And a Reserve Grand Champion (woohoo!) with a score of 94.5 out of 100. Most of that is that my spicy redhead mare was feeling like a spicy redhead mare even after 25 miles and was a little slow to pulse
down.
Also I want/ need a better cart I think. This is a Kingston Easy Entry that my DH has done some modifications to. I’m not sure it’s sturdy enough to hold up to too many of these types of drives. I know I want to stick with 2 wheel and light weight but studier and with brakes. Any suggestions?
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Congrats! 
Man, I wish I lived near you.
That kind of drive is right up my 34" Little Engine That Could’s alley
On Club drives, his nose is always attached to the cart in front of us, no matter how big the horse pulling that!
& Walking? That’s for pansies! 
FWIW, my cheap (Chinese?) Easy Entry has held up very well on trail drives.
I upgraded the wheels from the wire-spoked bicycle ones it came with. < Original wheels in the pic.
Also had the bench seat replaced with a bucket type.
But that was for my comfort, with armrests & a cushier seat/backrest… & cupholders 
Take my advice re: brakes with a heaping🥄 of salt.
Unless you’re doing a lot of downhill driving, brakes won’t help you slow much, if that’s what you’re wanting.
They will keep the cart off her hind end on the downhills.
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So mine is a Kingston Easy Entry- I’ve replaced the wheels, the seat brackets and the shafts and I need to replace the seat because the laminated wood that is the base of the seat can’t hold the screws. Where I live is hills, hills and more hills. For those 25 miles we did 2900 feet of ascent. I board adjacent to a several thousand acre NRMA called Fair Hill where I do 90% of my riding and driving- nothing is flat so I feel like brakes would be very beneficial esp on the super steep stuff where we’re sliding some
PS IDK what the governing body for CTR is where you are but check and see if they have competitive trail drives maybe. Here it’s ECTRA but I want to say you’re in Southeast right?
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Sigh… I’m Midwest.
I’ll look, but doubt there’s any CTR nearby.
The Driving Club 3h South of me puts on a rated CDE every Fall.
I’ve volunteered 3X & learned a lot.
But that’s too far for me to go for 1-day event if I’m hauling the VSE.
I’m solo & toast when I come back from a weekend stay with the mini.
I will try to get to The Ntl Drive this Fall.
Lots of trail driving, water obstacles & a Cones course to play with. Plus 2 or 3 BNTs available for lessons.
Same distance/venue, but I stay 3 or 4 days.
Still exhausted when I get back, but I plan for that.
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UMECRA is probably your local org - not sure if they offer driving or not.
@tabula_rashah Congrats to Penny on her successful drive!
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There are Drives listed on the UMECRA site, in IL, MI & WI.
Nothing in IN & nothing closer than 3h 
But:
I know there are Mounted Orienteering rides at Potato Creek State Park.
I might look into that if they’d permit a mini & cart as part of a team.
We do share trails there, but I know some horses are not happy about carts. Or mini’s. 
