Gabriele Grasso: A Driving Force in the Making

Finding His Place Among the Best

When Italian driver Gabriele Grasso lined up for his first World Driving Championships for Pairs in Beekbergen, he knew exactly what he wanted: to finish inside the top twenty. Against a field dominated by German, Dutch, and Belgian riders – nations that set the gold standard in the sport – he achieved it, closing in 17th place. With teammates Josef Dibak and Aletti Montano, Team Italy secured an 11th-place team finish, proving they could hold their own at the very top.

For Grasso, though, the result was more than a number. Beekbergen holds personal meaning: he spent a year working there before returning as a competitor. “It felt like coming home,” he said. “The organization had improved so much – the footing, the courses, the obstacles. It was incredible to experience that level again, but this time as a driver at a World Championship.”

The Championship Journey

The three-phase format – dressage, marathon, and cones – tested every part of his partnership with his young horses. In dressage, he scored around 50, a solid mark given the tension of one inexperienced horse. “It wasn’t perfect, but for such a young team, I was proud.”

The marathon, his strongest phase, showed his competitive edge. With his trusted grey mare leading the way, Grasso was flying until a ball down at the eighth obstacle cost him precious seconds. “Without that mistake, I could have been in the top five,” he admitted.

The cones test brought another learning curve. Starting seventh in the order at a World Championship was a new pressure, and four downed balls pushed him out of the top positions. Still, he left Beekbergen satisfied: “Seventeenth in my first Worlds – I couldn’t ask for more.”

A Life Shaped by Horses

Horses have been part of Grasso’s story since childhood. Growing up in his father’s stables – his father being both a doctor and a driver – he was competing in driving events by the age of eight. The decision to make it his career, however, came later. After briefly attempting veterinary studies, he packed his bags at 18 and set out to chase his passion abroad.

His first stop was Florida, where he worked with Chester Weber, one of the sport’s most decorated drivers. “I started as a groom,” he recalled, “but Chester soon let me school his younger horses. Those six years were a masterclass, and I even went to two World Championships in singles with him.”

Europe eventually called him back. After stints in the Netherlands and with teams from Denmark, Greece, and Great Britain, he settled in Germany, working under Four-in-Hand legend Christoph Sandmann. That move opened the door to Beekbergen and to competing at the highest level with pairs.

Learning From the Back of the Carriage

Grasso insists that one of his greatest strengths as a driver comes from years spent as a groom. Far from being just an assistant, the groom is, in his words, “the backbone of the whole team – caring for the horses day and night, reading the ground during the race, keeping the driver calm. It’s not a side job; it’s the best school you can have.”

He believes too many young riders skip that stage, hoping to move straight to the reins. “That’s a mistake,” he warns. “Everything I know as a driver comes from what I learned behind. You get a sensitivity you can’t develop any other way. Even now, I still check everything myself before and after competing.”

The Power of Driving

Asked why a young equestrian should consider carriage driving, Grasso points to the unique relationship with the horse. “When you ride, you can use your legs to ask for more. In driving, all you have are your hands – you need feel and persuasion, not force. That creates a completely different bond.”

In Germany, he now coaches children and teenagers, some as young as eight, and has seen how transformative the sport can be. “I’ve seen shy kids become completely different people once they start driving. The carriage gives them confidence. Horses bring them out of their shell.”

He also stresses the importance of experimenting before specializing. “I did dressage and jumping too. You need to try different disciplines before choosing. Sometimes it just takes one ride in a carriage to fall in love.”

Looking Ahead

The next big step is already on the calendar: the FEI European Four-in-Hand Championships and the Para-Driving World Championships in Lähden (September 4–7, 2025). For the first time, the small German town will host a continental and world-level FEI event, and Grasso will be right in the middle of it.

Longer term, he has his sights set on the 2027 World Championships in Hungary. “My dream is to close the gap on the leaders and fight for a podium spot,” he says. He is also planning to establish his own stables in Germany, giving him a base to build his future.

“Beekbergen was not the finish line,” Grasso concludes. “It was the starting point. My dream is to keep working with horses at the highest level, but also to build something that’s mine.”

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