Carriage Driving Section recently launched their 2011 competition schedule and yearbook. It is their most ambitious and diverse carriage driving event schedule to date - last year a total of 65 different outfits from the Republic of Ireland participated at the 2010 events. These range from single pre-novice pony through Novice pony, horse pairs to Open pony and horse, to Advanced Open pairs and teams of 4. They compete in the 3 phases of the competition: Dressage, Cones Driving and Cross Country Obstacle Driving (marathon).
This exhilarating sport is tremendous fun to watch and even more exciting to compete in! The 2 and 3 day Horse Driving Trials competitions start on 30.4.2011 at Micknanstown, Co Meath. This now annual season opener will see the full program from pre-novice pony competitors to the impressive open team and pair classes. It is followed by the first of 2 new additions to the calender: Cuffesgrange in County Kilkenny on the 28th and 29th May before the “circus” moves to County Cork (Macroom) where another traditionally very entertaining event is expected on the 11th and 12th June. The weekend after, a new venue, Cahir in County Tipperary will host the driving trial for the first time in the shadows of the Norman Castle and just outside the town 18th and 19th June. Next on the agenda are the National Championships in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow 1st-3rd July - a spectacular setting nestling between sea and mountains. After some events in Northern Ireland the national competitors return to Tipperary on the 6th and 7th August at Kilbarron, on the shores of Lough Derg. The 14th August sees out Club Show taking place in front of tens of thousands of spectators at Tullamore Show. The season closes with 2 events in September: first Nenagh on the 3rd and 4th, where a fierce competition ensued last year to win the North-South Challenge Cup, then on the 17th and 18th of September Saunders Grove near Baltinglass in County Wicklow where the final points of the season can be collected and the winners of Tower League shall be finalised.