NEWS > Driving

Vale Bill - Boyd Exell's four-in-hand lead horse has died peacefully at age 22

Bill 22 - considered as the fastest four-in-hand lead horse in the world has died peacefully at home whilst out grazing in the fields. Bill competed in both outdoor international competitions as well as indoor World Cup shows.

A bay orlov trotter in his early 20s, Bill has 81 international show stamps in his passport and has taken part in excess of 150 shows, including national events in Britain and Germany.

Boyd Exell's winning streak all started with Bill helping Boyd collect a bronze medal in Beesd 2008. Their partnership (which started in 2007) went on to win four consecutive World Cup™ championships, along with numerous World Cup driving shows, and winning in Aachen, Beekbergen, Vecses, Deauville and Royal Windsor. Of course winning was not new to Bill - he had already won five World Cup™ championships with his previous owner, Michael Freund.

“Bill taught me that you could trust him at top speed through the obstacles and he could still be careful and responsive” Boyd said.

Bill was quite a character. “Bill knew what he wanted. He liked his routine, the people he knew, and he definitely didn’t like vets!” said Michelle Kenny of Team Exell. "The other competitors always looked, watched and noted to see if Bill was unloaded off the lorry at the shows"!

Bill last competed internationally at Olympia in December 2012 (which the team won) and his final outdoor international competition was Beekbergen in 2011, which they also won!

Bill won 5 World Cup™ driving championships with Michael Freund and 4 World Cup™ driving championships with Boyd.

In May this year's Bill along with Boyd's four-in-hand team of horses were honoured at Equestrian Australia's Sport Achievement Awards Night with the International Horse of the Year award for 2012.

Bill's record of achievements

2001/2002: Michael Freund (GER) Gothenburg (SWE)

2002/2003: Michael Freund (GER) Gothenburg (SWE)

2003/2004: Michael Freund (GER) Gothenburg (SWE)

2004/2005: Michael Freund (GER) Gothenburg (SWE)

2006/2007: Michael Freund (GER) Gothenburg (SWE)

2008/2009: Boyd Exell (AUS) Gothenburg (SWE)

2009/2010: Boyd Exell (AUS) Geneva (SUI)

2010/2011: Boyd Exell (AUS) Leipzig (GER)

2011/2012: Boyd Exell (AUS) Bordeaux (FRA)

2008 Royal Windsor

2008 Beekbergen