, with only 0.7 seconds between second and third, showed how evenly matched they were.

Best of the rest

With only the top three drivers returning for the drive-off, unlike competition one when they all drove again, the next places were set by the scores from the first round.

Wild card Benjamin Aillaud (FRA) maintained his form from the first competition and finished fourth again on 160.52, including four penalties added to his time of 156.52.

Ijsbrand Chardon (NED) began with a formidable clear round on Saturday morning, then did the same on Sunday. He was slightly slower on 161.83 seconds but was consistent and held his fifth place on both days.

The second of the French wild cards, Anthony Horde, improved on his seventh from the first competition and rose a place on Sunday for sixth on 169.33.

An impressive debut

Making an impressive World Cup debut, Radek Nesvačil (CZE) started his series with a clear round, and in the first drive-off kept pace with the leaders to finish second behind Degrieck on Saturday. But on Sunday, he added eight penalties to his time, which gave him 174.11 for seventh.

The win means that Sandmann can enjoy a week at the top of the rankings on the road to the final, and she can take the confidence and momentum from her spectacular result into the second leg in Maastricht (NED) next weekend, where her father is also competing as a qualified driver.

Also making their second appearances will be Nesvačil and Geerts, who is one of the three wild cards, alongside the host nation’s Bram Chardon and Koos de Ronde, both former champions.

Another who will have the weight of expectation in Maastricht is 11-time World Cup champion Boyd Exell (AUS), who will want to record his first win and begin his quest for another title. Completing the qualified starters is the other leading lady in the series and another German, Anna Mareike Meier.

The first leg of the 25th FEI Driving World Cup™ has already made this a memorable series. What will happen next weekend is hard to predict, but it promises to be very exciting!

FULL RESULTS