Stefanie Mayr wins FEGET Women’s Amateur European Driving Championship

The 2026 FEGAT champion is Stefanie Mayr. She is 18 year old, and is the granddaughter of the famous Austrian trainer/driver Gerhard Mayr who also drove and won on the Kincsem Park weekend programs.

Stefanie Mayr, 18, from Austria, has added the biggest success so far to her still young career: On Saturday she was crowned European Champion of amateur trotting drivers in Budapest – thus impressively confirming her rapid rise in trotting sport. That equestrian sport was practically in Stefanie Mayr’s blood comes as little surprise: She is the granddaughter of Austrian champion Gerhard Mayr and the daughter of trotting trainer Conny Mayr. The young woman from Salzburg is thus continuing a true trotting dynasty – and doing so at an impressive pace. With remarkable composure, tactical acumen, and great ambition, the Pinzgau native has established herself in the scene in a very short time, having already gained experience and success in pony and miniature trotter racing as a child. In her very first two years competing at the senior level, Steffi managed to win the Austrian national championship title. In Budapest, she provided the ultimate proof of her talent: Against strong competition from twelve European nations, Mayr kept her cool in the decisive final two heats and secured the European Championship title with a photo finish. For the young woman from Maishofen, the triumph is not only a personal milestone but also a strong signal for Austrian trotting sport. She thus follows in the footsteps of Maria Sauer (five-time European champion) and Gundula Bauer (title winner 18 years ago), who also secured the coveted European Championship title in the past.

Barbro Maria Elfstrand of Sweden finished second to Ms Mayr with third to Angelique Scotti of Switzerland. Hungary’s Eszter Cseperke Takacs edned in fourth place. The awards were presented by Adam Nagy Szotyori the Managing Director of Kincsem National Kft , Andras Krebs the Deputy Manager and Raymund Fodor the two-time Olympic champion water polo player.

The recap the six D=FEGAT heats follows:

 

FEGAT 1

Connolly’s Red Mills May 8 Friday evening

First Home (5g Sing Hallelujah),1.14.5kr, Suvi Vaittinen

Greenback, Michala Haagenseen

Versace Venus, Antonia VaquerStasch

 

FEGAT 2

Ferrari (5g Maximus Lindy),1.17.3kr, Elena Orlando Villani

Bing Crosby AT, Eszter Csepek Takacs

Petra La Roque, Stefanie Mayr

FEGAT 3

AcelosFiu (10m SJs Photo), 1.16.4kr, Nicole Holzschuh

Berill Lady, Angelique Scotti

PeterPiper, Barbro Maria Elfstrand

 

FEGAT 4 May 9 Saturday afternoon

Be Happy (9g Com Muscle), 1.17.0kr, Barbro Maria Elfstrand

Fancy, Angelique Scotti

Villeneuve, Samantha Stolker

 

FEGAT 5

Demon Jewel GG (7f Le Cannibale), 1.18.7kr, Stefanie Mayr

Enrico Fling, Anette Frones

Eagle GG, Barbro Maria Elfstrand

 

FEGAT 6

Csabito R (8g Orecchietti), 1.18.0kr, Ezster Cseperki Takacs

Emeli Sande AT, Stefanie Mayr

Diamond Ville, Angelique Scotti

 

The great racing also included two Kincsem Park stakes. The Tippmix Sprinter Kupa (2,000,000Huf purse,1800meters autostart, eight starters) went to Bonaparte Boss (9g Napoleon-Nikita-Crown Sweep) for trainer/driver Veljko Mazsity at 16.1/1 odds in a quick 1.13.0kr by open lengths over El Valle Sagrado (7g Nuncio-Urubamba-Maharajah) for Attila Budai at 5.3/1 and 2/1 odds Pure Muscle (7g MuscleHill-Allmar Surprise-Angus Hall) for Gyorgy Horvath. The 1.8/1 odds favorite Kendall Jackson (7gUncle Lasse-Avida de Vie-Windsongs Legacy) was fifth.

Then the Ferge Laszlo Memorial (3,000,000Huf purse, 1960 meters distance handicap, nine starters age three open) saw the 5.4/1 odds Hella T Boko (3f Maxiumus Lindy-Jasmine F Boko-Trixton), 1.18.6kr, Zoltan Horvath trainer/driver at 5.4//1 odds defeated 4.7/1 Hermesz (3m Unno del Duomo-Unika Vik-Cantab Hall) with Gyorgy Horvath driving for Andor Angyal the trainer, that was handicapped 20 meters. Third was 40meters handicapped and 5.7/1 odds Hermes History (3g Whos Who-Digital History-Super Photo Kosmos) handled by his trainer Balazs Juhasz. The race record for the Ferge Memorial is 1.17.7kr set in 2022 by Dolomit Boy.

The races on the Friday-Saturday cards honored former FEGAT leaders Claes L. Ljung and Fredy Moder.

Kincsem Park, FEGAT, Ugeto/Karoj Kotun files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink