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Combined driving (also known as horse driving trials) is an equestrian sport involving carriage driving. In this discipline, the driver sits on a vehicle drawn by a single horse, a pair or a team of four. The sport has three phases: dressage, cross-country marathon and obstacle cone driving — patterned after the mounted equestrian sport of eventing. It is one of the ten international equestrian sport horse disciplines recognized by the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI). Combined driving became an FEI discipline in 1970 when Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the then-president of FEI, produced the first rule book.
Grooms are required for safety reasons because the driver must stay on the carriage at all times, holding the reins and controlling the horses. A groom will hitch the horse to the carriage and will adjust harness or correct problems if needed. However, if a groom falls off or exits the carriage during competition there will be penalty points assessed. If there is a collision with an object or a horse falls, the grooms are needed to hold horses and help untangle harness.
"Three-phase" carriages are popular, especially at entry levels, as drivers need only one vehicle. These carriages have extending axles to make the rear wheels the required width for the dressage and obstacles phases (currently 138 cm minimum for all pony, single horse, and tandem horse classes). All carriages for the marathon phase are 125 cm minimum track width, measured on the ground and on the rear wheels. For Indoor driving trials, carriages should be a minimum width of 125 cm for all phases.
Dressage movements may include circles, figures of eight, and crossing the diagonal and all paces – walk, working trot, collected trot, extended trot, canter, a halt, and a rein back. Multiple horses are judged on ability to move in harmony and ideally will have similar conformation, action, and movement. Horses are to remain on the bit throughout the test, maintaining impulsion, elasticity, rhythm, and forward movement. The goal is to make the test look effortless, and an obedient and responsive horse is essential for a good dressage test.
Unlike a ridden dressage test, a driven test allows the use of the voice as an aid. At international level, dressage tests are prepared by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (F.E.I.) which is the governing body of competitive carriage driving.
Section "E" of the marathon is similar to the cross-country phase of eventing. It has obstacles or "hazards" throughout the course to test the speed and agility of the horses, and the driving ability of the whip. Obstacles may include water, tight twists through trees or man-made obstacles, steep hills, or fences and pens. Drivers are scored on how quickly they can negotiate the obstacle, and must find the fastest route through each. Penalty points are given if too much time is spent in an obstacle, or if the team comes in off the optimum time for the whole course.
Throughout the marathon and in the obstacles the groom can speak to the driver and assist using their weight and balance to keep the carriage upright or to bounce it off the obstacle uprights. The groom also helps to keep the correct pace by checking the kilometer markers on the course against calculated timings for each section, allowing for ground conditions and the horse's fitness.
The three sections and their maximum lengths and speeds, as specified in the FEI rulebook, are:
| A | 8000 m | Any pace | 15 km/h |
| Transfer | 800 – 1000 m | Any pace | 7 km/h |
| B | 9000 m | Any pace | 14 km/h |
Section B includes up to eight obstacles, to be driven in sequence. The last designated 300 to 500 m must be driven at walk or trot, with no stopping for any reason.
A time window – a minimum and a maximum time – is calculated for each section according to the length of the section, the average speed of the carriage and whether it is pulled by horses or ponies. After the walk section there is a ten-minute halt, where the horses can be cooled and watered. A veterinary check may follow the Transfer section to ensure that the horses are fit to continue.
At club events, the rules may often be relaxed somewhat with, for instance, a "short marathon" which usually means only section E and (some of) the obstacles are driven. This is usually a class designed to encourage drivers of small ponies and young ponies and horses or for inexperienced and junior drivers. It enables newcomers to gain experience and confidence.
Driving any horse or pony and carriage around an obstacle at speed requires practice and a rapport between driver, animal(s) and groom(s). Timing starts as the horse's nose crosses the start line and ends when his nose crosses the finish line, frequently the same markers.
In the dressage phase, each movement is marked by the judges from 0 to 10 points. There may be 25 movements in the test. The marks are added together and, if there is more than one judge, they are divided by the number of judges to get an average. The total is then subtracted from the maximum possible mark to give a penalty score for the dressage. For example, if there are 16 movements, the total marks will be subtracted from 160 to get a penalty score.
In the marathon, time penalties are assessed at the end of each section for the amount of time a competitor finishes either under or over the permitted time window for that section. If the driver finishes within the allowed time window, he does not receive any penalties. In addition, in each obstacle, penalties are assessed for the length of time the driver spends negotiating the obstacle (the time from crossing the start line to crossing the finish line). These penalties are added to any section time penalties. Further penalties may be given for infringements such as dislodging a part of the obstacle (a knock down element), the groom dismounting the carriage or even for the carriage overturning.
In the obstacle cone driving, time penalties are assessed for exceeding the time allowed to complete the cones course, which is calculated by taking the measured distance of the course and dividing it by the speed allowed. Penalty points also accrue for knocking down a ball from any of the cones on the course.
In all phases of the competition, a number of other infringements may also incur penalties, for example the driver or groom dismounting the vehicle, breaking of pace where a certain pace is prescribed, not carrying a whip in the dressage or cones, errors of course in the dressage, marathon obstacles or cones. Some infringements, such as an uncorrected error of course will cause the competitor to be eliminated.
All the possible penalties are described in the rule books, published by the FEI and National Federations. Calculation of results can be complex and there are software programs available to record the data and calculate results.
Competitions are further divided into horses and ponies. Driving ponies must not exceed 148 cm in height; all others are classified as horses.
Some competitions (usually not international) may use other arrangements, for example:
At National and Club level, further division is made according to the ability and experience of the driver. In the United States, the levels of combined driving are: Training, Preliminary, Intermediate, and Advanced. In the UK, where the sport is known as Horse Driving Trials, the levels of progression from Club to National competition are: Pre-novice, Novice, Intermediate, Open, and Advanced. In New Zealand the sport is known as Combined Driving Trials,(CDT) and the levels of competition are: Novice, Intermediate, and Open.
The driver qualifies for the class usually by successfully competing in a lower class for a set period of time or a number of wins. Most people start driving with a single pony or horse. Many clubs run special classes for the smallest ponies.
A 'training division' is for a novice horse; the driver may be of any level, including a seasoned driver.
Classes are frequently split by height divisions, such as tiny pony, small pony, large pony and horse. Multiples (pairs, tandems, teams, etc.) are driven in their height class.
Starting with the dressage in a marked dressage arena of only 20 by 50 metres, the drivers perform a dressage test called Precision and Paces (P&P). This takes five minutes to drive and is marked by two judges, one judging only the paces and one judging the precision and accuracy of the figures. Each judge has a scorer close by who holds up the judge's mark for each of the ten movements in the test so the event scorer (and audience) can see it.
After P&P, the arena is cleared and a cones course of ten pairs of cones is set out. Everyone walks the course and an optimum time is set, based on the length of the course and a speed of 220m/minute. Completing the course too fast or too slow means the competitor is assessed penalty points for each second over or under the optimum time. Knocking a ball down off a cone adds a further five penalties.
After the cones phase, two obstacles are built in the arena and the drivers and grooms walk them, choosing the best route for their turnout. The drivers come back into the arena one-at-a-time in their class, in reverse order of their score placing – best goes last – and drive the two obstacles as fast as possible. Then they drive them a second time. The drivers with the lowest score in their class are the winners.
Although they were originally thought to be the poor relation of driving trials, indoor events are bringing more people into the sport – over 2,500 entries in 2012-13 – and provide a training ground for more serious competitors and their inexperienced horses and ponies. Audiences love the variety of the horses and ponies – from small Shetland ponies to large horses, they all drive the same courses and are only feet away from the spectators.
In early 2013 Indoor Horse Driving Trials UK renamed itself Indoor Carriage Driving UK in line with the re-branding of the British Horse Driving Trials to British Carriagedriving.
Drivers qualify to take part in the World Cup at a number of designated qualifying outdoor events during the preceding summer season. The top ten drivers in the qualifying table go forward to compete in the World Cup. There are 6 or 7 events in the World Cup series, plus a Final. Of the 10 qualified drivers, 5 compete in each event. In addition, the home nation which is staging the event may nominate up to 3 "wildcard" drivers to take part. Two rounds are driven in each World Cup competition, usually on subsequent days. The warm-up round is first and the placing of drivers after this round determines the starting order for the World Cup competition proper.
The World Cup Driving course combines elements from marathon obstacles and cones driving phases of outdoor driving competitions. Two obstacles are built, one at each end of the arena, with a number of cones between them. These all have to be driven in the correct sequence and at the fastest possible speed, without dislodging any of the knock-down elements. The course will also include a "bridge".
Drivers are awarded points according to their placings in each round. After the 6 or 7 World Cup competitions, the five highest placed drivers go forward to the Final. At the Final, all drivers start from scratch. The top 3 drivers after the first round will then have a drive off over the same course, with their scores carried forward into the drive off.
In 2023, Australian driver Boyd Exell won his 10th World Cup Driving Final. At his prior win, the final qualifier in Leipzig the announcer declared him "number one in the world, more titles than any other driver in history."
| + World Cup Driving Final winners | |||
| 2024–2025 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Degrieck Dries (BEL) | (NED) |
| 2023–2024 | Bram Chardon (NED) | Boyd Exell (AUS) | IJsbrand Chardon |
| 2022–2023 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Bram Chardon (NED) | IJsbrand Chardon |
| 2021-2022 | Bram Chardon (NED) | Boyd Exell (AUS) | (BEL) |
| 2020–2021 | Cancelled † | ||
| 2019-2020 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | (NED) | IJsbrand Chardon |
| 2018-2019 | Bram Chardon (NED) | (NED) | (BEL) |
| 2017-2018 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Jérôme Voutz (SUI) | (NED) |
| 2016-2017 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) | (NED) |
| 2015-2016 | IJsbrand Chardon | Boyd Exell (AUS) | (NED) |
| 2014-2015 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Christoph Sandmann | IJsbrand Chardon |
| 2013-2014 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Daniel Schneiders (GER) | (NED) |
| 2012-2013 | Boyd Exell | IJsbrand Chardon | |
| 2011-2012 | Boyd Exell | IJsbrand Chardon | |
| 2010-2011 | Boyd Exell | József Dobrovitz | IJsbrand Chardon |
| 2009–2010 | Boyd Exell | IJsbrand Chardon | |
| 2008–2009 | Boyd Exell (AUS) | IJsbrand Chardon | (NED) |
| 2007–2008 | Christoph Sandmann | Benjamin Aillaud | IJsbrand Chardon |
| 2006–2007 | IJsbrand Chardon | Christoph Sandmann | |
| 2005–2006 | IJsbrand Chardon | (GER) | Werner Ulrich |
| 2004–2005 | IJsbrand Chardon | (GER) | Werner Ulrich (SUI) |
| 2003–2004 | (GER) | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Christoph Sandmann |
| 2002–2003 | (GER) | Boyd Exell (AUS) | Christoph Sandmann |
| 2001–2002 | (GER) | Chester Weber | Christoph Sandmann |
There are two categories of international competitions – CAI-A and CAI-B. The CAI-A category denotes a higher level of organisation and facilities provided.
Normally, it is assumed that a CA classified competition is for horses. If pony classes are involved, the letter P is added to the classification (e.g. CAIP-A). Numbers denote the arrangement of horses in the class (e.g. CAI-A 2 is a competition for horse pairs, whereas CAIP-B 1/2/4 is a Category B competition for ponies, with classes for singles, pairs and four-in-hands).
World championships are denoted as Champion at du Monde Attelage (CH-M-A). There are three World Championships for horses – Singles, Pairs and Four-in-Hand. These are held every two years, with Single Horse (CH-M-A 1) and Four-in-Hand (CH-M-A 4) Championships in an even-numbered year, and Horse Pairs (CH-M-A 2) every odd year. In addition, a World Combined Pony Championships (CH-M-AP, which include singles, pairs and four-in-hand) are held every odd-numbered year.
FEI World Cup Driving, is a series of competitions for four-in-hand horse teams. Introduced in 2001, it provides an exciting style of competition which takes place in an indoor arena. The course combines marathon and cone driving obstacles. Five or six drivers, each with a team of four horses take turns to drive the course against the clock. World Cup Driving events are classified as CAI-W and take place throughout the winter months (Nov to April).
Competitions for drivers with disabilities are classified as CPEAI (Para-equestrian) and the championships (CH-M-PE-A) are held in every odd-numbered year.
At the National level (CAN) the sport is governed by each country's National Federation, sometimes through a governing body, which will have rules based on the FEI Rulebook, but maybe with some variations. Most countries hold their own National Championships.
Most people will start driving by joining a local organisation or club, who organise training sessions and one- or two-day competitions. Keen drivers can qualify to take part in national events from which they may put themselves forward to be selected to represent their country at international competitions or World Championships. Because a driver always needs a groom (backstepper or navigator), it's possible to take part as such and to enjoy the competition as much as the driver.
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