1999 Arizona Combined Driving Event
by
Douglas W. True, True-ly Petite Miniature Horses
(559) 582-3694
dtrue@kings.k12.ca.us

The March Arizona CDE was an American Driving Society show. Four miniature competitors made up the training level class. Coolidge, Arizona in a thirteen hour drive from our home in Hanford, California; it was the farthest we have traveled to a competition.

Some California participants make it a two day trip, but we decided to drive straight through. We made only one stop at the halfway point to exercise the horses, give them a chance to graze a little, and drink some water we had brought from home. Both horses were doing very well with no signs of stress or discomfort. Transporting a miniature horse seems to present fewer problems to content with than the larger breeds.

Coolidge is about thirty miles south of Phoenix; it has been twenty years since I have been to Phoenix; it is no longer a sleepy little town; after maneuvering through rush hour traffic, quite similar to Los Angeles, we arrived at Goree Farms at 6:00 p.m. for stabling.

We have found that our horses like to be able to see out of their stalls so we always bring a gate to place in front of the stable door as most typically the lower half of the door is too high for them to see over. Some horses don't seem to mind being closed in, however, so I am not sure what the typical response would be. Ours just seem to get a little claustrophobic.

With the horses stabled and fed we were ready to find our own lodging for the weekend. Coolidge is a small town with few motels so a few of the local people open their homes for competitor lodging. Staying with a local family turned out to be an added plus to for the week-end. We made new friends and it is much more relaxing watching a Phoenix Suns basketball game with a local family than the confines of a motel room. We also learned of local customs and farming practices somewhat different than found in the central valley of California. It was an enjoyable experience we had not counted on for the week-end.

The first event, the dressage test, was to be test four in the ADS handbook. Remembering the test under competition conditions has always been a problem for me and test four was one of the most difficult tests to remember. It is always interesting to review your dressage tests results as it tells you in what you need to do further schooling for your horse . The judge gave a score of 5 in the second half of the test, stating "off center at C and little bend at C or H." My horse is stiff turning left; he also was busy looking at the markers and rails when his head and mind should have followed the turn. A score of 7 for elements number 8 and ten did please me. Gremlin did a nice rein back and was quiet and attentive at the halt. The comments made near the bottom of the score sheet under "Driver" interested me- "become more active." I have always been concerned about over use of the whip and voice, but apparently I could be more active in the use of the aids. Nonetheless I was first place after dressage. With my wife, Renee, in second' Chris Light Orr in third; and Eileen Davis in fourth.

Renee True

The marathon consisted of section E a very easy course of 3.5k with four hazards to execute. The window of time allowed without penalty was a minimum time of 17:30 and maximum of 20:30. The time was based upon a pace of 9kph; pacing is  a difficult part of the marathon to calculate, many factors need to be considered and stop watch is highly recommended. My marathon time was 19:02 within the window allowed and receiving no penalty points. All miniatures finished the marathon and passed the vet check with flying colors. The placing remained the same as after dressage.

The final event in the competition was cones held on Sunday afternoon. The course consisted of twenty gates; each gate allowed 50cm clearance from the wheel base of your carriage. As you drive between traffic cones with tennis balls placed on top, the object is to complete the course within a prescribed time, with out dislodging any tennis balls. All of the miniatures completed a "clear" cones run and were within the allotted time.

As the final scores were being tallied contestants and spectators were entertained by the Petite Elite, a precision driving team from the Miniature Horse Association of Arizona. They were an instant crown pleaser as they preformed a series of dazzling maneuvers with grace and precision.

Petit Elite

The final results for the training level miniature horse class remained the same as after dressage. A special award for Best Miniature was sponsored by Kukui Ranch; it was awarded to Doug True, driving Sunnyside Gremlin.