Combined Driving is Mysteriously Awesome
June 15th, 2008 | by citizen.K | Print & Hang in the Barn
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Of all the sport horse disciplines, Combined Driving seems to get the least amount of attention. Though the feats performed in carriage behind the horses are nothing short of remarkable, Combined Driving is a very important equestrian sport that is undeserved and virtually ignored by “mainstream” horse media.
It probably doesn’t help that Combined Driving barns are nearly impossible to find, and locating Combined Driving events nearby (anywhere) is almost fruitless. Personally, I’ve only ever met one combined driver; an old farrier who picked up the sport after he retired from Eventing. As I kid, I did though, sure, driving horses is cool, but better than riding? No way!
As an adult, I have witnessed only one Combined Driving practice and was duly impressed by the skill and team aspect that isn’t seen in any other equestrian sport.
To my surprise, Combined Driving is not listed as an Olympic event in Beijing. Out of all the “sport horse” disciplines, combined driving seems not only an obvious choice for an Olympic competition, but it retains the almost honored, mankind tradition of pre-automobile transportation. If ping-pong is an Olympic sport, why not extreme horse and buggy racing?!
Combined Driving has been an FEI discipline and has been since 1970. There are 3 main Combined Driving competitions during the World Equestrian Games (WEG) held every four years, the annual World and Continental Championships, and the FEI World Cup Driving Series.
Combined Driving enjoys two main, dedicated “associations”:
- The American Driving Society (ADS)
- title”The Carriage Association of America”>The Carriage Association of America (CAA)
Combined Driving barns are nearly impossible to find.
Of these two organizations, the American Driving Society is the supporting body of Combined Driving as well as other driving sports like Pleasure Driving and Recreational Driving. The ADS is an offshoot by former members of the CAA; bonus points for recognizing judging systems can be biased and unfair in sports.
Although presentation is taken into consideration, Combined Driving events are much the same as a 3 Day Events with thee phases generally held over three days.
Combined Driving Phases
Dressage: With a dressage test that compares to that of a 3 Day Event, movements, accuracy, obedience, freedom, regularity of movement, and impulsion are all an important part of the overall picture and judged against a perfect standard. In person, this stage is amazing to see and includes singles, pairs, tandems, and four in hand.
Marathon: Similar to the Cross Country phase of a 3 Day Event (except the cart can tip over), this phase tests the horse and driver’s fitness and endurance. Natural obstacles such as water, hills, tight turns, and artificial obstacles such as gates and labyrinths are all part of the marathon. The communication and teamwork between the drivers and horses is beyond captivating.
Cones: I think this phase needs a better name; I found it also described as “obstacle driving”, but as “cones” this Combined Driving stage doesn’t have any marketing appeal (hey, NASCAR figured it out…why not Combined Driving?) Despite the name, “cones” is equally as interesting as the two previous stages of CDEs, compares similarly with the stadium jumping portion of a 3 Day Event. Cones outline a narrow path to weave through and the test is also timed. Each “cones” includes a balancing ball which, if disturbed, signifies a penalty for the driving team. Seeing this test is much more exciting than reading the description. This phase tests the agility, suppleness, fitness, and obedience of the horses and the accuracy and skill of the driver.
Combined Driving Gear
Each Combined Driving carriage is interesting in its own right. Carriage safety is checked before the marathon portion of CDEs. Although I couldn’t find much information on specific Combined Driving harnesses, I would assume next to safety, fit is the most important element in a proper harness. Carriages comparable in price to saddles, well, very nice saddles that is.
Combined Driving Participants
Two person teams include drivers and grooms (sometimes called navigators). Again with the lame name, grooms are an integral part of the entire team, though I wonder if grooms are simply grooms, up and coming drivers learning the ropes, assistants, or a combination of all three. The groom is optional during the cones and dressage phase of CDEs, but essential during the marathon stage for balancing the vehicle by shifting his/her weight, staying on course, and keeping time.
How does one start in Combined Driving?
The above descriptions of Combined Driving are my understandings of the sport as a veteran Hunter/Jumper equestrian. There is a lot to Combined Driving that I have not figured out, other than wanting to start a Combined Driving team with my husband once my big jumpers retire. One thing is for sure, I can’t tell you how many times a backseat on my saddle would have come in handy for a groom to keep me on course in the jumper ring!
I imagine part of the Combined Driving spectator appeal is waiting for a crash (again, NASCAR comes to mind). Though I have not witnessed a crash in person at a Combined Driving event (I’ve seen plenty at breed shows), I have seen several videos of crashes and runaway carts. Falling off horses doesn’t bother me, but Combined Driving carriage wrecks rank near solid fences in my equine fear book.
Combined Driving is a discipline that is under served by the media equestrians on a whole. It would be nice to see Combined Driving presentations at Hunter/Jumper shows, 3 Day Events, and Dressage competitions.
As far as equine sports go, learning and diving into Combined Driving is atop my list. In fact, I have already started teaching one of my horses to drive. I figured besides pulling a sleigh in the winter (which I have always thought would be the coolest thing), I would enjoy getting more involved in the fantastic sport of Combined Driving.
Combined Drivers Shout Out
Where do you CD equines hide, anyway?
Tags: combined driving, competitions
3 Responses to “Combined Driving is Mysteriously Awesome”
By Jerry in MO on Jun 15, 2008 | Reply
The best resource I found when I got interested in carriage driving was the Carriage Driving List (CD-L) - it’s members are from all over the world (although mostly US) and you can find out all about all aspects of carriage driving (CDE, Pleasure, Distance, etc.) and find clubs throughout the country to join. The CD-L can be found from a link at http://www.carriagedriving.net - I would encourage anyone interested to join the list. There is a wealth of information to be found there as well as friendships with other carriage drivers.
The American Driving Society will have any sanctioned event on their calendar at http://www.americandrivingsociety.org (I think you already had this link in your article). But most clubs have a website as well so find a local club and join.
I myself don’t do CDE’s as I prefer Pleasure Driving although I do volunteer heavily at the one put on by my local club each year. CDE’s are very hard to put on as there is a limited number of competitors and they are expensive to do, requiring 3 licensed ADS officials at the least (and tons of volunteers). I’ve volunteered at local Horse Trials (Eventing) where they had ~150 competitors. We usually only have 25-30 yet each requires about the same to put on. So please, for the future of the sport, support any local events you can (volunteer or sponsor if you can’t compete).
Lastly, there is some kind of effort going on to get the sport added to the Olympics but I’m not sure how that works. As you know, the WEG will be held in the US in 2010 and Combined Driving will be there. Thanks for getting the word out about this sport. The more people know the more they’ll support our efforts.
Jerry in MO
P.S. I don’t think any spectator’s appeal should be waiting for a crash. It is not only the driver, navigator and horses that are at risk but EVERYONE is a risk as long as there is a horse running around wildly with a carriage attached. It is one of the scariest things I’ve witnessed. Fortunately, these are not a common occurance.
By Linda Mackin on Jun 28, 2008 | Reply
Aw…come on! We’re not THAT hard to find. Unless you live in the middle of the country or the North or a sparsely populated area or a heavily populated area - okay, maybe we are hard to find. However, there are some hotbeds of CDE activity. I live in Washington State where there are at least 4 full blown CDE’s plus a couple of Arena Driving Trials and Driving Trials within driving distance this year. Florida and Georgia also have several events, including the famous and very fancy Live Oak CDE. California has a bunch of CDE’s and some Pleasure shows as well. Folks who are interested in driving should check out the ADS website and get in touch with a local club to find a trainer. Driving is fun and challenging for people of all ages and horses of all sizes!
By Diandra on Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
Florida is a great place for combined driving. My favorite place is Black Prong in Bronson FL. Great accomodations, several dressage arenas, obstacle courses and a maze and the cross country course is awesome! They have a nice website just search for Black Prong in Florida.