The Carolina Carriage Club will host its seventh annual Horse Driving Trial on Memorial Day weekend, May 28-29, at Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE).
In addition to enjoying the nature center trails and the attractions of the equestrian center, you can watch 39 competitors exhibit their carriage driving skills. Action begins at 8 a.m. as drivers warm up for the start of dressage and cones on Saturday and the marathon on Sunday. The show is free for spectators.
Organizers Price Story of Mills River, N.C., and Jackie Lewis of Columbus said the show has 39 entries this year.
Two drivers from 2010 return to compete in this year’s Preliminary Single Pony Division: Suzan Sallstrom of Leesville, S.C., with her Morgan, Malvern’s Firefly and Sue Carrier of Columbus with her husband’s Arab/Andalusian/Haflinger Cross, Willow, Sallstrom and Carrier will meet several challengers moving up from Training Single Pony to Preliminary.
Leading the group of challengers is Claire Moore of Columbus with Dale Govus’ Welsh Cob, Lemon Tree Magic Illusion. Moore was first in her 2010 class, with a score of 45.13. Next is Peggy Keeler of Aiken, S.C., with her Canadian Sport Pony, Jumpin’ Jack Flash. They were first in their class last year with 58.22. Other competitors in this class include Alice Baughman of Ridgeville, S.C., and her German Riding Pony, Scooter (second place last year with 62.31), and Gloria Ripperton of Pittsboro, N.C., and her Morgan, Nemo (third last year with 70.22). (Note: Since elapsed time within the Marathon Hazards does not count in the Training Division as it does in Preliminary, there is no point comparing division scores.)
Pam Gordon of Tryon and her Welsh Cob, Solstice Sangria, move up from Training to Preliminary Single Horse to challenge two experienced Preliminary Hackney horses, Halstead by Legacy, owned and driven by Marcie Quist of Vass, N.C., and Green Meadows Regalia, owned and driven by Amy Neary of Strawberry Plains, Tenn.
Reba Wagner from Cedar Grove, N.C., will bring her pair of Percheron geldings, Lewis and Clark.
The tandem pair of Joanie Schisler, of Aiken, S.C., should be interesting as this formation is a challenge to drive; the lead horse is not attached to the carriage other than by very flexible traces. Winston, an Arabian Gelding, will lead wheeler Barley, a Morgan gelding and frequent participant in CCC events.
It always seems to take a cast of thousands to produce a driving event (marathon judges and timers, scribes, cones pushers and timers, hospitality, EMT, crossing guards, farriers, vet services, announcers, starters and score runners). In fact, 53 dedicated volunteers will care for the 39 entries, organized by volunteer coordinator Carol Greata of Campobello.
For more information, visit www.fence.org. To learn more about combined driving and the history of carriage driving, check www.americandrivingsociety.org/index.asp and www.caaonline.com.
– article submitted
by Barbara Madill