We are returning from the Teddy Bear CDE (combined driving event). It was the first time the ponies, or the Knox's, have competed a four in hand team. And they did awesome!
Driving is pretty nuts. Compared to eventing it seems as if there is more stake. If there is a wreck you have 4 horses and 3 passengers to worry about, let alone what can easily be a $30,000 carriage. Personally, I feel that eventing is more exhilarating, simply because leaping over giant obstacles will still always be cooler than weaving through them, as fun as that is too. Maybe I feel that way because I was only the lowly the back stepper, and not the actual driver. I did get to drive a four in hand of bikes though!! An ingenious contraption designed to help a driver understand rein handling (there are four reins to deal with afterall) it is a rig that hooks up four bikes (substituting horses) with the reins attached to the handlebars, bikes attached to 2x4's, which is then joined to the steering mechanism of a golf cart. We spent an evening driving is through the cones course after very one had left except the judge, TD, and the owner of the farm. Of course Chris was even teaching the judge a thing or two about handling the reins. Super fun.
More fun was had when we set up a slack line by our camp. Chris an Phil were even brave enough to get on! I was kind of nervous though, I didn't really want to be responsible for my boss getting a broken hip or something.
Overall it was a pretty cool experience, especially during the muddy, hilly, marathon section with the whole team cruising around the course and coming home ready for another day.
