Welcome

The Spur Driving Society (SDS) was established Y22 by Dani to further promoted the combined driving and driving disciplines. We host a number of shows every season.

General Rules

  • There is currently no membership or individual horse registration required to participate in SDS events. Horses are considered automatically registered upon being registered in the Spur Registry.
  • Both the current SY and lifetime points earned in SDS are tallied on our leaderboard.
  • Any Spur member in good standings within the game may hold an SDS sponsored event. Hosts earn 5% off total show fees for doing so.
  • Any breed may compete in any breed/age appropriate level/division. Horses and ponies must be at least four years-of-age to compete in harness.

Combined Driving

Combined Driving has the abbreviation of “CD” in Spur.

Sometimes likened to a team triathlon, a Combined Driving Event consists of three competitions – Dressage, Marathon, and Obstacle/Cones — that are held over one, two, or three days.  The sport is intended to showcase the versatility, training and talents of both horse and driver.  Through participating in events, drivers and horses or ponies may develop in increasing levels of proficiency.

The Dressage competition can be said to be the foundation for the rest of the sport.  In Dressage, horses or ponies and their drivers drive individually in specified patterns and gaits to demonstrate the skills, obedience, and development appropriate to their levels of training before the watchful eyes of one or more judges. Dressage develops and displays polish, discipline, and athleticism of equine and driver dancing together.

After the showcase of beauty and control that is Dressage, the next competition is often the cross-country Marathon.  Here, the driver tests his mettle and that of his horses or ponies in control of paces and speeds, agility, obedience, and endurance over distances of eight to eighteen kilometers. Not only do competitors cover distance, they also negotiate challenge “obstacles” every kilometer or so, in which they choose their paths to go through “gates” in the correct direction and sequence.  At Training level, these marathon obstacles are geared toward being a learning experience, and as levels of competence increase, so do speeds and numbers of obstacles and gates. It is in this competition especially that the partnership of the “navigator” becomes critically important, as this competition requires thinking. In this competition as in Dressage, ADS rules encourage a careful development of horse and driver as each level brings new and greater challenges in speeds, distances, and complexities. It is on Marathon that Dressage training really pays off, and thrills abound.

Having proven their mettle in the control of Dressage and the jubilation of Marathon, pony or horse and driver must finally find that combination of boldness, agility, energy and precision that is Obstacle/Cones driving.  In this competition, drivers and their steeds drive between precisely spaced pairs of cones over a prescribed course of up to 20 “obstacles” driven in correct sequence and direction and within an allowed time based on the size of equine and level of advancement.  Here again, as drivers and horses develop and move up in “levels,” speeds increase and clearances between cones decrease, making for challenges and fun that never stop. Cones may be seen as that meld of elegance and thrills that consummates the competition set to demonstrate the fitness, mind and training of the horse following the more physical challenges of the Marathon.

Driving

Driving “DV” encompasses several types of driving within Spur.

A majority of driving classes are divided by the following divisons (except Driven Dressage):

  • Novice – Min. age 4 y/o
  • Limited – Min age. 5 y/o
  • Open – Min age. 6 y/o

The SDS hosts the following classes for driving:

  • Pleasure Driving – includes turnout, drive, and rainsmanship classes. Open to all breeds.
  • Ride & Drive – includes undersaddle, in-harness and timed obstacle classes. For horses/ponies at least 13.2hh.
  • Country Pleasure Driving – is meant for Arabians and other breeds with more animated gates. Includes the same phases as Pleasure Driving.
  • Driven Dressage – open to all breeds. Horses performed a set test similar to mounted dressage.
  • Sjees – open to Friesian only!
  • Pulling – open to draft breeds only and is divided by weight. Please see the official classlist for more information.