Gävle, Sweden — Yannick Gingras, representing the United States, finished second to Rick Ebbinge from The Netherlands in the World Driving Championship, which concluded Friday afternoon (May 31) at Gävle, Sweden.

Yannick Gingras finished second in the World Driving Championship. USTA/Ken Weingartner photo.

Gingras went out on a high note as he won the last race with Vine Vision, a 5-year-old gelding sired by Weingartner.

Gingras, a two-time Driver of the Year in the U.S. making his first WDC appearance, won three races in the series. He also had three second-place finishes and three thirds.

Ebbinge won the first two races today and is the new world champion. He is the first driver from The Netherlands to win the competition, which began in 1970. Ebbinge won the WDC by six points and also became Driver of the Day with 53 points.

Ebbinge was in sixth place following Wednesday’s races, a total of 20 points behind then leader Ulf Ohlsson. Despite his placement Ebbinge still had his eyes on the gold today and started the day with a victory from the front with Jackpot Band, then followed it up with another victory with the cold-blood Pyrmo, who was the strongest on the outside of the leader.

The two victories took Ebbinge up to first place, where he stayed for the rest of the day, as Ohlsson and Doug McNair would not make the most of their shots in the last three races.

Rick Ebbinge won the World Driving Championship. STA/WDC photo.

“I got a good start of the day and then I just tried to stay away and it went all the way. Just being here participating with these top drivers means a lot, and it is even more fun to win,” said Ebbinge at the victory ceremony.

Ohlsson and McNair’s battle for second place came to an end, when Gingras won the 24th and final race of the World Driving Championship with Vine Vision. The horse finished strong and the American pushed Ohlsson to the bronze medal and Canadian McNair to just off the podium, only two points behind Ohlsson.

Today’s other two races were won by new Zealander Matthew Williamson, who took his second win in the competition with the cold-blood Edbest, and the previous world champion, James MacDonald, who won with Desideria de Soze.

The World Driving Championship has been held since 1970 when Canadian Herve Filion won.

Drivers from the U.S. have finished in the top three at the WDC in four of the last five editions. In addition to Gingras in 2019, Marcus Miller was third in 2017, Tim Tetrick third in 2015, and Corey Callahan second in 2011. Dave Magee was the most recent U.S. representative to win the championship, in 1995.

The final leaderboard appears below.

1. Rick Ebbinge (The Netherlands) – 199.5 points
2. Yannick Gingras (USA) – 193.5
3. Ulf Ohlsson (Sweden) – 191.5
4. Doug McNair (Canada) – 189.5
5. Eirik Hoitomt (Norway) – 187
6. Matthew Williamson (New Zealand) – 181.5
7. Mika Forss (Finland) – 177
8. Franck Nivard (France) – 162
9. James MacDonald (Canada/ITA) – 154
10. Michael Nimczyk (Germany) – 151.5
11. Rodney Gatt (Malta) – 142
12. Todd McCarthy (Australia) – 136

For more information, go to the official World Driving Championship website.

— with files from the WDC website