Combined Driving 101
Combined driving events (CDE) are a triathlon for horses which tests the overall versatility of a driving team. Similar to the ridden three-day event, the three-phase competition is exciting to watch for spectators of all ages. TerraNova Equestrian Center, with its sprawling terrain and large arenas, will host its inaugural Combined Driving at TerraNova event, a USEF and FEI competition, on January 23-26, 2025. Here’s everything you need to know before heading out on course!
Horse Driving History
While history is unclear on exactly when horses were first harnessed, a popular theory suggests around 2,500 B.C. in the Middle East. By the 16th century in Europe, traveling by coach or carriage was the norm, however it was a bone-jarring experience compared to modern-day carriage rides.
In America, early settlers used wagons, carriages, and horses for transportation, until new forms—like trains and eventually automobiles—offered a faster and smoother mode of travel.
Today, driving horses is primarily reserved for sport and recreation. Thanks to the late HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, the modern-day sport of combined driving can be found across the globe.
Prince Philip served as president of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) from 1964 to 1986 and was instrumental in establishing the international rules for horse driving trials. This discipline, known as combined driving, became an FEI-recognized sport in 1970, marking the beginning of his passion for it.
In 1971, Prince Philip retired from polo and took up driving. By 1973, he competed in his second competition, the European Championships at Windsor, where he humorously noted, "I came in not quite last, but very nearly."
Prince Philip later excelled in his driving career, representing Great Britain in three European and six World Championships.
On the Carriage
Combined driving is a technical and demanding sport that can be enjoyed by people of any age with any breed of horses or ponies—from miniature horses and ponies to larger warmblood and draft horses. Horses and ponies that excel in driving will show lightness, engagement, and stamina.
A team may consist of a driver, one or two grooms, and one, two, three, or four horses or ponies. Two, three, and four-in-hand teams travel with an alternate horse or pony that may be substituted so the team has the best combination for each of the three phases.
Competitors transport their carriages, equipment and horses in large trailers, usually a six-horse head-to-head trailer. Often competitors will have living quarters within their trailers, for themselves and/or grooms.
The competition is broken down by the size of the horse or pony, number of horses and ponies on the team, and level of difficulty. This ensures that larger horses aren't competing against much smaller miniature horses. There is also a para driving division where athletes with disabilities compete on the same courses as the other drivers. At the inaugural Combined Driving at TerraNova event, Training, Preliminary, Intermediate, FEI 1*, FEI 2* (Novice Advanced), and FEI 3* (Open Advanced) level divisions will be offered.
In addition to the driver, one or two grooms may also ride on the carriage during the competition. Their role varies depending on the phase but is integral to a successful performance. In the dressage phase, the role of the groom is to ride on the carriage, but not aid the driver. They can assist in the event of an equipment malfunction.
On marathon day, the grooms or “navigators” help keep the driver on course, remember the obstacles, and keep track of the timing for the overall distance of the course. They also counterbalance the carriages on sharp turns and changes in elevation.
An integral part of the team, the navigators will have walked the course with the driver prior to the competition and can help the driver directionally. Navigators are not allowed to get off the carriage without incurring penalties. Single and pair competitors have one navigator on the back of their carriage, while four-in-hand drivers have two – the “top step” and the “bottom step.” The top step navigator helps the driver watch his or her horses, helping guide the driver through the obstacle.
The bottom step navigator helps with stability and can jump the carriage around a post if a driver gets too close. They also keep time for the driver to make sure the team completes the course in optimum time.
On the final day, grooms may assist their driver and help them navigate the cones course, however they must remain in their seat or else they could incur penalties on their team’s final score.
Phases of Competition
Day 1: Dressage
Not unlike a dressage test ridden under saddle, on day one of competition each team must perform a dressage test in the arena. A judge or team of judges score each team between 1 and 10 (the higher score being preferable) on how well they execute each test element between letters marked along the edge of the ring.
The driving dressage tests may require the teams to perform a variety of gaits, as well as different patterns like diagonals and circles. The judges are looking for consistent gaits, correctness and accuracy of movement, harmony, and suppleness. Teams also receive scores for presentation, which factors in dress on both the driver and the grooms as well as the turnout of the horses and condition and cleanliness of the harness and carriage. In the dressage phase, grooms cannot help the driver complete the dressage test.
Unlike with Dressage under saddle, voice commands are allowed and necessary.
“For the dressage phase, you want the horses to be perfectly round, engaged, and listening to their aids. There's no seat, and there are no legs, so it's hands and voice. Combined driving is a very verbal sport,” said Jennifer Matheson, Chair of the Driving Sport Committee for the United States Equestrian Federation.
“Everybody is obligated to carry a whip, but the whip replaces the leg and, when you have a four-in-hand, you can't communicate with the leaders that way,” continued Matheson. “There's a lot of training involved, and the horses really respond to your voice. It's a very deep relationship because while we all talk to our horses when they're in the barn, when you go out for a drive or training you're having a conversation with them.”
Day 2: Marathon
Day two of the competition tests the teams’ stamina, courage, and agility on a cross-country course. Much like a cross-country course at a three-day event, teams must cover significant distances between obstacles, which means both horses and humans must be well conditioned. Conditioning horses for the marathon course can take upwards of a year, no small feat for a team preparing for competition.
Each obstacle includes up to six lettered gates, marked by red on the right and white on the left. Before the marathon phase, each driver will have walked each obstacle numerous times in order to determine their ideal route. The gates in each obstacle must be negotiated in the correct order (A, then B, then C, and so on) and correct direction (red on the right side, white on the left). If a team misses a gate, they are eliminated from the course.
The marathon score is determined by adding the team’s times in each obstacle to any course or time penalties (for example, coming in sooner than the minimum time or after the maximum time allowed) they may have incurred while out on course.
Unlike in the dressage phase, the grooms or “navigators” on the back of each carriage are allowed to assist the driver.
Day 3: Cones
The final day of the competition is a test of speed and precision. Teams must drive through a course of narrowly spaced cones with a ball balanced on the top within a specified time allowed. Three penalty points are incurred for each ball that is knocked down, and penalties are added to a driver’s score for exceeding the time allowed. While cantering is allowed during the cones phase, it is not always the best strategy as the faster pace can often lead to more penalty points. Grooms are allowed to help their drivers navigate the course, however they must remain seated.
Turnout Traditions: Tack and Dress
There’s an interesting juxtaposition of elegance and ruggedness in the turnout for the different phases of a combined driving event.
For the dressage tests, both horses and drivers are focused on beautiful turnout, as the judge considers the appearance of the driver and the groom, as well as the cleanliness, fitness, matching, and condition of the horses or ponies, harness, and vehicle. Horses have their manes braided and tails neatly brushed. No leg protection such as polo wrap or boots are allowed in dressage, however they are acceptable in the marathon and cones phase. The formal harness is typically used for the dressage and cones phases. A different, durable harness, able to withstand the rigors of the marathon course is usually used only during that phase.
Drivers are required to wear formal attire— male drivers wear a jacket, while female drivers must wear a conservative dress or suit. A driving apron, gloves, and a hat or helmet are also required per the rules. Grooms must wear stable livery, with the exclusion of the driving apron, in all vehicles, except for formal ones, which require full livery. It’s not uncommon to see top hats or large hats worn with formal carriages in dressage, brass shining and elegant.
The attire will be the same as for the cones phase, however the driver and grooms must wear helmets. Drivers and grooms must also wear helmets during the marathon phase.
The carriages used for each phase change, too. At the top levels, more formal carriage needs to be used for dressage and for cones. For the marathon phase, however, teams have specially designed carriages which often have unique features that make them easy to maneuver, such as delayed steering, cantilevered wheels, and four-wheel disc brakes. The marathon carriages are also designed with a lower center of gravity to withstand the rough and tumble of a marathon course while staying upright.
The Course at TerraNova
TerraNova is set to host the Combined Driving at TerraNova competition in January 2025. Preparing the facility and courses for the inaugural event is no small feat, as Matheson explained.
“TerraNova’s vision is to bring four portable obstacles into the arenas next to the pavilion and water feature so that spectators can be up close and personal,” said Matheson. “They will be able to see multiple obstacles from one spot.”
Matheson also noted that the unique thing about using portable obstacles is that they can be rearranged so they’re not always in the same place, providing competitors with a course change for future competitions.
When building permanent obstacles like the three new permanent obstacles at TerraNova, it’s important to make sure they are built large and complex enough, so that by repositioning where the gates are, the course designer can create a brand-new obstacle for future competitions using the existing one.
“Different levels use the same obstacles,” explains Marc Johnson, FEI Level 3 Course Designer and Course Builder at TerraNova. “For this event, we will use obstacles suitable for the training level and then all the way up to the three-star level. The course has to be challenging, but it must be safe at all levels.”
The obstacles themselves can be made of a blend of natural materials and traditional materials, including rails and posts.
“We're using existing natural elements, and, as an example, by positioning portable elements within a small grove of trees, we will have a combination of natural and engineered elements to create an obstacle,” explained Matheson.
Watching the Levels at the Combined Driving at TerraNova
At the inaugural Combined Driving at TerraNova competition, spectators can watch training level to three-star level teams in action.
“This is a special facility, and I hope drivers of all levels will feel welcome at this beautiful facility even if they are not at the three-star level,” said Matheson. “The team at TerraNova and I are looking forward to creating a welcoming environment for all competitors and an exciting event for spectators.”
Each phase has its own allure for spectators—the showcase of elegance in dressage, marathon’s test of speed and stamina, and the extreme precision in the cones. The one part of the competition not to miss: the water obstacles on the marathon course.
“For spectators, the water features are a big draw,” said Johnson. “A water obstacle that has elements outside the water and inside the water can be preferable because the horse and carriage plunges into the water and gets some splash going on.”
From the initial dressage test to the final clear round through the cones, the first Combined Driving event at TerraNova—and future events—will give many people their first look at this traditional and expanding horse sport. For those involved in combined driving, TerraNova is a welcome addition to the Florida circuit, which has been growing rapidly, giving teams of all levels the chance to compete and excel on a beautiful course set against the stunning Floridian landscape.
