Individual results may vary, and testimonials may not reflect the typical person’s experience and are not intended to represent that anyone will achieve the same results. These spokespeople may have been compensated for their testimony.
About the Sport
Combined driving is designed to test a driver’s ability & the horse(s)’ obedience, speed and athleticism, in three demanding phases with a carriage in tow: Driven Dressage, Marathon & Cones. The sport, conceptualized by HRH Prince Phillip, is modeled after the mounted equestrian discipline of three-day eventing or, the human equivalent of a triathlon.
Competitors can drive a turnout of a single horse, a pair of horses, or a team of four horses. The driver/horse(s) combination will accumulate penalty points throughout each phase of competition & the competitor with the fewest overall penalty points will place first. Accuracy, speed and endurance are all a necessary part of this exhilarating sport! The driven dressage phase tests the driver & their horse(s) on harmony, impulsion, ease of movement and suppleness through a sequence of scored movements in an arena. Typically, the second phase is the fast-paced and demanding cross-country marathon. The marathon tests a horse’s fitness, stamina, and agility along with a driver’s accuracy and judgment as they navigate an intricate series of hazards which will include water, steep hills, and sharp turns – all within the fastest time possible. The last phase, the cones course, times the competitor while they accurately negotiate an intricate, winding course of narrowly-set cones without knocking them with the carriage wheels.