Arizona Combined Driving Events: 2004
Arizona Combined Driving Event, Coolidge, March
Top: Mary Anne Boyden heading for the finish gate in the cones competition
Left: Patty Carson in the hazards
Right: Ray Mansur finishing his cones test
Left: Raul Hofstee driving a beautiful four in hand of Friesians
Right: Raul again in dressage
Top: Fat lady with Train
Left: Stewart Morris in another elegant composition
Right: Tera Ghering in the Water Hole, gaining momentum for the next run through the water
Hardy Zantke is always a joy to watch in any of the three competitions. Here he is in dressage doing an Advanced test. One of the requirements of this level is driving a one handed deviation. Note that he is holding his whip up to show he is making the deviation movement by controlling the reins with only one hand. Note also the perfect pacing of his two horses.
Old Pueblo, Tucson, December
Combined driving events are always fun to participate in, whether as a volunteer or as a competitor. However, every so often, things conspire to test that theory and one's love of the sport. And unfortunately the 2004 Old Pueblo CDE was one of those events. Unavailability of the grounds for the normal early November date forced change to early December. In southern Arizona, that means the weather can get iffy, as the winter wet season can begin that early. Well, in 2004, we experienced the first break in our decade long drought. It has been raining since late September, and early December proved no exception.
Dressage day started off fine, but by the end of the day, the wind was howling, it had dropped 20 degrees and few competitors finished their test with their hats on their heads. On Saturday morning the skies opened up and by the end of the day we had well over an inch of rain. But that means we had several inches of mud everywhere on the course. Carriages came back in weighing twice what they did when they left. Drivers and grooms were wet - cold - mud covered. In the confusion, even the scores from Hazard 4 disappeared. Volunteers, standing the full day in it were cold, wet and miserable. Drivers in the hazards had to play it really safe to keep from sliding into poles, trees and gates.
And for us, to top it off, Melodie had not done well in Dressage recently, we are not sure whether it was a tooth problem or a physical one. She had a miserable test. We didn't push her on the Marathon, she didn't do well there, either.
The storm passed by Sunday, cones day, it was only cold by then. We did OK in cones, but the one ball down dropped Mary Jane another place in the standings. Some events do test your devotion to the sport.
Top: One of the better shots of Melodie in dressage. Mary Jane started dressing with her floppy brimed hat, after going out for a while, she went back to the barn and traded it for her fur hat.
Left: Gary Gang drove Linda Sterling's Morgan, Dude, in competition for the first time. Here he is taking her for a ride after finishing his dressage test. Notice that Linda is dressed for the temperature, drivers are not allowed that luxury.
Right: Ray Mansur is having a great time competing with his pair of Haflingers, and doing very well with them to boot.
