What Is Combined Driving?
A Triathlon For Horses, Combined Driving Continues To Gain Steam
Aug 25, 2009
The Winter Fair in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada has always been known for having equestrian events. Whether it’s horse jumping or ‘hitch’ competitions, anyone who has stepped on to fair grounds, usually ends up watching some of the beautiful horses strut their stuff.
There is one event that has yet to make its appearance at the Fair but considering it is garnering plenty of attention from locals over the past few years, ‘combined driving’ could conceivably make its way to the main stage sooner rather than later.
Chester Weber is a well-known high level ‘combined driver’ in the United States. According to his website, the event is considered a triathlon for horses where drivers must communicate with the horses only through voice and hands.
Horses and drivers compete in three phases in the event: dressage, marathon and cones.
Dressage
Weber’s website states that ‘dressage takes place in an arena in which the driver must take his horse(s) through a test consisting of a prescribed sequence of movements. Drivers are then judged on their command of the horse, the horse's impulsion, as well as freedom and regularity of gaits (horse movements). Suppleness and responsiveness are vital in the competition.
Marathon And Cones
During the ‘marathon’ portion of the event, teams of horses take on obstacles at high speeds. The teams cover several miles in a ‘course’ through open fields and woods that usually consist of hazards that test the horse and driver.
During the cones competition, an obstacle course tests the precise accuracy of drivers who must negotiate a complicated course without disturbing the cones or going off course. Penalties are assessed if balls are knocked off the cones or if the time limit is exceeded.
Drivers require one or two people (in the case of a hitch larger than a pair) to be a navigator. The navigator’s responsibility is to assist the driver to stay on course in the marathon, and to balance the carriage during fast, tight turns and over uneven terrain.
It Is A Family Sport
Melanie Down, an executive member of the provincial body for the sport, says what makes this sport so special is the camaraderie. “Working within a team is very enjoyable - more so I believe than working alone such as those who ride their horses in competition,” said Down. “Our Club has diverse combinations of people who make up a driving team: we have mothers and daughters, sisters, grandmothers and granddaughters, fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, friends, etc. It truly is a sport that people can do as a family rather than individuals.”
For more information on ‘combined driving’ contact Don Down, Manitoba Driving Society president, at 1-204-444-2515 or visit the Manitoba Driving Society.
