EQ2010 - Driving Obstacles - Singles

Driving is always exciting to watch. This particular event was obstacles - a course made up from pairs of cones to be driving through, and one or two upright obstacles. All obstacles (cones included) have knock-downs - balls placed on top that fall down if knocked. Like in show jumping, faults or points (or time penalties, I can't remember) are given for each ball knocked down. There is also a time limit. Some events split the sizes, but for this particular event the ponies were in with the horses.




The cones are obstacles are 'flagged' with red and white markers, and numbered. The upright obstacles have gates labelled A, B, C, D etc. The drivers need to go through the gates in alphabetical order, but can go through gates that have already been passed through (eg, they can pass through A again on the way to D) if needed. The path taken through the upright obstacles is not set aside from going through the gates in the right order, so you will often see the smaller ponies taking the shortcuts as they are more agile, while the horses may take the longer routes.

Here's my craptastic version of the layout of the yellow-and-white fence upright obstacle. The pink line is the most obvious way to go through the gates, but as mentioned before, the drivers can take any route they choose as long as they go through the gates (grey lines) in order, so what I have here may not match up with the photos.

While the stewards were setting up the obstacles and layout out the course, the horses got a warm-up on the path around the arena.

Then they began! I tried to post only pictures of the horses going through cones/obstacles, but there are a couple of ones that aren't. If you're looking for a specific reference photo, let me know and I may be able to help.

 

 

I believe there was a tie between a few entrants, so next was the equivalent of a jump-off - a drive-off, I guess! It was over a shortened course.

I think the little roany pony with the yellow and green ribbons might have won. :)