Driving
by: Margaret Ross

One of the fastest growing of all equine competitive sports is Combined Driving. This sport has grown out of the Olympic sport of Combined Training and like CT has three different phases, dressage, marathon and cones. Each of these requires specific abilities of the driver (referred to as whip). Combined Driving is the only competitive driving discipline to be contested at the World class (FEI) level.

There are four levels of competition: Training, Preliminary, Intermediate and Advanced. Any of these levels can be driven with a single, pair or four-in-hand.

Presentation and Dressage

Before the start of competition, the judge and show veterinarian inspects each horse for soundness. Then, the Presentation judge looks at the turnout, fit of harness and proper equipment.

The Dressage phase is a test driven from memory and tests the harmony between horse and driver and the physical development of the horse through the progressive levels of training. The best dressage tests will show off the horse’s rhythmic cadence, brilliant movement and correct, accurate transitions. One or more judges are used in Dressage and give scores between 0-10, 10 being perfect.

Marathon

A correctly trained horse maintains the focus developed in dressage and uses it on the taxing cross-country phase. The driver and navigator must judge the speed at which the horses need to travel so that the team arrives at each section within the time limits. There are three or five sections to a marathon. In the advanced level there are three trot sections, and two walk sections. In the first section, the driver warms the horse up and establishes a good forward trot. The mandatory walk section is next but it is not a time for the horse to rest. The time requirement is set so that the horse must march to make the time limit. After a short rest, the speed trot and then another walk section test the horse's stamina.

The well being of the horse is always of utmost importance; therefore, a vet check is done before the last challenging section. At the vet check, ground crews are waiting for their team to arrive, where they begin cooling the horse down and check the harness and carriage before the final leg. The driver and navigator discuss one more time their plan for section E, a speed trot and obstacles or hazards. The veterinarian looks the horse over to make sure the horse is fit for the last section and that his vital signs are almost completely normal.

The fast trot section begins and after the required distance the team arrives at the man-made or natural obstacles or hazards. The driver threads the team through the maze and since the time within the hazard is scored, drivers will be driving at speed.  There are usually five or more hazards to be driven in the more advanced competitions.

Cones

In this final phase, the horse must prove he has recovered from the marathon by having the energy, skill and obedience to perform a complicated cone course. Cones, with balls on top, are set in a pattern and the driver must wind his way through the course and not touch a cone. If a cone is touched, the ball will fall and will count against the team. To make it all fair, cones are set with the same clearance for each driver, within each division. In Preliminary, there is a 50cm clearance but in Advanced, cones are set with only 25cm or a 10-inch clearance.

In Combined Driving, the driver with the fewest number of errors is the winner. It is a true test of reinsmanship, where the driver is limited to the use of his voice, whip and reins. There may well be a Combined Driving Event in your area, soon. Go to it and you try to pick the winner! Good Luck!