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1A: PRESENTATION
Judged on the appearance of the driver and grooms; and the cleanliness, fitness, matching, and condition of the horses or ponies, harness, and vehicle. Entries will be judged at the halt. It includes a safety check and check of spares.
1B : DRESSAGE TEST
Like our dressage tests, the driving dressage test is a set pattern executed from memory in a 40 x 100-meter arena. Horses must respond to signals from the driver and show a willingness to go forward with energy, elasticity and grace within the framework of a set pattern of movements. The best dressage tests will show off the horses' even, rhythmic cadence, movement and correct, accurate transitions. The competitor will also be judged on his style of driving accuracy and general command of his animal(s).
This part of the competition is the most elegant, as both horses and drivers are "turned out" in their best. The overall impression of suitability and style is reflected in their scores.
Dressage competitions demand a high degree of training, suppleness, obedience, and safety. In all paces and movements, the horses must be on the bit, correctly positioned. Cadence and impulsion must be retained throughout the test. In a pair or a four-in-hand, they must give a picture of harmony, and should match in conformation and action.
2: MARATHON
The elegance of dressage is replaced by state-of-the-art marathon vehicles and sturdy harness.
There are either three or five sections in the marathon. A three-section marathon consists of a trot section, followed by a walk section, followed by the cross country section. A five-section marathon has an additional trot and
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walk section before the start of cross country. The cross-country section consists of many challenging obstacles which must be negotiated at speed. The horse must be tough, fit and ready for anything on the marathon. For this phase, the driver has a navigator to help guide him through the obstacles, balance the weight of the carriage and assist the horse and driver in the timing of this phase. In this phase, the true partnership between horses and driver is evident. The seasoned horses know and love their game. With time being all important, the hazard section takes on the excitement of a race.
Penalty points are scored for being off the optimum time, and drivers must be careful to pass through all the marked gates on the course or risk elimination. In addition, each section of the course must be driven at a specific gait (walk or trot). Any break in gait longer than 5 seconds is penalized.
When you see the drivers coming through the obstacles on the marathon, you may think that a combined driving marathon is only a test of power and speed, but it is much more than that. It is months of training - building up stamina to handle the cross-country course which leads to the obstacles. It is also the trust which must be built between drivers and their horses. The horses must be willing to go wherever the driver directs them and to trust he will guide them through safely. At the same time, the driver must believe his horses will do what he tells them--when he tells them to do it.
It is both instinct and trained judgement that tells a driver how to handle a marathon course. Unlike the set patterns of dressage, the marathon presents a string of problems to be solved. Each marathon is different and presents new challenges to the horse and driver. This is where the homework of driving for miles and miles on roads and trails pays off. The base of training (Continued on page 4)
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