Canada's Doug McNair made it interesting, but Rick Ebbinge of The Netherlands is just the second driver in harness racing history to repeat as the World Driving Champion. The 2019 victor finished atop the leader board in the 2023 competition that took place from Aug. 13-18 over tracks in The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

Ebbinge came into the fourth and final leg at Trabrennbahn Mariendorf in Berlin, Germany on Friday, Aug. 18 with a 33-point lead over his closest rival and added another 24 points in a day where his best finish was a fourth. 

"I means a lot to win again," said Ebbinge, joining Norway's Ulf Thoresen (1979-1981) as the only drivers with back-to-back championships. "I'm very happy."

Canada's Doug McNair was within striking distance of Ebbinge in the final race with a strong 2-1-1 summary from his first four starts of the day. His horse in the final race finished eighth, leaving him with 150 points over the 20-race tournament. His point total was equal to Hanna Huygens of Belgium, but McNair finished second as he had more victories. 

Here is the final 2023 World Driving Championship leaderboard.

1. Rick Ebbinge - The Netherlands - 163

2. Doug McNair - Canada - 150 

3. Hanna Huygens - Belgium - 150

4. Santtu Raitala - Finland - 145

5. Michael Nimczyk - Germany - 130

6. Peter McMullen - Australia - 132

7. Jordan Ross - United States - 118

8. Blair Orange - New Zealand - 107

9. Miodrag Pantić - Serbia - 103

10. Rodney Gatt - Malta - 78

A race-by-race breakdown of the fourth leg follows.

WDC RACE 16

With a patient drive from the second tier, Canada's Doug McNair launched Loverboy v Assum four-wide around the final turn to win the first race in the fourth leg of the 2023 World Driving Championship.

As the track announcer proclaimed "Canada! Canada! CANADA!" down the stretch in the final strides of the 1,900-metre race, Loverboy v Assum relentlessly closed on Marije Volo (driven by Belgium's Hanna Huygens) to nail that rival on the wire. Hirondina Queen rounded out the top trio for Finland's Santtu Raitala.

"The crowd's great, the people are great, and this horse raced great for me today," said Mcnair post-race. "I was waiting for Rick (Ebbinge, driving Snooze), he was the one I wanted to follow the whole way because I thought he had the one to beat. When he was struggling a bit, I knew it was time to go. He won very easy once I asked him."

WDC RACE 17

In a similar finish to the first World Driving Championship leg, Serbia's Miodrag Pantić launched Breeding of Hanke four-wide from third over around the final turn and closed assertively to win the second WDC race of the day.

With his second win of the competition, Pantić was motionless with Breeding of Hanke crossing under the wire much the best. Malta's Rodney Gatt found room late to finish second with Andrala. The horse behind him around the final turn was Double Explosion and Canada's Doug McNair, and McNair knifed through rivals for a third place finish.

WDC RACE 18

Readly Passion and Belgium's Hanna Huygens made every call a winning one in the third WDC race of the fourth leg, going gate-to-wire and holding off a late charge of Canada's Doug McNair aboard Marcel for the victory.

McNair sat the pocket with Marcel through the 1,900-metre event and left-lined in the stretch for a late bid but Readly Passion loved being on top and got Huygens into the winner's circle. Klaassen Boko closed well from third over for Australia's Peter McMullen to round out the top trio.

WDC RACE 19

Doug McNair kept himself within striking distance of points leader Rick Ebbinge, guiding Rolfi to a front-end score in the fourth race of the day.

A false start to delay the start of the fourth race didn`t affect Rolfi, who repelled a midrace challenge from Ole Bo (driven by Rick Ebbinge) and a late threat from Nordic Jaycee (Jordan Ross) to give McNair his second win of the day and propel him into second place overall with one race to go.

Dreamline Promise (Santtu Raitala) rounded out the top three.

"This horse raced really good," said McNair, who gave credit to his translator Tim for the trip advice. "They took a run at him and he dug down deep to win. He should have got a little more tired than he did, I drove him pretty hard."

WDC RACE 20

After ceding the lead to fellow toteboard darling Luv Lois Schermer and driver Rick Ebbinge, Finland's Santtu Raitala  popped the pocket with Di Ospeo in the stretch to win the final World Driving Championship race of 2023.

Raitala fronted the field of 10 early, then yielded for a pocket ride behind Luv Lois Schermer. With that one fading late, Di Ospeo had plenty of trot late and comfortably stretched out to pull away and hold off Jo Jo Harley (driven by Germany's Michael Nimczyk) and Indoor (Miodrag Pantić).

Canada's Doug McNair tried to find a lane with Spy Lord from the back of the pack and eventually angled to the inside but finished eighth.