Enforcing his dominance of the FEI Driving World Cup 2025/2026 season so far, Boyd Exell couldn’t be caught at the 39th Stuttgart German Masters. One of seven starters at the flagship German show – a long-running host of the World Cup – Boyd’s place in both Friday and Saturday’s drive-offs was easily guaranteed. Such is his inherent competitiveness that only a win will do and despite a couple of blips – a missed turn in Friday’s drive-off and a ball on Saturday – he did what he consistently does so well and clinched two wins. His hallmark assurance on display, on Saturday he won with a clear in 139.84 seconds and a margin of 16.22.
‘Don’t hold them back… let them fly’
“I was more focussed during the second round and definitely my team was fast and furious – they were flying. While doing the course I was looking ahead so I was able to give my horses good information. We weren’t aiming to push; my navigator Emma and I spoke, and we said the tactics are don’t hold them back and let them fly, don’t push them to go faster and that’s what we planned to do,” Boyd Exell said.
“But going to the finish line I was holding them saying ‘Slow down, slow down’ but they were saying, ‘No… we’re coming!’ It was good fun.
“It’s quite touching being here because you realise that the public is staying for the Driving and the prize giving. Indoor driving in Germany, even before the World Cup, had Michael Freund and Christoph Sandmann who did a lot of Driving, and they started the World Cup fever here in Stuttgart which has carried on.”
Once again, Boyd’s equine team included Bajnok, Katydid Duchess, Barney 68 and Mad Max 81, as it has throughout this 2025/2026 season to date. Bajnok (‘Bundy’) continues to prove age is just a number; the 22-year-old gelding has now amassed 106 World Cup rounds in his glittering career. Navigator Emma Olsson and backstep Wannes Larsen once again joined Boyd on the carriage in Stuttgart.
Watch the action from Stuttgart German Masters here via ClipMyHorse.TV.
View all the results from the Stuttgart German Masters here via Equipe.
Jérôme Voutaz claims ranking points
Because Boyd was competing as a wild card, it was Saturday’s second placed Jérôme Voutaz of Switzerland who earned the maximum ten ranking points, and he has propelled himself up the table into second place and nearer to a place in the final in Bordeaux, France. A seasoned World Cup campaigner, he pulled together the promising elements of this and many past seasons and put himself as near to pole position as anyone can get when Boyd is in the mix. Saluting his trusty team at every opportunity, they gave him their all and improved on their third from Friday evening to second on Saturday, with a drive-off total of 156.06, four of which were penalty seconds.
Making it look relatively straightforward was Anna Mareike Meier who helped keep the keen home crowd satisfied as the highest placed of the three Germans on both days.
She and her turnout seemed to glide round the large arena, whose dimensions suit her long striding horses, and there was plenty of forward, flowing movement which earned her a well-deserved drive-off place on Saturday. Opting to play it safe as she was already guaranteed a top three finish and weighty ranking points, she gave her horses another sensitive drive through Dutchman Jeroen Houterman’s course and although she was slower, she showcased her strengths and finished on 171.38, having knocked a ball in number five.
It looked like veteran former champion Christoph Sandmann of Germany might repeat his storming start to the season in Maastricht, The Netherlands, last weekend, but he was the wrong side of Mareike’s time so didn’t make the drive-off on Saturday. He ended in fourth on 157.93 having knocked one element for a ball roll in number nine, the second marathon-style obstacle. He had also been behind his compatriot on Friday evening by only 0.29 for fifth place.
Belgian Glenn Geerts must be wondering what is jinxing him between competitions one and two. In a repeat of his opener in Maastricht, he also made the first drive-off. This weekend, he stood second behind Boyd by 4.15. But like in Maastricht, a repeat performance on day two eluded him and despite giving it his all, he had two knocks for eight penalties and was a little off the pace to finish in sixth on 163.12.
On day one, over a course which asked more questions as the season progresses, Sweden’s Fredrik Persson and Germany’s Anna Sandman – the second wild card – faced a few challenges. Fredrik and his team didn’t meld during their first round and tallied penalties to finish seventh. But they improved on Saturday to rise a place for sixth on Saturday with 167.10 having accumulated eight seconds in penalties.
It’s the first World Cup season for Anna who is still feeling her way, and she swapped places with Fredrik at the lower end of the order, coming sixth on Friday then seventh on Saturday with 168.36, eight of which were penalties. But such is her commitment and training ethic that she will undoubtedly be working hard behind the scenes to hone her skills and should become slicker as the season progresses.
The famous arena in the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle, the crowd-pleasing water splash and the many, voluble fans earmark Stuttgart as one of the most popular stops on the World Cup circuit.
Next up, Stockholm
Next for the Driving is an event on a similar scale in Stockholm, Sweden, which also packs thousands into the audience. Having so many people there cheering for the sport really raises the experience for everyone involved to a different level. It will also be the halfway point in the series, already, and if bets are to be placed, then surely Boyd Exell is the one to back. But he didn’t win last year – that was Dries Degrieck of Belgium – and perhaps the balance will fall in favour of someone else. Tune in to find out.
Leg four is in Stockholm from 28-29 November 2025 with full coverage on FEI TV and ClipMyHorse.TV.
Source: FEI press release, edited by Equestrian Life.
