Carriage Driving became a official FEI (Fédération Equestre Internationale) discipline in 1970. It is a equine sport without riders, but rather drivers (or "whips" as they are often known) taking a seat behind either one, two, four or six horses. The stories follow that horses were driven far before our cultures began to ride them and "driving" is the oldest competitive equine sport tracing back thousands of years. Throughout the ages, carriage driving has been used as a key method of transport and the a key in the history which we all take for granted.
The aim is to promote carriage driving as a legitimate sport, while showing the different breeds suitable for the sport. EQUITANA 2010 will see some of the country’s best drivers in single and pair harness. Single and pairs of ponies and horses will sweep around a cones course which incorporates marathon obstacles against the clock to give spectators a taste of combined driving, the driving equivalent of eventing. The Obstathon Singles Driving competition will be held on Thursday 18th November and the Obstathon Pairs competition on Friday 19th November on the Outdoor arena.
Other displays of carriage driving such as a Jump & Drive will be showcased. In Jump & Drive showjumpers jump a course and then dismount and jump on the back of 4 wheel combined driving vehicle which then drives a cones course incorporated in the jumps. Each rail or cone down will incur a penalty of 4 seconds. The winner will be the Pair with the fastest total time.
Driven dressage to music is another new aspect of carriage driving which will be displayed during EQUITANA's daily program.
The Australian Carriage Driving Society (ACDS) commenced in 1971 and has grown to be the leading body for leisure horse driving in Australia now boasting over 60 clubs nationwide. Drivers of all ages and abilities may participate in a wide range of driving interests – Pleasure, Show, Endurance, Coaching and Competition Carriage Driving – there is something for everyone. The ACDS welcomes inquiries from all interested in this exciting family oriented equestrian sport. Please contact us via our web site: www.acds.org.au
