Driving is the oldest competitive equestrian sport. It is a discipline without riders; instead, drivers sit on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, a pair or a team of four. It consists of three phases: Dressage, Marathon and Obstacle Driving. Final placing is determined by the sum of the penalties accumulated over the three trials. Horses were driven long before they were ridden. Nowadays, mechanical vehicles have eliminated the need for horses as a primary form of transportation and Driving has turned into a fast-growing sports discipline. Driving became an FEI discipline in 1970.
Dressage involves performing a sequence of compulsory figures within a 100 x 40 metres rectangle. Movements include speed and gait transitions, circles of different sizes and halts. The smoothness of the manoeuvres, the obedience of the horses, impulsion and correct positioning are assessed.
The Marathon, a truly spectacular trial, is a course over a maximum of 22 km, including natural hazards such as sharp turns, water and steep hills as well as artificial obstacles such as labyrinths. It is aimed to test the fitness and stamina of the horses and the judgement of pace and horse control by the driver.
The Obstacle Driving or “Cones”, tests the fitness and suppleness of the horses after the Marathon. To successfully negotiate the cones course, drivers must weave cleanly through a narrow track outlined by cones with balls balanced on top.
