The Slower Road

I’ve been allowed to let you in on a secret … behold: the diagrams of the marathon obstacles …

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The 2010 World Driving Championship began this morning with the first of four sessions of dressage.

after this morning’s session, the reigning World Champion, Ysbrand Chardon (NED), is currently in the lead with a dressage score of 35.97

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Jim Fairclough (USA) drove his dressage test with two full sisters as his wheelers (both owned by Jane Clark), and two horses leased from Keady Cadwell as his leaders; he was the first of the three U.S. team members to go, and is currently in second place with a score of 51.97

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driving for Australia (although he lives in Ohio), Gavin Robson is currently in third place with a score of 55.30

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Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich drove his team of Lusitanos to a score of 64.64

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aren’t they beautiful? (why, yes, I love the Baroque horses!)

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we had a good crowd in the main grandtand at the Driving Stadium for this morning’s dressage tests

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before lunch, legendary driver and coachman George Bowman (GBR) gave a dressage demonstration with Misdee Miller’s coaching team, put to her French Shooting Break

On Wednesday afternoon, to kick off the Driving portion of this year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, seventeen of the drivers took part in the optional Presentation competition, which was sponsored by the Carriage Association of America.

Through the generous support of a number of donors, the CAA offered cash prizes, awards for the winner, and ribbons through tenth place. Each of the seventeen participants received a bottle of champagne upon leaving the arena.

Each participant’s grooms spent hours cleaning harness, polishing carriages, and grooming horses. Then, each turnout spent three minutes at each of three judging stations, where every aspect of the turnout was carefully inspected. The judges – George Bowman (GBR), Jack Pemberton (CAN), and Steve Holm (USA) – looked at the clothing and the actions of the driver, passenger, and grooms; the fit and cleanliness of the harness; the cleanliness and suitability of the horses; and the cleanliness and completeness of the vehicle itself. In addition, they were looking to see how correct and appropriate the harness and grooms’ clothing were to each carriage. Attention to detail is paramount.

Judge Steve Holm said that the drivers who competed in the Presentation had all worked toward a very high standard but that the top five finishers had prepared so well they were able to separate themselves from the rest of the group.

With a score of 49.50 out of a possible 50 points, and a perfect score from one judge, Chester Weber (USA) emerged the winner. He drove a formal presentation vehicle—the same one he will use in the dressage and cones phases of the Driving competition—and complemented it with beautifully turned out horses in formal, full-collar harness and grooms in formal attire.

Weber was followed by Jim Fairclough (USA) in second place (48.33), Tucker Johnson (USA) in third (48.17), Daniel Würgler (SUI) in fourth (45.67), and Boyd Exell (AUS) in fifth (44.83). Rounding out the top ten: Cindy O’Reilly (USA) in sixth (43.50), Gary Stover (USA) in seventh (42.83), Werner Ulrich (SUI) in eighth (42.00), Bill Long (USA) in ninth (41.83), and Josh Rector (USA) in tenth (41.67).

Because the Presentation is an optional competition, separate from the four phases of the Driving World Championship, these scores do not carry over to the rest of the competition. The championship begins with two days of dressage, which are followed by the exciting marathon and cones phases.

A few photos from the afternoon:

Jack Pemberton inspects Werner Ulrich’s mixed team

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George Bowman looks carefully at Boyd Exell’s horses and harness

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during his close inspection, Steve Holm walks around Daniel Wuergler’s carriage

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Steve Holm looks carefully at Tucker Johnson’s horses, which are hitched to a Shooting Break belonging to Misdee Miller

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Steve Holm looks carefully at Chester Weber’s harness

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a full view of Chester Weber’s winning turnout, which was, according to judge Steve Holm, “about as close to perfect as you can get”

Please forgive the brevity of my written comments here, but I’m back in the office after the horse inspection … preparing this post and eating some lunch before heading out to the Driving Stadium for the 2:30 p.m. Presentation competition.

Several horses were held, reinspected, and accepted. One of the Canadians’ horses and one of the Germans’ horses were spun by the vets, so Deb Laderoute (CAN) and Ludwig Weinmayer (GER) will not be able to make any horse substitutions throughout the event. Sadly, two of of David Saunders U.S. horses were spun, which leaves him with three … that obviously won’t work for a four-in-hand, so he’s out of the event before it’s even started.

Without further ado, some of my favorite shots from this morning (these are in the order the horses were presented):

Australia’s Gavin Robson

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Canada’s Darryl Billing

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one of the French horses

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one of Georg von Stein’s horses, representing Germany

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Ysbrand Chardon (NED), the reigning World Four-in-Hand Champion

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Koos de Ronde of The Netherlands

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Piotr Mazurek, representing Poland

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Switzerland’s Daniel Wuergler

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one of the Lusitanos being driven by Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich

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Jim Fairclough (USA)

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one of Bill Long’s horses (USA)

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one of Mike McLennan’s horses (USA)

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Josh Rector (USA)

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Chester Weber (USA), the reigning individual silver medalist from the 2008 World Four-in-Hand Championship

I did make it out into the sunshine and onto the marathon course this afternoon!

Here’s what I saw …

there’s water in the Head of the Lake now, which makes this … a bridge to an island

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an unnaturally large snail …

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… and an acorn at the Squirrel Grove

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the Mud Wagon at the Wagon Yard, with a cross-country jump in the background

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… and all the wagons, including the Freight Wagon, which was moved over yesterday from its spot on the cross-country course

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there’s been some artistic hedge trimming going on at the Kentucky Horses obstacle