Wayne van Niekerk Picture: Facebook/South African Equestrian Federation
South African carriage driver Wayne van Niekerk is preparing to take the reins on one of equestrian sport’s biggest international stages, and is set to make South African sporting history when he becomes the country’s first competitor in the prestigious Four‑in‑Hand Driving World Championship.
The championship at the FEI World Championships in Aachen, Germany, runs from 20 to 23 August and brings together the world’s leading drivers across dressage, marathon and cones.
Milestone
For Van Niekerk, who has already represented South Africa at four World Championships in pairs, Aachen marks another milestone in a career that began with a chance encounter at a local dressage event.
“This is a huge opportunity, not only for me, but for carriage driving in South Africa,” he said. “We are a small discipline at home, so to take the South African flag into a four‑in‑hand World Championship at Aachen is incredibly special.
“I hope it helps people discover the sport and realise just how exciting, technical and accessible carriage driving can be.”
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Balance
Van Niekerk balances his international campaign with a demanding career as a radiation oncologist.
His horses are based in the Netherlands under the training of multiple World Champion Boyd Exell, allowing him to compete against full‑time professionals.
“My circumstances are different, but representing South Africa at this level makes the commitment worthwhile,” he said.
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Declining numbers
His appearance comes at a crucial time for carriage driving in South Africa, which has struggled with declining numbers since COVID and the retirement of experienced drivers.
Rising costs have added to the challenge, but grassroots interest is returning, with new competitors and provincial expansion. Van Niekerk hopes his campaign will inspire wider participation. “There is space in the sport not only for drivers, but for grooms, navigators and the wider team,” he said.
Van Niekerk begins competition with dressage on 20 August, followed by the marathon on 22 August and cones on 23 August.
What is carriage driving?
For those unfamiliar with competitive carriage driving, the sport bears little resemblance to the leisurely horse-drawn outings its name might suggest.
Combined driving is effectively the eventing of the carriage world. Competition begins with dressage, where judges assess qualities including rhythm, suppleness, accuracy and harmony.
It then moves into marathon, a fast and technically demanding phase in which horses and drivers negotiate a course containing complex hazards against the clock.
The final phase, cones, requires the driver to negotiate a precision course between pairs of cones topped with easily displaced balls.
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