The Slower Road

Here (finally!) are video clips of each of the U.S. drivers in one of the eight marathon obstacles at the World Pony Driving Championships. Several of these were shot at the same obstacle (number 2), so you can see the different paths that each driver chose). In the background, you can hear the cheers, applause, and whistles of spectators at the obstacle being filmed and at other nearby obstacles; the announcer; and even a few snippets of the eighties-era music that blared from the loudspeakers all day. Enjoy!

If you scroll down to the Aug. 14 post (“dressage awards parades — in motion”), I’ve added the video clips of the pair and four-in-hand laps of honor after the dressage awards presentations.

After this current post, we’ll have at least one more post featuring the final (overall) awards and medal ceremonies, so keep checking in with us each day!

[Guest post by Jennifer’s husband, A.J., written on Tuesday, Aug. 17.]

A.J. here. We’re on the flight back from Amsterdam, having taken the train yesterday from Münster. Jennifer will be posting additional blog entries and photos from the competition and the CAA’s trip to the 2009 World Pony Championships throughout the week, so tune in later for those. But how could I pass up the opportunity to share with you my German “driving” experiences with the infamous “Green Machine”? (Remembering the primary audience for this blog – we’re talking automobile – I myself am not a carriage driver – I have taken a class in it; but for the most part – I’m “carriage by marriage.”)

With only a smallish CAA group attending the World Pony Championships, Jill and Jennifer had asked if I would mind “driving” the group. It would give us more flexibility and at a smaller cost; besides, for me, it would be my first opportunity to drive outside the United States or Canada. After agreeing, I was then told what I would be driving …

The picture below is not what I was driving. Mine was far less sporty … no, this was the red Ferrari being test-driven at Vischering Castle, which Jennifer and I visited before we picked up the CAA group at the Münster Hauptbahnhof (main train station). Not enough seats for the whole group … I guess I could have traded up and simply made plenty of (fast … very fast) trips back and forth between the hotel and the competition site – though luggage space would have been a problem.…

the fabulous-looking Ferrari that A.J. wanted to trade for the mini-bus; the hood in back is open as potential test-drivers admire the engine

And the picture below is also not what I was driving. Mine was far less classic … no, this classic Ford roadster was at the competition site. This was reminiscent of the various classic cars used by the teams in the medal ceremony. Jennifer’s certain to show you some photos of those later in the week. But as for this Ford, no luggage room either – more seats though less speed than the Ferrari … but far more stylish than the “Green Machine.”….

a beautiful old Ford roadster, standing with all the other, “regular” cars in the championship’s parking lot

No … after all that build up of raw European sports-car power and classic American car style, THIS … is what I was driving … my Mercedes mini-bus. Diesel, six-speed manual transmission, with a sliding passenger door. Seats for nine. Sporty – no. Stylish – no. Utilitarian – most definitely.

this is the mini-bus affectionately dubbed the “Green Machine”

Now, I don’t want to be disrespectful to the “Green Machine.” Like a good hound dog, it was dependable and loyal. It got us … all of us … everywhere we wanted to go. After a half day of bonding, it and I became one … without hesitation, we were successfully navigating the tight streets of downtown Münster and the glorious country lanes of Westphalian horse-country. We conquered narrow parking garages and numerous traffic circles like we were coasting penalty-free through a cones course. Together, in Münster rush-hour traffic, we courageously rescued the incoming CAA crew from the Münster train station to whisk them away to the safety of Saerbeck. (Bear with me, it’s hard to be surrounded by such historic churches and castles and not envision a more chivalrous time than our own.)

German traffic signs and driving rules took a little getting used to, but not much.  The speed limit signs were easily understood and, quite simply, made sense.  I also liked the way the stop lights worked.. Sitting at the red light, you wait until the light goes both red and yellow.  This lets you know that “green is coming.”  And with traffic circles, you simply yield to the cars in the circle … and always yield to pedestrians (and bicycles, especially in Münster and the surrounding environs … they are EVERYWHERE).

The “Green Machine” and I also knew our limits. We did not venture onto the famous Autobahn. I’d seen the speeds at which even the “smartest” of cars drove on the Autobahn. I had no doubt that once the “Machine” got up to speed, it would have no problem at least keeping pace in the right-hand lane; however, I also knew that you could clock us going 0 to 60 with a sundial. You see, it was the “getting up to speed” – first and second gear – that caused me pause. And so, we wrote a haiku by which to remember the experience:

Six gears and nine seats.
Do I dare try the Autobahn?
The hamsters say no.

And yes, I did pass a couple of vehicles … plenty of bicycles (this is Germany’s bicycle capital … it was inevitable); a couple of service vehicles and fellow mini-buses; and mopeds were no match for the power of the “Machine.”

But what looked to be our greatest triumph quickly became our worst defeat. On Friday of the competition, two of us had to sprint back to the hotel for a change of clothes for the dressage awards ceremony. Time was short and we were (relatively speaking) booking it. On the return trip, we were at a stop light – first in line on the left. To my right, a service vehicle. Behind it, another mini-bus. Red light turned to red and yellow. Clutch in. First gear. Red and yellow to green. Clutch out, gas down. Away we sped, easily besting both the service vehicle and the mini-bus. It was time to finish off the two. Looking back to make sure I was clear, I started to edge over.

Then I saw her in my rear view mirror. She was silver. She was fast – very fast. New Porsche 911. No sooner had I spotted her, than with a VROOOMMMHHHH, she smoked past me in flash. And before I knew it, she was gone. I was going about 100 km/hr at the time. I can only guess she was easily going about 160 km/hr. Even now, I don’t know what was more impressive – the sight of something moving that fast or the sound it made when it smoked past.

Sunday: another glorious sunny day, full of exciting 3-minute (or so) drives through Dr. Wolfgang Asendorf’s cones course. There were zig-zags, a sunken-road-type thing, a box, some really tight turns, and quite a few long galloping runs.

Standing in second place and going next to last in the single-pony cones competition, Suzy Stafford couldn’t afford to make a mistake. She was behind the leader by only .69 of a point, and the seventeen-year-old (!!) Dutch driver standing in third place, Melanie Becker, was only .99 of a point behind Suzy. Unfortunately, Suzy had two balls down and time faults, dropping her down to fourth place. But then Arjo van Kekem (NED) had a shocking four balls down (he was clear on the time though, which didn’t happen very often throughout the day). And with that, Melanie won the gold (and the Dutch fans went wild!) and Suzy was bumped back up to the bronze-medal spot. Germany’s Franz-Josef Lehmkuhl won the silver medal.

Suzy Stafford and Courage to Lead on the cones course, on their way to a bronze medal

the young Dutch driver Melanie Becker won the gold medal

Sara Schmitt, who had been eliminated from the overall competition after missing a gate on the marathon, had 21.88 penalties in the cones competition. Sherri Dolan’s pony unfortunately came up lame, and she didn’t compete in the cones.

The cones competition didn’t alter the standings at the very top of the leader board in the pair division. Tracey Morgan, however, did move up to fifth place overall from ninth. In this division, all three medal winners were German drivers. Gold: Daniel Schneiders, silver: Stephan Koch, and bronze: Steffen Abicht. Randy Cadwell (the defending pair pony champion) and Katie Whaley both moved up a few spots as well, to nineteenth and twentieth, respectively.

Randy Cadwell’s hat blew off during a fast gallop down the cones course

Katie Whaley was pleased with her twentieth-place finish, as the ponies she drove are still quite new to the sport

Germany’s Daniel Schneiders won the gold medal

Judging by the crowd’s reaction, the two young German four-in-hand drivers who won gold (Tobias Bücker) and silver (Steffen Brauchle) are VERY popular here. During the cones course, after their rounds, and during the awards and medal ceremonies, both were met with cheers, song, huge applause, little children yelling their names, and giggling teenage girls. Belgium’s Tinne Bax won the bronze medal. Laurie Astegiano finished in eleventh place, and Lisa Stroud finished in sixteenth place.

Laurie Astegiano, who lives in France but drives for the U.S., finished in eleventh place

Lisa Stroud finished in sixteenth place overall

host-nation favorite Tobias Buecker won the gold medal

In the team competition, Germany won the gold medal, the Netherlands won the silver, Belgium won the bronze, and the USA finished in fourth place.

Stay tuned for our report on the multiple and extensive ribbon and medal ceremonies. There was a lot of celebrating on Sunday!

Marathon Saturday was a glorious day of sunshine, blue skies, and cool breezes. Strangely, despite all the rain we had a few days ago, it was also really dusty. The marathon went off beautifully, with only two accidents that I know of … both involving Belgian drivers. Despite the hold caused by one of the turnovers while the navigator was taken to the hospital, we’ve heard that everyone is fine. [edited to add that, on Sunday, an announcement was made that the Belgian groom was doing better but was still in the hospital for observation and that she would be taken home to Belgium on Monday]

Ponies were flying all day. The report is, in fact, that Britain’s Susan Denney flew so fast through the hazards (which she certainly did) that she also flew through the rest of the course and ended up with a bunch of time penalties for being too early. Ooops!

As is usual on marathon day at a world championship, the venue was filled with packs, often verging on hordes, of national fans, dressed in their country’s or driver’s colors, sporting funny hats, and carrying all sorts of flags, noise makers, and the like. At this particular venue, the obstacles were so close together (as far as the spectators were concerned) that two were in one area and then six were just down the road with a hill in the middle and the six grouped around … allowing for the fans to walk between obstacles to follow their drivers rather than station themselves at one obstacle or run between them.

In the single pony division, Arjo van Kekam (NED) is in the lead after the marathon, with Suzy Stafford (Go Team USA!!!) currently in second place, and Melanie Becker (NED) currently in third. Suzy, then, will go next-to-last in this morning’s cones competition. Sherri Dolan is currently in 22nd place, and Sara Schmitt was unfortunately eliminated for missing a gate in one of the obstacles (number 2, I think).

Suzy Stafford in obstacle number 4

Sherri Dolan and her enthusiastic navigator, Claudia, in an obstacle

Sara Schmitt in the final obstacle, one of two with water

In the pairs, Daniel Schneiders (GER) is in the lead, Stephan Koch (GER) is in second, and Steffen Abicht (GER) is in third. Tracey Morgan is now in ninth place overall, Randy Cadwell (who finished seventh in the marathon) is now in 24th place overall, and Katie Whaley is in 25th place overall.

Tracey Morgan in obstacle number 4

Randy Cadwell in the “hill” obstacle

Katie Whaley splashing through the final water obstacle

In the four-in-hand division, Germany’s Tobias Buecker is in the lead, Steffen Brauchle (GER) is in second, and Jan de Boer (NED) is in third. Laurie Astegiano has moved up one spot and is now in eighth place overall. Lisa Stroud is in seventeenth place at the moment.

Laurie Astegiano navigating through “the ruins” (obstacle number 4)

Lisa Stroud galloping into an obstacle

We’ll see what happens in today’s cones competition … but, first, enjoy some of the sights and faces of yesterday’s marathon:

Austrian fans decked out in red and white

a couple of goofy Dutch hats … bright orange, of course

a German fan getting into the spirit of the day

some French fans carried this flag around all day

this many, and more, Dutch fans followed each of their drivers from obstacle to obstacle and offered their support all day

a Hungarian driver and his navigator urging their pair of ponies on