Midlands Carriagedriving News

The second One-Day Event run by Midlands Carriagedriving at Anslow on 21 st June had a real ‘family’ day feeling with two husband and wife teams plus a father and daughter combination all doubling up for each other. In the latter, it was young Evie Rockall who took the spoils with best dressage, only double clear in cones and fastest obstacle times of the day to head the Novice Pony class with Heidi. Evie bettered her dressage of the previous ODE by 7.4 for 45.4 thus bettering her father David - who opted to drive Heidi in the first two phases of Open Pony – by 1.93 penalties. David Rockall Evie Rockall Jon and Sandra White were in classes of their own, with Jon coming through in  Novice Horse while Sandra, despite suffering her ‘worst cones score ever!’, took the  Small Equine class. Matt Illston-Barsley took the Gateway Allcomers class with his  coloured pair of rescue ponies while his wife Hannah came out top in the Gateway  Newcomers...

 A mixed bag of competitors enjoyed the excellent going at Anslow, Derbyshire, Midlands Carriagedriving’s venue for its first seasonal One-Day Event (10 May). Ranging from an aspiring British Young Driver to mini-ponies and from nervous novices to the more experienced, the course lends itself to cover all aspects of driving trials. In the Novice Horse class, Abigail Hutchinson’s eye-catching grey was one of only two throughout the day to have just one cone down in the second phase – there were no double clears in what was a flowing, but occasionally tight, course – and followed that up with some fast obstacle times to head the class despite lying fourth after dressage. Miriam Parker was second after a bit of a cricket score in cones with Joanne Pitts in third. Achieving the best dressage score of the day on 52.69, Julie Down elected to only do the first phase and cones. Abigail Hutchinson Miriam Parker Joanne Pitts Julie Downs Aspir...

The popular One-Day Event series of competitions, hosted by Midlands Carriagedriving at Anslow, Derbyshire, is about to begin its 2026 season. Starting on 10 th May and running on 21 st June, 12 th July, 9 th August and 27 th September (all Sundays) there is something for everyone. A bonus this year is that competitors wishing to move on to national competitions can now have their Competence Card signed on completion of an event at Anslow. There is a range of classes including VSE and SE as well as Gateway, Novice and Open and from Singles to Combinations. Competitors can select a dressage test of their choice from the BC current tests or the ICD Precision & Paces test. The cones course and obstacles are situated within easy reach of the dressage arena; the water crossing between obstacles 3 and 4 has been much improved over the winter by organiser Paul Hart. Schedule details are available on the club’s website www.midlandscarriagedriving.co.uk/even...

 Long-time stalwarts of Midlands Carriagedriving, Geoff and Sue Kirby recently celebrated 60 years of marriage with a party for family and friends in their home village of Overseal, Derbyshire. The couple are well-known in the driving trials fraternity with Geoff having competed for many years – winning the Open Horse National Championship at the tender age of 75 with Peggy in 2015 – with Sue acting as groom and their son-in-law John Corby as backstepper. Their three daughters, Alison, Nicola and Fiona, plus five granddaughters were all in attendance with Alison, Nicola and Fiona providing an amusing insight into Kirby family life, much of it centred around equestrian activities from Pony Club and Riding Club to carriage driving.

 Midlands Carriagedriving’s one-day event at Anslow on Sunday 17 August saw some new stars in the making and fresh faces, along with the more experienced, enjoying the venue’s excellent facilities. Mary Fuller’s eye-catching six-year-old gelding, Bubbles, was making his first appearance in public, having only been broken to harness four weeks earlier. The horse has the makings of a real competition contender as he lapped up Best Dressage of the Day and put up some good times in the four obstacles, showing an enthusiasm beyond his experience. The ’best part’ is that Bubbles is a rescue horse, abandoned as a two-day old foal and bottle-fed, Mary discovered him when he was a bone-racked yearling, so weak he had to be lifted into the trailer – and now he’s repaying Mary in spades. Mary Jane Campbell brought along her two novice pony Hackneys which are quite competed in the Gateway Allcomers class at Onley and continued his education at Anslow while the darker bay looks to have a bright...

It was all systems go for the organisers of Midlands Carriagedriving’s two-day event held at Onley Grounds in Warwickshire from 26 to 27 July. Strong entries across many of the 23 classes catered for – including the British Young Drivers’ Championships - put on an excellent show.   British Young Drivers Championships It was a close finish in Class E: (Horse and Pony) 6-16 years with Rudolf (Rudi) Krikorian taking the spoils with his delightful coloured pony by just over three penalties from Etienne Kember. While Henry Hyde-Chambers (Class A: (Pony) 8-14 years) held on to win by less than five penalties it was nip and tuck between Lacey Llewellyn and Isla Cooper for second and third place. Isla led the class after dressage but had a disastrous cones round, racking up the penalties and, despite a storming best marathon of the class, failed to catch Lacey by 0.47 of a penalty.   Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Sophie Hunt – who both had entries in the National classes –...