ROYAL WINDSOR HORSE SHOW CONFIRMS WORLD-CLASS INTERNATIONAL CARRIAGE DRIVING FIELD FOR 2026

Media Release: 9 April 2026

Royal Windsor Horse Show has confirmed a superb line-up for its CAIO4* FEI Driving World Cup™ Qualifier, with 24 drivers from 10 nations set to compete. Featuring many of the discipline’s most accomplished names, alongside a strong British contingent, this year’s entries promise three days of top-class international competition across the Dressage, Marathon and Cones phases.

Australia’s Boyd Exell returns as defending champion after securing an extraordinary fifteenth Royal Windsor victory in 2025, underlining his remarkable record at the Show. Belgium’s Glenn Geerts and Dries Degrieck, who finished second and third respectively at Royal Windsor last year, are both set to return, while Sweden’s Fredrik Persson and America’s Chester Weber – fourth and fifth in 2025 – add further strength to an already formidable line-up.

Among those expected to feature prominently is Belgium’s Dries Degrieck, who arrives in strong form having won the FEI Driving World Cup™ Final in Bordeaux earlier this year. The Dutch challenge, meanwhile, is led by Bram Chardon, who was crowned European Four-in-Hand Champion for a record fourth consecutive time in 2025, and is further reinforced by the vastly experienced Ijsbrand Chardon and Koos de Ronde. Germany is also strongly represented by Christoph Sandmann, Anna Mareike Meier and Georg von Stein, ensuring fierce competition from across Europe’s leading Carriage Driving nations.

Home interest will be considerable, with four British drivers entered: Karen Bassett, Peter Bennett, Daniel Naprous and Robert Wilkinson. Bassett, Naprous and Wilkinson all represented Great Britain at the CAIO4* at CHIO Aachen in 2025, while Wilkinson also competed at the FEI European Driving Championships later that season. He arrives in strong form, having finished third at the CAI3*-H4 international driving competition in Exloo earlier this season. Bennett, meanwhile, was part of the British team that secured silver at the FEI World Championships for Horse Pairs in Beekbergen, Holland, in August 2025. Their presence gives the home side a strong and experienced representation against some of the sport’s biggest international names.

The competition begins on Friday with the Dressage phase in the International Driving Arena, before attention turns to Saturday’s Marathon through Home Park Private – always one of the most atmospheric and eagerly anticipated phases of the week. For 2026, a new obstacle situated next to the Copper Horse Arena will add a fresh dimension to the course and provide spectators with another excellent vantage point from which to enjoy the action. On Sunday, the competition concludes with the Cones phase, where precision, partnership and speed will ultimately decide the final standings.

In a further enhancement for 2026, H&C TV will provide coverage from the Carriage Driving Marathon on Saturday for the first time as part of Royal Windsor Horse Show’s official streaming offering, giving audiences an additional opportunity to follow one of the most dynamic and technically demanding disciplines of the week.

Simon Brooks-Ward, Chairman of Royal Windsor Horse Show, stated: “Royal Windsor Horse Show has long held a special place within the international Carriage Driving calendar, and we are delighted to welcome such an exceptional field of competitors for 2026. The standard of entries once again reflects the prestige of the Show, and with a new Marathon obstacle introduced this year, together with expanded broadcast coverage, we look forward to offering an even more engaging experience for both spectators and viewers at home.”

With proven champions, major title winners and a strong British challenge all set to converge in the Private Grounds of Windsor Castle, the International Carriage Driving competition promises to be one of the standout sporting attractions of the Show.

Tickets and further details are available at www.rwhs.co.uk.

To view Carriage Driving entries, please click here

Royal Windsor Horse Show

Royal Windsor Horse Show takes place each year in May in the private grounds of Windsor Castle, where over 55,000 visitors are welcomed to view an extensive programme of international equestrian competition and performances. First staged in 1943 to raise funds for the War effort, the Show is honoured to have as its Patron HM The King, and as its President, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. The 2026 edition of the Show, which has Defender as Principal Partner, will take place from 14–17 May, and its schedule will include the CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix Show Jumping class, the CAIO4* International Carriage Driving Grand Prix, the CEI3* Royal Windsor Endurance, over 120 Showing classes and displays which feature Shetlands, military horses and mounted games.