Australian carriage driver Boyd Exell has claimed his fifth FEI World Cup title after a bizarre but tight finale in France.
Exell narrowly edged out German rookie Daniel Scheider to win the event by 0.69 seconds in front of a sold-out crowd at Bordeaux's Expo centre on Sunday, with defending champion Koos de Ronde of The Netherlands in third.
The New South Welshman's victory was somewhat helped by the late withdrawal of overnight leader IJsbrand Chardon, also from The Netherlands, who pulled out just hours before the competition after two of his horses developed a fever.
Exell dedicated his win to his sister and mother, but said it would've been nicer if it had come from a "fair fight".
"I have just returned from a six-week holiday with good friends in Australia and I knew it was a disadvantage for me to come back at this level," he said.
"Last year I paid the price, this year my horses saved me.
"I am really delighted for my sister and my mother, who follow me from Australia. This win is really for them.
"I must say that it would have been nice to win with a fair fight; it is a shame IJsbrand could not compete."
Carriage driving involves navigating a four-horse carriage around a course of obstacles, with time penalties for errors.
