Four-in-hand driver Bram Chardon: ‘I forgot that not only my father and I had to drive well’

‘My father and I have always had a very strong bond, both privately and professionally. On paper we are each other’s competitors as four-in-hand drivers, but in practice his victory feels like my victory and vice versa. My father, IJsbrand, has that to an even greater extent than I do. If he feels that I have a better chance of winning, because he just got a new horse or because he lacks the right rhythm, he puts himself on the back foot.

“We have been doing everything together for years. We train together, decide which horses to take to competitions, what the best tactics are. And we also explore the courses together before competitions. If one person makes observations during a ride, he tells the other. ‘That gate is disappointing’, or ‘you should take that bend just a little wider’. Usually there are only a few minutes between two rides, just enough to exchange crucial information. That’s how it went this year during the World Cup in Italy. My horse dropped out, I had to change my team. I knew I had little chance of an individual medal, but my father was still very much in the race. That’s why I naturally shifted my focus to him. In the end, my father won individual silver and I finished in fourth place. Together with Koos de Ronde we won team gold.

“Such a strong bond between father and son in the same sport has many advantages, but I also noticed that two camps eventually emerged in the A-team. It became: my father and I separated from the rest. For example, I did not share all my observations with the other team members. I adjusted things without consultation, presenting them with a fait accompli. I forgot that not only my father and I had to drive well, but she also.

“Partly because of this, the Dutch team performed less well for a while. We were favorites at the 2018 World Cup, but we made a mess of it. Although we won a silver team medal, it was nothing individually. A year later at the European Championships we also missed out on the prizes as a team. Then came the realization that team gold is not a certainty. The Germans and Belgians are breathing down our necks. You don’t win team gold because you do well individually.

There has been a lack of understanding in the Dutch team for a long time. Many accusations were made

“Fortunately, the equestrian federation KNHS sounded the alarm in time. Like: guys, what’s going on here? A coach came and had us take a personality test. Are you a doer or are you a thinker? Why do you do things the way you do them? We discussed the results with each other.

“My father and I know each other inside and out, we have always been honest with each other. But I now understand better from other team members why they act the way they do. Decisions can still cause resentment, but I understand the considerations behind them. That leads to more understanding.

Really kicking

“There has been a lack of understanding in the Dutch team for a long time. Many accusations were made: you do this and you do that. The coaching project brings the drivers, the national coach, the team leader and the sports federation back on the same page. We talk more easily with each other, there is more appreciation and respect. And that has led to sporting success, with the team gold medal in Italy as the ultimate proof. It was a real thrill to be on that stage in Rome with my father.

“It was also significant that I was cheering on Koos in the marathon in Italy. The better he drove, the greater the chance of team gold. I forgot for a moment that he had surpassed me individually – a few years ago that would have been unthinkable. Then I would have been particularly disappointed that Koos was higher in the individual ranking than me. The team gold had little meaning, it only determined 10 percent of my happiness. That’s forty now.

“My father is a four-time world champion, but the day will come when he will no longer be on the coach. That thought doesn’t stress me at all. We never talked about his retirement in detail, I have no idea when he will stop. “When I feel like I can’t win anymore,” he has said. As a great sportsman, he understandably does not want to go to competitions to fill the page. As the years go by, I become more and more aware of how special it is what we do together.”

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