Sélestat. An international driving competition will take place from April 22 to 26 at Grubfeld

The international carriage competition will take place in SÉlestat from April 22 to 26. It is organized by the Center-Alsace Carriage Association (AACA) presided over by Jean-Claude Mériot. The competition will consist of three parts: dressage, marathon, and maneuverability. This prestigious event in the world of carriage driving will bring together 95 teams competing in single carriage, pairs, or four ponies, as well as carriages with one or two horses, representing 11 nations.

###Three events on the program for this competition The competition will begin with dressage events on April 23 and 24, where elegance and precision will be key for the competitors.

The marathon on April 25 will cover a 7-kilometer course. This spectacular event tests the endurance, resilience, agility, harmony, and bond between the driver and the horse on a varied terrain, as they overcome various obstacles with precision, regularity, and speed.

The third discipline of this competition will take place on Sunday, April 26 in the morning, where competitors will showcase their maneuverability skills. Accuracy and control will be essential as they navigate around about twenty numbered gates, each marked with a colored cone supporting a ball that must not be knocked down to avoid penalties.

Prominent figures in the carriage driving world will be present in SÉlestat for this competition, including the Swiss Mario Gandolfo (current world champion in one horse carriage), the French Marie Verna who has participated in several world championships with ponies, Didier Mathis, a driver and member of AACA who competed in the last world championship with a horse and is being considered for the upcoming championship in Munich, and Perlane Fassel (AACA member) who competed in the last two European championships and is currently being considered for the young driver selection in Osorthei, Romania.

The social aspect will be marked by the “Nations Evening” on April 23, featuring a culinary exchange where each delegation will offer a delicious specialty from their home country for tasting.