Any non-driving people watch driving?

[MunchingonHay]

[QUOTE=ddashaq;5153063]
OK, this might be the dumbest driving questions EVER, but I know almost nothing about it. Every year, my husband and I go watch the marathon day here at KHP during the CDE in the fall. Normally, the competitors are cantering/trotting between obstacles and appear to be being timed through the whole course. We noticed that almost all of them were either walking or jogging between obstacles at WEG. I was confused since I guess I always assumed it was a bit like XC and you want to get around fast and clean. Can someone explain?[/QUOTE]

The horses were SO FREAKING FIT that the drivers were able to slow them down to a walk in between hazards to avoid coming in too early. It was a great show.

Someone mentioned the vandalism. It was to Chardon’s carriage and they ripped up the seats, the pole and the drivers wedge seat. they thought that the break lines were cut, but they were NOT cut. They think it was a case of mistaken identity and it was not Chardon they were after.

Chardon is the Dutch driver that won the silver metal and team gold. I believe he also won the marathon. and he tied for 2nd with Weber in dressage.

[DrivingNewsUSA]

Pace on Section E

Section E is ‘any pace’ for (in the US)Intermediate & Advanced/FEI levels. For the ADS Training and Preliminary, its more complicated, for both, its ‘trot only’ outside of the hazards (no walking, no cantering), inside a hazard preliminary can walk, trot, canter, but training level can only walk or trot.

The way the timing works, the time in each hazard counts as .2 penalty points per second. But the overall time on section E is calculated based on a certain speed for the length of section E … including the hazards, for horses at advanced, the speed is 14kph. If you take longer than the time calculated for the distance then you have .2 penalty points for each second over. If you finish section E more than 3 minutes below the allowed time you get .2 penalty points for each second under.

As one progresses through the levels and can go much faster in the hazards than 14 kph, some amount of time can be gained. We’ve found that a little bit of walking 15-20 seconds just after a hazard and sometimes just before the next hazard goes a long way to rest the horse(s).

Mike Arnold
http://drivingnews.us

[meupatdoes]

I watched it and was amazed.

I was also internally :eek::eek: at the evident EXPENSE, what with having to schlepp 5 horses and multiple carriages around everywhere!! Good Lord!

[pony_grandma]

I’ve been to big dollar GPs and many, many yrs to Rolex so I KNEW that this was the one time to get my arse in gear and get to go to see this level of driving. Even tho I volunteer at a CDE this did not disappoint. I thoroughly loved the hazard designs. I was thrilled to see the size of the crowd, and their appreciative enthusiasm !! - this did a lot for the sport of driving in this country.

Most drivers at this level bring 6 horses I believe. It’s a lot of bodies to train and keep fit, to feed … to vet… to exponentiate.

Thank you Mike for your good explanations so we can be a knowlegeable audience and get to enjoy the nuances of the competition.

Since this was an FEI four-in-hand competition folks should realize that the regular CDE competitions have pairs and singles and they can be quite thrilling to watch b/c they can be even more agile and go faster in the mazes and on the cones course. Or go watch a tandem thread the needle. And then the ponies and the VSEs (very small equines = minis) they can be a real hoot! Go watch or volunteer at one near you.

[2foals]

I’ve been a horse nut for a long time, and I thought the marathon might be interesting to watch since I’ve never seen it before. Also, I had family in town that I thought might enjoy seeing something a little different from the usual h/j/eventing/dressage stuff. All I can say is WOW!!! How could I have been missing this all this time?? I was stunned by the speed and skill and the sheer spectacle of it.

As a bonus, we encountered numerous driving savvy spectators who cheerfully explained stuff to us, and even encouraged the children in our party to come in front of them so they could see better. How kind was that? As a result my kids had a great time and came away from the day begging me to get a cart and harness for one of their ponies. You driving folks are wonderful ambassadors of your sport!

P.S. Pony harness in hand, cart on the way

[dressagetraks]

Marathon was absolutely amazing! As was dressage, which I saw one session of, but I liked the marathon even better than watching XC day the previous Saturday.

A question on scoring on the marathon. When is a team considered to have gone through a gate? Noses of the front horses? Wheels of the carriage? Complete carriage?

At one obstacle I was watching, a team obviously had an “oops” moment, not sure if driver got disoriented or horses anticipated and turned too soon, but they started through a wrong gate. Driver realized this, whoaed the team, backed them out, and went on to take the next correct turn. I’d estimate about 2/3 of the front horses got through the posts before the driver stopped them. I was listening to hear how this was scored, if it was technically a wrong gate or not, but if the announcer mentioned it, I missed it, because I was next to a cheering squad obviously from that country, and they went nuts loudly at all tight turns for that driver.

[Thomas_1]

Time is from and till the nose of the leading horse passes the entry and exit flags

http://twww.fei.org/sites/default/files/file/DISCIPLINES/DRIVING/Rules/Driving_rules%202009_0.pdf

Page 38. Rule no 946.8.1

Obstacle is whole turnout.

Page 34 Rule no 946.2.6

[mares_tails]

[QUOTE=dressagetraks;5154387]
When is a team considered to have gone through a gate? Noses of the front horses? Wheels of the carriage? Complete carriage?[/QUOTE]
The ENTIRE turnout (horses+carriage) must pass through the gate.

For the rules geeks, see the complete FEI rules for Driving

“946.2.6 A Competitor is not considered to have passed through a Compulsory Gate in an Obstacle until the complete turnout has passed between the Flags denoting the Compulsory Gate.”

[Thomas_1]

@DrivingNewsUSA;5153502

As one progresses through the levels and can go much faster in the hazards than 14 kph, some amount of time can be gained.

In some countries the pace you can go is determined by the class you enter.

I believe having read here in the driving forums that club level novice classes now don’t always allow any pace in obstacles or even in cones classes. So in effect that means they restrict canter.

That’s not the case in the UK or mainland Europe though where if you’re brave enough and up for it you can go for it even if you’re in a novice class.

[appytoo]

I AM A GROUPIE NOW!

Went to the Marathon. LOVED it. Took lots of photos, especially between obstacles 1 and 2 and at obstacles 4,7, and 8. Now I am watching the replay so I can revisit some of my favorite teams.

Here are my photos: http://tiny.cc/ofsd4

I wish I could have attended all three days.

I will definitely attend a CDE next chance I get. In the meantime, I hope to learn more about this amazing equine discipline. I have the good fortune of living within an easy drive to KHP, so hopefully next year I can enjoy some driving competions.

There were so many incredible teams and also some individual horses that really wowed me.

Tell me, is the right leader horse the most important horse in the team? The commentator spent lots of time raving about the right leader in the Von Stein’s team. My fav was the right leader in one of the Dutch teams.

[Thomas_1]

[QUOTE=appytoo;5154693]

Tell me, is the right leader horse the most important horse in the team? The commentator spent lots of time raving about the right leader in the Von Stein’s team. My fav was the right leader in one of the Dutch teams.[/QUOTE]

mmmm not sure I’d describe it that way but for sure I’d say I want a cracking horse in that position always.

That one has to literally take the lead and be at the front and when you’re driving out in the UK that’s the one that’s nearest to the traffic. Though obviously that doesn’t apply in the USA nor to competitive driving trials.

However each and every horse in a multiple combination has a critically important part to play.

You have to have leaders that will boldly go where it looks impossible and difficult.

You have to have wheelers that will work hard and really not mind hauling a carriage up a steep hill or holding it back or having it jolt about as the grooms manoevre it round a tight turn.

As a driver of multiples you don’t drive a lump of horse power and you don’t drive a single horse though. You use the relative complimentary disposition and complimentary strengths of each to help you to get the best out of the combined pair, tandem or team.

Drivers often talk about:

“a horse that will die for you and one that won’t”.
“A get you out horse and a get you home horse”.
“An accelerator and a brake”
A bold and brave one and one that’s not so foolhardy"

Multiple drivers seek horses that aren’t all the same. Rather they look for the above and use the relative merits of each to maximum advantage.

I personally prefer one that will die for me, get me out, be bold and brave and accelerate at the right wheeler in a team or right hand horse in a pair.

Doesn’t necessarily mean though that he’s more “important”.

When I want a horse to keep me safe from doing something foolish and out of trouble though then it’s likely to be one of the others that’s going to be more important.

[Drive_NJ]

For you Lexingtonians… keep an eye on the Gala Driving Center in Georgetown. They train, give lessons and are or will be in the thick of things for future CDEs in the area.

http://www.gayladrivingcenter.com/

Gloria Ellman is great. The Banfields have been there a long time and Sterling Graburn just recently moved there as the trainer.

For everybody else, check out the American Driving Society and Carriage Association sites for more info on upcoming activities

www.americandrivingsociety.org

www.caaonline.com

The best thing about this sport is there are a wide array of ways to participate. National and club level competitions feature everything from the outgrown kids pony to highly bred competitive horses all having fun at their own level. As you saw we also need a ton of volunteers - but we are usually really nice to them and they too have a fun day. Drivers love nothing better than to try to “hook” you on the sport so we’ll talk your ear off, given the chance

[goodhors]

[QUOTE=Drive NJ;5155099]
As you saw we also need a ton of volunteers - but we are usually really nice to them and they too have a fun day.

Drivers love nothing better than to try to “hook” you on the sport so we’ll talk your ear off, given the chance[/QUOTE]

We always try to be extremely nice to the Volunteers, can’t play without them! As for the second part “Guilty as charged!!” Can’t seem to stop myself!

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

I enjoyed watching driving at Gladstone a couple times in the 90s, but WEG (via FEItv) was awesome! I just kept wishing there were direct overhead shots of the hazards.

I think it’s really interesting re: the ability to switch horses between competitions. Wouldn’t the “regular” eventers love it if they could use different horses in each phase?

Is there a limit as to how many horse changes you can make? Or is it totally up to the driver?

[GreekDressageQueen]

LOVED watching the Driving events! Found some videos posted on youtube.com. Probably one of my favorite events to watch and appreciate. Even my husband was interested in watching!

[mares_tails]

[QUOTE=Melissa.Hare.Jones;5155272]
Is there a limit as to how many horse changes you can make? Or is it totally up to the driver?[/QUOTE]
Under FEI rules
“921.2.2 Competitors in Four-in-Hand classes may start each Competition with any 4 of their 5 declared entries.”

[cadriver]

I thought it was really cool to see all the non-driving folks watching the marathon!!! It is a great sport. I too had a sore throat from yelling and also explaining rules etc to any interested person:-) A pair can start with any 2 of their 3 declared entries. But your single horse has to do it all by themselves…

This sport is very open to those with diabilities also:-) I compete, single, tandem, and pair from lower levels to the FEI level in open competitions and I’m in a wheelchair. It is also a para-equestrian sport…

Diane Kastama

[equinedriver]

[QUOTE=Thomas_1;5153083]
The pace is controlled by the rules. You can canter in the obstacles but not between them.

There’s times walk and trot sections.[/QUOTE]

Actually, at advanced the entire Section E is any pace except for the last 500 meters. So you can walk, trot or canter between the hazards, except for the last 500 meters where you can only walk or trot and cannot stop. You can stop anywhere else on the track.

There is a 3 min window for section E. Come in to early and you are penalized, come in to late you get penalized. The best drivers are fast enough in the hazards that they walk or slow jog in between the hazards to avoid coming in early for the over all time.

Section A is any pace for all levels and Section D is walk only for all levels, so there is no longer any “trot” section. In the old 5 section format, there was a “speed trot” section, but it no longer exists.

[r3dd0g]

I worked the road crossing at Head of the Lake on marathon day. Just about every spectator that came up to us said ‘I had NO IDEA’ what this was-it’s fantastic!

I practically forced my SO to come, and once he got there he ran around taking photos of all the obstacles so I could see them when we got home.

I’ve taken a couple of driving lessons, but can’t call myself a driving person. But I do have a field full of Holsteiners, and that’s where they originated! Hmmmm. Wheels turning…