Rodney Gatt in European Championship for professional drivers

During the weekend harness racing driver Rodney Gatt will be representing our country in the European Championship for Professional Drivers being held at the Belgian racetracks of Wallonie and Tongres. Maltese champion for the last 5 years, Gatt has won 729 races in Malta and several important victories overseas notably during the World Championship for Professional Drivers in Sweden in 2019.

The European and World championships are held alternatively but those planned for 2020 and 2021 had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic which means that the reigning European Champion is French Franck Nivard crowned in 2018.

Rodney Gatt, is accompanied by Karl Debono who is one of the horse owners and drivers representatives within the Malta Racing Club. Competition is spread over Saturday and Sunday with 7 races – 4 will be held in Mons Saturday evening and 3 in Tongres on Sunday.

11 drivers are taking part representing Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and naturally Malta. Like Malta, Ireland and Serbia will be vying to take this honour for the first time whilst Germany is the country having won this honour the most with 9 victories since its inception in 1969.

Competitors are awarded points according to their order of finish in each race and the driver with the greatest amount of points after seven races is declared European Champion. Finishing with the top drivers in this championship could mean an automatic invite for the World Professional Drivers’ championship which is planned to be held in Italy next year.