Discipline - Driving
Introduction to Driving
Horses were driven long before they were ridden. Competitive driving has been an established sport in Eastern Europe since the late 19th century. The first gold medal for driving was awarded in Baden-Baden in 1882. In 1969, thanks largely to HRH Prince Phillip who was the president of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) at the time, that driving became a recognized competitive sport and has grown in popularity ever since.
DRIVING TRIALS
Driving Trials, first held in Switzerland in 1970, are predominantly geared towards teams of four horses. The sport is modeled after the ridden three-day event and is made up of three different competitions - A, B and C. Like eventing, final placing is determined by the sum of the penalties accumulated over the three trials.
Competition A is a dressage test. Movements are not complex, since a four-horse team and carriage is approximately 33 feet long. They include speed and gait transitions, circles of different sizes and halts. Marks are given for general turnout as well as obedience, impulsion, the quality of paces, and style of driving.
Competition B is called a marathon and is the equivalent of the eventer's endurance phase. It's an important phase to the overall competition and should carry three times the weight that the dressage test carries in the team's overall score. It's aimed to test the fitness and stamina of the horses and the judgment of pace and horse control by the driver. The team must cover 15 - 17 miles, with two obligatory 10-minute stops, in two hours. The marathon is run in 5 sections; A is a 6 1/4 mile route over roads and tracks taken at 9 1/2mph in any gait the driver prefers. Section B is over 3/4 of a mile and must be driven at the walk, followed by the first ten-minute halt. Section C is more demanding; the team takes a twisty, hilly route timed at 11 - 12mph. No cantering or galloping is allowed, forcing the team to work at a sharp, forward trot. Section D is another walk section followed by the second 10 minute stop where a veterinarian checks the animals to make sure they are fit to continue. The final section, E, is 6 1/4 miles long and driven at an average of 9 1/2mph. It includes eight obstacles or hazards that are situated fairly close together towards the end of the course. Originally the hazards were meant to be natural, such as water crossings, etc. but today's competitions almost always included specially constructed, carefully planned obstacles.
Competition C is the Obstacle Competition, otherwise know as "cone driving". It tests the fitness and suppleness of the horses after the Marathon as well as the skill of the driver. The course consists of 20 obstacles created by traffic cones. Penalties are incurred for striking a cone and displacing the ball on top and for exceeding the time limit.
There are also competitions for pairs, tandems, and some single horse and pony turnouts. Scurry driving, a mini-obstacle race run against the clock by pairs of ponies, is a crowd favorite. Its been called "the equestrian version of stock-car racing" and involves fast, agile pairs of ponies pulling light, four-wheeled vehicles through a course. The driver also has a groom on board to help maintain the cart's stability.
THE HORSES
Most of the horses used in Competition Driving are warmbloods, although Cleveland Bays, Welsh Cobs, Morgans and even Haflingers are used. Hungarian teams tend to stick with the Lipizzaners and employ traditional driving methods that are slightly different from the English method of driving.
