 Carriage Driving - an exciting and dangerous sport
Until a couple of years ago, the Duke of Edinburgh still competed in the sport he has pursued with a true passion and helped to formulate in 1968. And the most prestigious domestic events have traditionally been held at Windsor and Sandringham.This year (2008), the national championships will again be staged at Windsor Great Park from September 12-14. They loosely mimic three-day eventing. Dressage comes first, with its traditional carriages, dress and set movements. Then it is the marathon, with five times sections over a cross-country course, including a 10-kilometre stage where eight obstacles, from water hazards to mazes, are negotiated at speed. Cone driving is last and, like show jumping, if the narrowly spaced obstacles are dislodged then penalty points follow. There are classes for singles, pairs, tandems and teams.
British international Karen Bassett, who specialises in competing with a team of four horses loves every aspect of the high-speed, water-splashing fun and says: “Anyone can do this as long as they‘ve got talent, guts and determination.” This 21st century competitor echoes the sentiment of the Duke of Beaufort who, in 1889, said: “Whether we look upon driving from the point of view of business or of pleasure, it is certain that no man who has had much of it but feels his pulse quicken, and a sense of enjoyment pervade him, when sitting behind one, two or four quick and well put together horses.”
Driving, when applied to horses or ponies, is a broad term for hitching equines to a horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this form. As well as international competition, sanctioned by the Swiss-based world authority Federation Equestre Internationale, it encompasses a wide range of activities from pleasure driving to farm work and horse shows.
Driving is a competitive equestrian sport in most English-speaking and European countries, and many horse shows host driving competitions for a particular style of driving, breed of horse or type of vehicle.
Show vehicles are usually carriages, carts, or buggies, and occasionally sulkies or wagons.
In the UK, the governing body is the British Driving society (www.britishdrivingsociety.co.uk ) - patron the Duke of Edinburgh - which was formed in 1957 to encourage and assist those interested in the driving of equine animals. It plays a vital role in looking after the interests of driving enthusiasts by regularly responding to consultation documents from different government departments, depending on what legislation is pending or being considered. |
Driving and Carriages 
