Update from Driving Queensland
Time for a review of what Driving Queensland has been doing, where we are at now, and what is planned for next year.
2020 saw the running of our Driving Qld Roadshows, where we took a selection of horses and carriages out to Equestrian Qld affiliated clubs and offered the opportunity for people to have a drive. As we all secretly suspected, many very good riders would also make very good drivers! Who knew?
So in 2021, we expanded this idea to conduct Driving Decoded weekends, the first round in July at the Goombungee Showgrounds, and then the second round at the Jimboomba Equine Carriage Club grounds.
These were run with the help of Equestrian Qld Sport Development Funding grants, for which we are very grateful.
This enabled the involvement of high level coaches and judges to help us present Driving as the Serious Equine Performance Sport it is. Just ask Boyd Exell and Tor Van Den Berge.
Jimboomba JECC Club and South Burnett equestrian Group ran a few Challenge Test Activity Days as forerunners to a series of these days in 2022, hopefully all around the state.
These new Challenge tests include a short Dressage test followed by a series of seven pairs of cones, all done inside the 40m by 80m Dressage arena. There is also a test available, which is done at walk in a 20m by 60m arena, which is aimed at introducing dressage arena skills to new horses and Drivers, and can be used at the Club level. This test proved very popular during the year, being used as a longreining exercise, and also for Drivers with disabilities.
Coaches Bob Edwards (Toowoomba area), Debbie King (Brisbane South/Gold Coast area) and Corby Cunnington (South Burnett area) are EA coaches available to further your Driving skills over the summer period, ready for the competition season next year. Coaching is an integral part of working on your Scale of Training for you and your horse, whether it be riding, longreining or driving. All three have brilliant schoolmasters for you to drive.
And lastly, remember that summer is Qld can be hot! Make sure you have read this document and refer to it often....
Thanks to my hard-working committee and Working Group this year as well as the help from the EQ affiliated Clubs and the EQ office.
Happy Driving! See you all out and about next year!
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