Carriage Driving competitions begin with show classes on Friday 18th March. Horses and ponies will be turned out to perfection with drivers hoping to catch the judge’s eye. Performance and turnout will be divided into two height classes, over138cm and up to and including 138cm.
The Sno Bennett Scurry will be held later, in the Premier Arena, as part of the Friday evening Extravaganza. This event pits combinations of varying sizes to see who is fastest over a short cone course. A sure crowd pleaser.
On Saturday morning turnouts compete over three separate phases for the title Carriage Driving Horse of the Year. A short Dressage test, followed by a Cone Course and Obstacles will test the accuracy, speed and skill of horse/pony and driver for the best overall performance.
Drivers to have excelled in previous years include Yvonne Weal (Te Awamutu), Alison Cameron (Otaki), Michelle Reddy (Auckland) and Rosemary Smith (Napier), with several others hard on their heels.