HRH
Prince Philip was instrumental in formulating Driving Trials as
we know them today; his patronage has helped bring this formally
little known sport into the pubic eye.
Governing Body
The British Horse
Driving Trials Association is the rule maker, with the
British Equestrian Federation being
the FEI reperesentative.
Useful terminology
The term "turnout" is
used to describe the combined unit of the chosen driving carriage
and the horse(s)/pony(ies). Frequently "vehicle" is also
used.
"whip" is another term for the driver.
First Steps
-
Horses and ponies
must be registered with the BHDTA
-
They must have
a current vaccination certificate (which is submitted at
the time of first registration) and must be on hand for
"spot checks"
-
The person registering
the horse/pony must also be a BHTDA member
-
Membership applications for persons under the age of 18 years
must be signed by a parent or guardian
Other points to note
-
It is recommended
that drivers are also BHTDA members because of the training
and assistance that is available, insurance packages, etc.
-
All grooms participating
in the Marathon phase at National Championship competitions
must be BHTDA members
-
Competitors taking part in international (FEI) classes need
an FEI Competitor's Licence
-
There are minimum
ages for drivers and their accompanying grooms which are dependent
upon the turnout being driven. For example, the minimum
age for a single pony dirver is 14 years (with a groom of
at least 18 years of age) whilst you must being 18 years to
drive a horse team.
The different classes, which depend upon whether you are driving
a horse(s) or pony(ies) are:
Horse Teams, Pony Teams, Horse Pairs, Pony Pairs, Horse Tandem,
Pony Tandem, Single Horse, Single Pony.
A Horse Driving Trial competion comprises a dressage test,
a marathon and then the cones. These sections are looked
at in more detail below.
Once having decided upon what you wish to drive (or are capable
of driving!) then you next need to familiarise yourself with
the specific regulations for different phases of the competition
relating to your chosen turnout. For example, a horse
team is expected to execute a faster marathon speed (km/h) than
a single pony, horse teams pull heavier carriages than ponies
etc.
Some of the specific regulations are as follows:
