Horses and ‘whips’ compete in combined driving events

By Joyce Bonesteel
Posted Thursday, June 19, 2008

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By Joyce Bonesteel
VIEW Contributor
METAMORA — Horses and carriages are making their way to Windrush Farm this weekend for three days of exciting events.

They’re coming from Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Canada for the 24th Annual Metamora Combined Driving Event, sponsored by the Metamora Carriage and Driving Association.

Fifty competitors are registered with 65 horses including two four-in-hands and six pairs, said Alicia Pierce, a promoter. Ponies and horses compete in different divisions. Three levels are offered: training, preliminary and intermediate.

Spectators are welcome at Windrush, 4295 Barber Road. Saturday is usually the best day for spectators, from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Donations are accepted in lieu of an admission fee. Food vendors will be on site.
Friday, June 20, is reserved for dressage. Horses and the whip (another name for the driver) execute a series of specific moves to test the horses’ balance, rhythm, and suppleness.

Saturday is the big marathon day. Horses must complete a cross country course, usually 10-15 kilometers long, in an allotted time. Skills are exercised by the ability to negotiate up to seven obstacles, or hazards.

Pairs of letters A-E are set up for the whips to drive sequentially while keeping the red letter on the right. The hazards are timed because they are converted into penalty points. The faster they go through the hazards, the better.

Sunday is Cones Day to test the fitness and soundness of the horses’ ability to recover from a marathon.

Skill and accuracy of the drivers are determined as they drive through 20 pairs of cones with only centimeters of clearance.
Awards are presented to the competitors with the lowest number of penalty points in their division.