Driving Competitions

About Driving

Carriage driving encompasses a range of disciplines where horses pull a vehicle, from elegant pleasure driving to the thrilling speed of combined driving marathons. Driving competitions test precision, obedience, fitness, and the driver's skill in navigating courses and hazards.

Driving divisions include Pleasure Driving (judged on manners and presentation), Combined Driving (a three-phase test similar to eventing with dressage, marathon, and cones), and Reinsmanship (judging the driver's skill). Singles, pairs, tandems, and four-in-hand teams compete at different levels. The ADS (American Driving Society) governs the sport domestically, while FEI oversees international combined driving events. Driving is open to many breeds and is one of the few equestrian sports accessible to competitors with mobility limitations.