Photos by RM Equine Photography
Middle Tennessee Carriage Club held a Driving Derby at Whip Hand Farm in Franklin, Tenn. on Saturday October 2, 2021. The event was organized and hosted by Kate Bushman. Photographer Rachel Mason was on hand to capture the driving action. In addition to the derby competitors, there were lots of new members, without horses, attending, along with a number of spectators.
A Driving Derby is a carriage-driving competition of speed and accuracy, in which drivers compete over an arena course that is a combination of marathon and cone obstacles. Each driver is timed through a numbered course of obstacles/gates in the proper direction and in numerical order to the finish line. Errors on course add time penalties to each driver’s score. The lowest scores win. For more equity, divisions split up the more novice drivers from more experienced, and split the smaller ponies from the larger horses.Drivers can enter equids of any type and size, from donkeys, to minis, to horses. Training and Preliminary+ divisions were offered for each of the following groups: VSE (Very Small Equid)/Small Pony (less than 12.2 hands); Pony (12.2 to 14.2 hands); and Horse (over 14.2 hands). Navigators or grooms are required for all carriage except for VSE and Small Ponies. For safety, hard hats/equestrian helmets are required for all people on the carriage.
Results:
Training Pony: 1st: Suzanne Fuller driving Bear
Prelim+ Horse: 1st: Kate Bushman driving Bliss
2nd: Earl Burkett driving Easton
3rd: Jane Hoffmann driving Gator
See more photos at RM Equine Photography on facebook.
Middle Tennessee Carriage Club held a Driving Derby at Whip Hand Farm in Franklin, Tenn. on Saturday October 2, 2021. The event was organized and hosted by Kate Bushman. Photographer Rachel Mason was on hand to capture the driving action. In addition to the derby competitors, there were lots of new members, without horses, attending, along with a number of spectators.
A Driving Derby is a carriage-driving competition of speed and accuracy, in which drivers compete over an arena course that is a combination of marathon and cone obstacles. Each driver is timed through a numbered course of obstacles/gates in the proper direction and in numerical order to the finish line. Errors on course add time penalties to each driver’s score. The lowest scores win. For more equity, divisions split up the more novice drivers from more experienced, and split the smaller ponies from the larger horses.Drivers can enter equids of any type and size, from donkeys, to minis, to horses. Training and Preliminary+ divisions were offered for each of the following groups: VSE (Very Small Equid)/Small Pony (less than 12.2 hands); Pony (12.2 to 14.2 hands); and Horse (over 14.2 hands). Navigators or grooms are required for all carriage except for VSE and Small Ponies. For safety, hard hats/equestrian helmets are required for all people on the carriage.
Results:
Training Pony: 1st: Suzanne Fuller driving Bear
Prelim+ Horse: 1st: Kate Bushman driving Bliss
2nd: Earl Burkett driving Easton
3rd: Jane Hoffmann driving Gator
See more photos at RM Equine Photography on facebook.
