past events

Drivers took advantage of a warming trend (above freezing in the afternoon, whohoo!!) to compete at the annual Snowdrift II Arena Driving Trial, held Sunday, February 24, 2008, at Three G Farms Equine Center. Well, some drivers. Participants were limited to PWTWNSIs (People Whose Trailer Was Not Snowed In), along with people whose horses are stabled at Three G Farms. And, of course, most horses had not been driven for weeks, given the lousy weather. But everybody was in the same boat. And, of course, I was in a wheelchair in the office instead of competing. It was not the first event I've scored in a wheelchair in the office!

The event began with dressage, capably judged by Camie Stockhausen of Field Day. Seven drivers and six critters participated: Gene and Katy Rhinehart, both drove Celtic, with Gene driving a prelim test and Katy driving a training test; Jo Schumacher, driving Toby, and Anita Schlosser, driving Baykill Regent, both in training level; Jada Neubauer, driving Kyle Loewe''s Welsh pony, Tiger, at training and GS Thunderboy Henry (Hank) in prelim; and Earl Morris, competing in prelim with Three G San Jose (Joe). When the scores were posted, Gene and Celtic had the best prelim dressage score, at 51.47, and Jada and Tiger had the lowest training-level score, a very respectable 53.16, in Tiger's first three-phase competition.

After the completion of the dressage competitions, two hazards were set up in two of the corners of the indoor arena, one consisting of large white barrels, and the other of barrels and PVC-pipe structures. (On Saturday, competitors planned and flagged both the two hazards and the 10-pair cones course. Because both courses needed to be removed to permit the dressage competition, the courses were mapped on a grid of the arena that included lights and rafters, so that, first, the hazards, and then the cones course, could be reconstructed accurately on Sunday).

After the hazards were set up, competitors walked the hazards, grabbed a bowl of soup and/or a sandwich and got their hands and feet warmed up in the office, and got ready to drive right after lunch. Competitors drove each hazard twice by going through the start-finish, set up in the middle of the arena, driving the gates of the first hazard, going back through the start-finish, driving the second hazard, and then going through the start-finish for a third time, when the timers stopped the watches. After a brief break, the driver and horse did the same thing all over again. Penalty points were calculated by adding the two times together and multiplying by .2 (just as penalty points in CDE hazards are calculated at all levels above training).

Posting the fastest times were Jada and Hank (why are we not surprised?? That combination has been cleaning up in the marathon at CDEs in 2007). Christie Loiacono and Randy Farwell accompanied by Sarah, 8, and Ben, 20 months, came to watch. And Christie wound up riding on the back of Gene's carriage, as he and Celtic negotiated the hazards. Almost as much fun as driving, Christie reported. With Christie holding down the back wheels, Gene and Celtic posted the second fastest times through the hazards.

The cones course must have been tight (how would I know? I was in the office in my trusty wheelchair!) because none of the competitors made the time in cones. With both Tiger and Hank, Jada had no balls down, but was over time in both runs. Posting the best time through the course was Anita, with her fast Morgan pretzel, Rege. That turnout was only 8 seconds over, but she had two balls down.

When final scores were posted around 2:30 (when the temperature was finally above 32 degrees!), Gene and Celtic had the best score among prelim entries (and of the day), with a total score of 82.01. They were followed closely by Jada and Hank, at 84.82. Among the training-level competitors, Jada and Tiger were first, with a score of 86.22, and Anita and Rege were second, with a total of 100.38.

Even though people got cold toes and fingers, it was fun to drive, after what seems like the Winter that Will Not Quit. And it was fun to see and visit with other drivers again. Good thing we got the event in on Sunday . . . the next day we were back to blizzard conditions!

Games Galore

So one day shortly after the Harvest Moon Carriage Classic, we were doing the usual things in the barn: cleaning stalls, training horses, arranging tack, cleaning out the trailer. And Jada said, "We always have so much fun in cones and cross country. We ought to have a day that is just the fun stuff!" And so the idea for Games Galore was born! A day when people could bring their horses and carriages, harness and hitch, and do the "fun stuff": cones courses, gambler's choice, and a marathon pace. Drivers drove three events before noon:

Numbered Cones: 10 pairs of cones that were to be driven in order, 1-10.

Gambler's Choice: six obstacles with varying degrees of difficulty, each assigned a number of points. Drivers had 2 minutes to accumulate the highest number of points.

Cone Weaving: 6 cones, set in a straight line, 20 feet apart. After going through the starting gate, the driver went to the far end of the line of cones, turned and wove through the 6 cones, turned around and wove through them again, and finally turned and headed for the entrance.

At noon, the numbered cones course was turned into the double jeopardy course by changing the numbers on the cones, and drivers drove three events in the afternoon:

Pick Your Route: 10 pairs of cones in which the driver chose his or her own route through each pair once and only once;

Marathon Pace: a marked course 2 km in length, with a target time for completing the course based on the size of the pony. Every second over or under the target time was one penalty point.

Double Jeopardy: 10 pairs of cones, numbered 1-10. One driver drove the route in numerical order, then handed the reins and whip to his or her passenger, who drove back through the cones in reverse numerical order.

Because we dreamed up the idea for Games Galore sometime in the last half of September, participants only had about 10 days' notice. So we were absolutely delighted that 15 people came to play! The weather forecast for the day was good . . . until the night before . . . when the forecast changed to light rain and mist for the day. So we got a little miserable during the events (and the people timing and scoring got a LOT miserable, but they stuck it out!)

Otherwise, it was a really fun day for everybody involved. And, except for driving safely, there were no rules. If people wanted to drive a course more than once, that was allowed, as was having more than one driver per horse. (None of the courses was long nor difficult enough to tax a reasonably fit horse!)

The favorite event of the day was double jeopardy, which is harder than it looks, in part because the person driving the course in reverse has to remember that WHITE is on the right on the way back. The person who may have enjoyed double jeopardy the most was Katy Rhinehart. Gene and Katy brought two ponies, Celtic, Gene's Appaloosa-Friesian competition pony, and Katy's new pony, an Amish-trained Hackney. Gene drove the new pony around to get him used to other horses and activities, but did not compete with him. So Katy specialized in driving the second half of double jeopardy. She partnered with Randy Farwell, Edna Oakley, and Christie Loiacono in double jeopardy.

Jo Schumacher partnered with Gene Rhinehart for her official double jeopardy run.

Jo and Jake were not the only mother-son team to drive the course. Two other pairs of competitors in double jeopardy also were mother-son teams, Denise Loewe and son, Kyle, teamed up to drive Daisy.

Julie Stancliffe and son Ethan ran the course with Peco. All three of the boys really enjoyed taking the reins! In fact, Julie complained that Ethan drove the course clear; she had a ball down!

Jim Block with his three Morgans, Jodee, Nikki, and July, hitched three abreast, partnered with Earl Morris, driving his Welsh pair, Dusty and Frosty. Earl said afterward it was amazing to see how the three horses squeezed together to get through the cones. Sort of like they seemed to know that they needed to do that to avoid knocking cones down.

Brian Morris, driving Eleanor Eagly's pony, Winnie, had a passenger for most of the event: Jared Winter, Mary's grandnephew, visiting for the weekend from Lewisville, Texas. His sister, Lauren, rode with Mary for most of the events. Then she found out they are allergic to horses. WHOOPS!

For double jeopardy, however, Brian and Winnie paired with Mary Winter driving Kevyn, and with Jada Neubauer, driving GS Thunderboy Henry (Hank).

The other "favorite" was the marathon pace. Mary Winter headed out first, to check out the markings. The first loop of the course circled the double jeopardy course. Kevyn decided that he had Given In the Morning, and so took a quick left turn toward the barn . . . right over one of the pairs of cones on the cones course!! Great, a ball down on the double jeopardy course when it was not even the course she was driving! Mary came back from the marathon, asked Denise Loewe to unhitch and unbridle Kevyn and tie him in his stall, and headed back out in the Gator with Brian to put up a few arrows on the course so people would not miss the hayfield loops. Jim Block with his three Morgans, turned in the fastest time on the course. They just flew . . . and then discovered that it was a pace, so the winner was the one closest to the ideal time, not the fastest time!

Ribbons, made by Jada and her two kids, Xavier (aged 4) and Molly (2), were awarded to the winners of each class and the overall champion for the day.

When the final scores were tallied, it was clear that Jada Neubauer, driving Hank, who can trot faster than most horses can canter, was the one to beat. They took first in cone weaving, numbered cones, pick your route, and double jeopardy. Marcia Petersen and her Hackney pony, Dixie, were close on her heels, with first place in the marathon pace, third place in cone weaving and pick your route, and fourth in double jeopardy, with Marcia's daughter, Maureen, a dressage rider, driving Dixie for the second or third time ever on the second half of the double jeopardy course.

Placing second in the marathon pace was Julie Stancliffe driving her Welsh pony, Peco.

Randy Farwell and Big Al won gambler's choice, helped on no small measure by being able to back up and knock down the bar, worth 100 points, not once, but twice!

Edna Oakley, driving her Morgan, Jake, and Jim Block with his three-abreast Morgans placed second and third, respectively in that event.

The demands for judges and timers at an event like this is minimal . . . two people for each course. We originally thought that we would be able to manage the day if competitors, when not driving, would keep score or time. That was just not practical, so we were very grateful to Anita Schlosser, Nancy Block, Fred Oakley, Matt Neubauer, Tad Morris, Jake Arrowsmith, and Sarah Briggs for timing and scoring the cones courses. Mickey Hansen and her dad, Bob, brought their young Percheron, Hot Rod, for him to experience an event. The morning courses proved enough for him, so in the afternoon, Mickey and Bob served as scorers for the marathon pace. The day went smoothly because of the efforts of all of those folks.

In all, a really fun event that will be on the schedule a whole lot earlier next year, so people can plan for it!

Fifth Annual Skunk River Driving Trial June 23-24

When Jim Block from Minong, Wisconsin, left Interstate 35 and saw the white-barrel-and-pipe-structure obstacle on the way to the 2007 Skunk River Driving Trial, he turned to his wife, Nancy, and said, "We may as well go home now. We’ll never get through that hazard!" Fortunately, Jim, driving his three Morgans as a unicorn did not have to go through The Hayfield. It was the VSE-only obstacle, one of the two new hazards featured at the 5^th Annual SRDT. The new hazards, constructed by hardworking members of the Best of Iowa in Traces Society (BITS), were just one of the new features that greeted competitors.

Another change was the adoption of a two-day format rather than a one-day event, a change prompted by a large increase in the number of entries in 2006, an increase sustained in 2007. Thirty-two competitors from six states began arriving and settling in on Thursday, June 21^st. They were treated to a welcoming pizza party Friday evening, drove dressage and cones on Saturday, the 23rd, the 6-kilometer marathon on Sunday, the 24^th, and were on their way home by 3:00 in the afternoon.

The event began with a bang. Literally. Competitors were greeted by a violent thunderstorm Friday afternoon, the leading edge of the weather system that prompted Judge Mickie Bowen’s plane to be diverted to Cedar Rapids. Matt Neubauer, waiting to pick her up in Des Moines, spent the better part of two hours in one of the men’s rooms at the airport, the designated safe place during a tornado. He said it was interesting . . . everybody in his crowded shelter was male; he suspected that the occupants of the women’s rooms were all female (although he did not know for sure!) There was good reason for airport management personnel to direct folks to shelter: a tornado destroyed homes in Norwalk, less than five miles from the airport. Mickie’s plane finally landed, and she and Matt made it to Three G Farms around 8 PM.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used w ith permission.

Fortunately, Technical Delegate Linda Viani, could (and did!) drive to Three G Farms, the venue for the event.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission

Training-level single ponies was the largest class, with twelve entries. Winning first place in that class, and the overall training level championship, was Christie Loiacono, Boone, IA, driving her Welsh pony, SL Rey. Christie and Rey had the best training-level dressage score, 47.25, and completed both cones and the marathon with no penalties. Christie also won the ribbon for best training level cones, awarded to the competitor going double-clear with the fastest time.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Tied for second in training-level ponies, with an overall score of 56.25, were Pat Ketterer, Lincoln, NE, driving her new Morgan, Drowsy Mountain Trace, and Jo Arrowsmith, Boone, IA, driving her Shetland cross, Jane. The second-place ribbon went to Pat, based on her lower dressage score.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Close on Christie’s heels for the training level championship (only .75 separated their two scores!) was her husband, Randy Farwell, who drove Big Al to first place in the VSE class. Like Christie, Randy and Big Al held their dressage score (48) through cones and the marathon. Randy also won the award for the highest placing among first-time competitors.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission

Coming in second in the VSE class was Gail Thomas, Oskaloosa, KS, driving Southern Sam.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Joe Boeser, Young America, MN, driving Elmer, a dapple gray Percheron-Haflinger cross, took home the first-place ribbon in the training-level single horse class. Joe and his navigator wowed the hazard observers on Sunday with their marathon attire, gray tee-shirts tie-dyed to match Elmer.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Second place in training-level horses went to Debra Moser, Garber, IA, driving her palomino Morgan, Ken, in their first-ever Driving Trial.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Jim Block’s unicorn of three Morgans, Nikki, July, and Jodee, won first place among training multiples. As could be expected, they were one of the favorites among dressage and cones spectators and hazard observers.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

The other entry in the training-level multiples class was Theresa Adams, Rockton, Illinois, driving a pair of 4-year-old black Morgans, Bar Nothing Acis and Bar Nothing Anon.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Another crowd favorite was Julie Dahlberg, Solon Springs, Wisconsin, driving Bess and Rowdy, Morgan crosses, as a tandem in preliminary multiples. That a unicorn or a tandem can negotiate tight turns always seems like an act of faith!

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Julie and the tandem had the best dressage score of the prelim multiples, a very respectable 48.29. Their competitors in that class, Linda Sadler, Fithian, IL and Erin Freese, Monticello, MN, caught them in cones and the marathon, however. Linda, driving her Morgan pair, Barnum and Bailey, finished in first place in that class, and Erin, driving her Welsh ponies, Youngs Black Eagle Feather and Crazy Quilt Hocus Pocus, finished second.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

The best dressage score of the day (37.2) was earned by Paul Degen, Mason City, IA, driving Tilly, a Fjord mare, in the preliminary single pony class. Paul took home his second chair as the overall prelim champion. It matches the one he won last year!

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Barbara Kirby, Overland Park, Kansas, with Nova, her Welsh cross mare, had the best prelim cones run of the day.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Barbara Simmons, Bellevue, NE, with her young Morgan, Ace, placed first in the preliminary single horse class. She also won the ribbon for best prelim marathon, with 42.49 penalties in that competition, and took home the High Point Morgan award, donated by the American Morgan Horse Association.

Photo by Derith Vogt. Used with permission.

Grace Ostien, Elk River, driving Dancer, her Quarterhorse mare, took second among prelim horses.

The new hazards made the course more interesting, even for repeat competitors and the two-day format made it easier to manage for the organizers. Friday’s rain left one part of the marathon course pretty soft, but still negotiable. And after Friday, the weather could not have been better: partly cloudy, highs in the mid 80s, not the high 90s originally predicted for Sunday. As Mark Dahlberg said, "I’m glad the weather people in Iowa can be just as mistaken as those in northern Wisconsin!" All in all, another great event!

CDE camp April 22-24, 2005

As April weather goes, the weather enjoyed by participants in the CDE camp at Three G Farms, Ames, Iowa, April 22-24, 2005, could have been worse. And, in fact, most years it has been worse. The camp, begun in 2002, gives drivers who are new to CDE competitions an opportunity to learn the ropes in a relatively relaxed setting. This year there were thirteen participants. For seven of them, the April camp was the first taste of a CDE competition, an indication of the growing interest in driving in Iowa.

Rain Friday morning drove clinician Robin Groves, Brownsville, Vermont, into the indoor arena for the participants' private dressage lessons. Performing Training Level test 3 in a smaller space was a challenge to all but the two minis. In spite of wind gusts up to 40 miles per hour, cones and hazard practice were held outside on Saturday. Sunday dawned cold, clear, and relatively calm, fine weather for the practice Horse Driving Trial (HDT) with a 2-km-3-hazard marathon. The three dozen oranges found their way to the breakfast table instead of the tops of the cones, where the customary tennis balls could be used!

The four divisions of the HDT were: training level single pony, training level single horse, training level VSE (very small equine), and preliminary single pony. To noone's surprise, Paul Degen, Mason City, IA, with his Fjord mare, Tilly, was first in the preliminary single pony competition. Paul also posted the best dressage score of the day.

Paul Degen and Tilly warm up before their dressage test. Photo by Patty Sayen.

Paul and his wife, Sally Overturf, make the turn from B to C in the orchard hazard. Photo by Patty Sayen.

The other competitor in prelim was Earl Morris with his Trottingbred pony, Thunderboy Henry.

With Brian keeping the back wheels on the ground, Earl and Hank head for gate C in the orchard hazard. (Photo by Patty Sayen)

After successfully completing gate C, they head for gate D and out! (Photo by Patty Sayen)

Jacklyn Smith, Brighton, Iowa, driving her Morgan gelding, Jonathon, won the training single pony competition. She was bested in the dressage competition by Mickey Hansen of Cedar Rapids, driving a Haflinger mare, but made up the difference in cones and the marathon. Mickey, who drove a 48.38 dressage test, was awarded a subscription to Carriage Driving World for the best training-level dressage test. Other participants in training level single pony were Eleanor Eagly, Ames, IA, Tish Pasqual, St. Paul, MN, Barb Schwarz, Des Moines, IA, and Brian Thompson, Williamsburg, IA.

Brian Thompson and his Fjord pony perform their dressage test. Note the traditional Norwegian harness. (Photo by Patty Sayen).

Brian, with wife/navigator Mary practice in the orchard hazard. (Photo by Patty Sayen).

Barb Schwarz (hidden behind Connie Heinkel!) drives her draft pony in her dressage test. Photo by Patty Sayen.

There were three training-level horses, all newcomers to CDE's: Sheryl Stillions, Cedar Rapids, driving Megan, a Fresian-Standardbred cross, Katy Rhinehart, Ferguson, Iowa, driving Gentry, a quarter horse, and Edna Oakley, Clear Lake, Iowa, driving Jake, a Morgan gelding. When the dust settled, Katy was the only one who went through all gates on the marathon course in the correct order, and so was declared the winner of the training single horse division.

Katy Rhinehart, driving Gentry, with husband/navigator Gene, approaches the final hazard in Sunday's HDT. (Photo by Patty Sayen)

Cheryl Stillions with husband Steve on the back step, heads out of the orchard hazard. Photo by Patty Sayen.

The VSE class had two competitors, a mother and daughter, Pam Ripperda and Patty Sayen from Nevada, Iowa. Mother Pam was driving a relatively young horse new to competitions, so it was no surprise that the daughter was the victor in that class.

Patty Sayen and her mini perform the dressage test. (Photo by Pam Ripperda)

Pam Ripperda and her mini drive the cones course. (Photo by Patty Sayen)

Patty Sayen heads to gate C in the pillars-and-posts hazard. Not a great picture of Patty; a better one of the hazard! (Photo by Pam Ripperda)

All participants learned a lot: how to walk a dressage test, when and how to salute, how important planning is in driving a cones course, how to rate speed on a marathon, to mention only a few. From the viewpoint of the clinician and the organizers, the fact everybody thought safety first was the best part of the weekend. Dressage lessons, work in groups in cones and hazards, and the unofficial HDT went off smoothly and safely. To join the group next year, watch the website early in 20o6 for an announcement of the dates of the 2006 clinic, usually one of the last weekends in April.

Second Annual SKUNK RIVER HORSE DRIVING TRIAL JUNE 27, 2004, AT THREE G FARMS

The Second Annual Skunk River Horse Driving Trial is history. The event, sponsored by Best of Iowa in Traces Society (BITS) and sanctioned by the American Driving Society, is the only member of the family of Combined Driving Events (CDEs) offered in Iowa. A Horse Driving Trial (HDT) is a one-day version of a CDE. The same horse and its driver compete in three very different competitions: driven dressage, obstacles (up to 20 pairs of cones in a specified pattern that must be driven within a specified period of time without knocking off any of the balls on top of the cones), and a marathon that features hazards whose gates must be driven in an specific order. The difference between an HDT and a CDE is the length of the marathon. A CDE marathon has at least three sections, with the hazards included in the last section. An HDT includes only the last section, and so can be offered on one day instead of two or three days.

Seventeen competitors from six states began arriving at Three G Farms Equine Center northeast of Ames, IA, on Friday, June 25. By noon on Saturday, all drivers and their ponies had arrived. Following an orientation to Combined Driving Events and Horse Driving Trials, led by Technical Delegate Barbara Haertlein, Lebanon, New Jersey, and Judge Linda Courtney, Alvin, Texas, competitors walked the courses, taking care to plan their routes through the five hazards.

A short rain shower during the competitors’ Iowa chop dinner on Saturday was just the right amount of moisture needed to give the courses excellent footing. Dressage tests began at 8:00 A.M. on Sunday, June 27, with the training level single horses going first. Grace Ostein, Elk River, Minnesota, driving her 15-year-old quarter horse mare, Dancer, posted the best score in dressage of the day, with a 42.90. Stephanie West, Papillion, Nebraska, driving Spike, a 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding, posted a score of 48.61 for second place, and Matt Kautz, Big Lake, Minnesota, was in third place, drivng Sports Model Mike, a 6-year-old Paint to a score of 51.47.

The nine training-level single horses were followed by four training-level ponies. Sally Overturf, Mason City, Iowa, placed first in that group in dressage with her 12-year-old Shetland gelding, Taz, with a score of 50.04. The final dressage tests of the morning were driven by the four preliminary-level single ponies. In that group, Michael Scott, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, driving Miss Naveta, a 9-year-old Fjord mare, placed first in dressage, with a score of 50.24.

Drivers went immediately to the tough cones course put together by course designed Jane Hommel. Evidence of its difficulty was the fact that only one turnout went double clear. Pam Ripperda, Nevada, Iowa, driving SR Desert Sun, a miniature horse, negotiated the 19 pairs of cones in the time allotted without killing a cone or even knocking off a ball. Sally Overturf and Taz and Erin Freese, Monticello, Minnesota, driving her 15-year-old Welsh stallion, Ted, both in the training-level single pony class, and Michael Scott with Miss Naveta and Paul Degen, Mason City, Iowa, driving Tilly, a 6-year-old Fjord mare, both with preliminary-level ponies, were within the time limit and had only one ball down.

The first competitor, Mary Loy Brown from Liberty, Missouri, driving Chance, a 5-year-old Morgan gelding, was on the 5-kilometer marathon course early in the afternoon. The course, laid out on the hills and valleys of the Skunk River watershed, wound around farm fields and through pastures and woods. It included a long gradual downhill stretch and a short, steep climb back up to the top. There was even a small stream to be crossed, thanks to the wet Iowa spring. The five hazards, all on the top of the hill, were challenging. Three of them were natural hazards formed by trees and bushes; the remaining two were constructed, one of white 55-gallon drums flying red and black and white flags, and the other of 10-foot high PVC pipes arranged more or less in a circle.

Training-level single horse competitors Pam Catlin, Galena, Illinois, driving Titan, a 9-year-old Morgan-Percheron cross, and Steve Waddell, Buffalo, Minnesota, driving Addy, a Friesian cross, came through the marathon penalty-free, as did Sally Overturf and Taz in the training-level single ponies. Pat Ketterer, Lincoln, Nebraska, with her 13-year-old Welsh pony, Nick, posted the best score among the prelim ponies, with 35.74 total penalty points, followed by Paul Degen and Tilly, with 39.16.

Taking home the first place ribbon for training-level single horse were Pam Catlin and Titan; Steve Waddell and Addy were second, followed by Matt Kautz with Mike. Sally Overturf and Taz won the training-level single pony class, with Erin Freese and Ted in second, and Russell Schurtz, Mason City, Iowa, driving Buster, a 9-year-old Haflinger, in third. The top three places in the preliminary single pony class were Michael Scott, first, Pat Ketterer, second, and Paul Degen, third.

Drivers were congratulated by the veterinarian, Dr. Linda S. Thompson, for their well-conditioned horses, and by the officials for safe driving. Most were on their way home by 4:00 P.M. on Sunday. The cones, lent by the Eastern Nebraska Driving Society, went home with Pat Ketterer immediately after the event. The arena rails, property of the Iowa Morgan Horse Association, were stowed the following Saturday, ready for use at the Harvest Moon Carriage Classic in September. Pam Ripperda and junior miniature horse drivers Patty Saydel, Gabbie Lassen, and Travis Kerr, all from Nevada, Iowa, spent a morning the following week picking up the marathon course markings. Kids with young knees hopping in and out of pickups, picking up gate markers, kilometer markers, directional arrows, and hazard markers, made a tedious task look easy and fun. And getting the course markers up in a timely fashion meant that only three will need to be replaced next year, victims of the appetites of the neighborhood deer population.

The event was judged by the competitors, the officials, and the army of volunteers as a success. Plans are already being made for the Annual Skunk River Horse Driving Trial in 2005.

Third Annual Skunk River Horse Driving Trial June 26, 2005

The Third Annual Skunk River Horse Driving Trial, held at Three G Farms June 26, attracted participants from seven states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and, of course, Iowa. The eighteen competitors were entered in three divisions: Training Level Single Horse, Training Level Single Pony, and Preliminary Single Pony. Each of the pony divisions had two competitors; Training Level Single Horse featured a cast of thousands (okay, 14). Two TSH competitors, Deb Knoll, Dallas Center, Iowa, driving Torger’s Special Kay, and Anita Schlosser, Ames, Iowa, driving Baykill Regent, completed the combined test (dressage and cones); the remainder competed in the marathon, as well.

When the dust settled (literally!), BITS member Barbara Simmons from Bellevue, Nebraska, won the highly competitive TSH competition with her young Morgan, Ace. Placing second was Marjean McIntyre, Eagle, Nebraska, also driving Morgan, Finally Found Him. Grace Ostein, Elk River, Minnesota, and Dancer, a Quarterhorse, won third, followed by Mary Loy Brown, Liberty, Missouri, and her Morgan, Excalibur’s Second Chance, Sue West, Woodstock, Illinois, also with a Morgan, Dancastle Kalua and Cream, and another Morgan, Montebello Diva, driven by Eugene Mathes, Colchester, Illinois.

Winning Training Level Single Pony was Joe Boeser from Young America, Minnesota, with his Haflinger mare, Lady. The other TSP, Little Bits editor Mickey Hansen, withdrew before the competition began. BITS president Paul Degen, Mason City, Iowa, won the blue ribbon in Preliminary Single Pony with Tilly, a Fjord mare. Paul took home the ribbons (complements of BITS member Pat Ketterer) and awards (complements of Robin Groves, Brownsville, Vermont and BITS members Gene and Katy Rhinehart) for best prelim dressage, overall cones (fastest time and clear), marathon, and (no surprise!) the special ribbon for best overall prelim performance. Competing against Paul in PSP was Erin Freese with Ted, a Welsh stallion. Erin’s navigator, husband Rick, entertained the hazard observers by yelling "117 and we’re lean and mean," as they entered the hazard, so there would be no doubt about their number!

Winning best training-level dressage was Lisbeth Bengtsson, River Falls, Wisconsin, with her Friesian gelding, Wilko, with the almost-unheard-of score of 29.97. Those of us stuck in the office would have loved to have seen that test! Like the award for best preliminary dressage, her award also was provided by Robin Groves. The ribbon for best training-level marathon was awarded to the competitor coming in closest to the exact middle of the window. That award also was won by Barbara Simmons, Bellevue, Nebraska, as was the ribbon for best overall training-level score.

For the third year in a row, there was good weather and a safe event, thanks to Judge Tom Hilgenberg and Technical Delegate Vic Vickroy. Dr. Linda S. Thompson of the Iowa State University Veterinary Medicine Field Staff served as official veterinarian, and Linda Bodensteiner, Nevada, Iowa, a Registered Nurse, was the on-site medical attendant.

BITS members volunteering for the event were Pat Ketterer and Pat Werts, both from Nebraska, Ann and Russ Schurtz, Edna Oakley, Linda Viani, Sheryl and Steve Stillions, and Debbie Knoll (after completing the combined test), Iowegians all. Doing yeopersons’ work ahead of the event were Jada Neubauer and Brian Morris, co-organizers, and Earl Morris, who designed the courses. Thank, too, to Steve and Sheryl Stillions and Gene and Katy Rhinehart, who came the Sunday before the event, bringing golf carts so I could get around with my broken ankle, and spent the morning flagging hazards, mowing the course, and just generally getting ready for the event.

Snowdrift ADTs I and II

Who would have thought, in October, when we decided to plan Arena Driving Trials (ADTs), that our complaint the last weekend of January, would be that the weekend weather was not as nice as the weather in the week before the ADTs. It was only in the 50s (not the 60s) and there was a little rain. Not a snowdrift in sight, but lots of drivers to enjoy their critters in the dead of winter. Snowdrift I was actually two ADTs, one on Saturday and one on Sunday, with two different dressage tests, two cones courses (actually, only one, it was just reversed for Sunday) and two different hazard configurations and flagging.

Mickey Hansen, Edna Oakley, Jacklyn Smith, Sheryl Stillions, and Brian Thompson participated both days; Anita Schlosser and Gene and Katy Rhinehart participated on Saturday only. Eleanor Eagly and William Feldmann participated on Sunday only. Pat Ketterer, an advanced driver, came from Lincoln to help out; the cones course was improved a lot, thanks to Pat’s tweaking!

Each day began with dressage, capably judged by Camie Stockhausen, of Field Day (www.camstock.net). Following dressage, a cones course was set up in the arena and each competitor first walked the course and then drove the course, trying to make the time allotted and leave all tennis balls on top of the 10 pairs of cones. After a lunch break, two hazards were set up, one on either end of the arena. Competitors walked the hazards, and then drove each hazard once, paused a few minutes while the judge and timers recorded the results, and then drove each hazard again.

Among the things we all remembered from the two days were:

$ Jacklyn Smith’s stunning dressage tests with Jonathon. On Sunday she received a 41 with 9 in one of her long-rein walks.

$ Anita Schlosser and Rege smoking the cones on Saturday, 6 seconds under the allotted time. He can bend like a pretzel!

$ Mickey Hansen and Classy tearing through the hazards on Sunday.

$ Carriages everywhere, as everybody struggled to get hitched in a relatively small area.

$ The way everybody helped everybody else hitch and unhitch carefully and safely.

$ How much those who drove both days improved from Saturday to Sunday

$ The flat-out fun everybody had, including the organizers!

Here are some photos from Snowdrift I, thanks to Steve Stillions. Because he did not want to scare/annoy/freak out the horses, Steve did not use a flash. But the essentials of the image are still clear!

Could we do this again? Well, why not? There was nothing planned at Three G in February; pick a weekend and we can do it again. Mickey Hansen polled the group, and it was a toss-up between February 18-19 and 25-26. By the time the dates had been settled, bitter cold was predicted for the 18^th and 19^th , so Snowdrift II was held February 25-26, with a slightly different format.

On Saturday, each participant practiced his or her dressage test in the arena in the morning, with suggestions from the others for improving particular portions. After potluck lunch, participants were divided into two groups, one group to design a 10-pair cones course and the other group to design two hazards. We walked the cones course, and then each of us drove it several times. We did some tweaking (“the turn from pair 1 to pair 2 is murder for a big horse . . . can we change the angle of pair 2?”) and drew a map so we could reproduce the course the next day. The cones course was cleared, the hazards set up, and we repeated the process: walking the hazards and then driving them, trying and timing different routes. We finally finished Saturday around 6:00 P.M.

Sunday we had an Arena Driving Trial, with dressage again judged by Camie Stockhausen, who noted the great improvement in tests of those that she scored in January. Then we set up the cones course, and each of us drove it twice, with the best run “counting.” After another potluck lunch, we set up the hazards and drove each hazard twice. One thing we learned is how hard it is to reproduce a cones course and hazard setup without precise measurements (a note for the Second Annual Snowdrift series . . . )

Things we all remembered from Snowdrift II:

$ Randy Farwell driving Big Al, a mini who is all of, maybe, 40 inches tall. Randy announced to all of us (including the dressage judge!) that he was “here for the cones,” which he smoked, of course.

$ Christie Loiacono, new owner of SL Rey, winning all three competitions handily.

$ Marcia Petersen and Jada Neubauer whose Hackney ponies did so well for their very first time at any event like this . . . all those people, all those horses, all those funny things in the arena . . .

$ Katy Rhinehart’s second long-rein walk with Gentry.

$ The natural grace of the gaits of Gene Rhinehart’s Celtic.

$ The danger that there might not be enough food if you have potluck lunches.

$ The way everybody helped everybody else hitch and unhitch carefully and safely.

$ The flat-out fun everybody had, including the organizers!

An added bonus for the Three G folks was that we could participate, as well, which was great. Snowdrift ADTs will be on the calendar for winter, 2007, probably like Snowdrift II, with one day for practice and the second for scoring.

CDE Camp April 21-23

Eleven participants attended the FIFTH ANNUAL CDE camp that was held April 21-24, 2006 at Three G Farms. And, for the very first time, we had decent weather for the whole weekend: sunny, warm, breezy. Our clinician for the weekend was Kathy Palmer from Plattsmouth, Nebraska, an experienced CDE competitor and teacher. Kathy arrived Thursday afternoon, carrying with her a bundle of marking flags. The first thing she did was use the flags to mark 40-meter circles, one on each end of the 40 x 80 meter dressage arena, because, according to Kathy, 40-meter circles are the very hardest to drive accurately. Friday each participant had a 45-minute dressage lesson with Kathy, which began by the participant driving the test (Training Test 3), with a scribe recording Kathy's comments and scores on each movement. She worked with each participant individually, for most of the time period. The lessonc ended with a second drive of the test, which was also scored. Comparison of the two scores indicated lots of improvement for each participant.

Saturday began in the indoor arena in front of the white board, where Kathy and Mary explained the concept of the apex in cones driving, which is the point where the center lines between two pairs of cones intersect. That point is where the driver has to turn after the first pair of cones to be straight for the next pair of cones. Then Kathy walked the cones course with the participants before they broke up into groups of 3 or 4 to drive the course. Participants not in the group driving took turns timing the drivers, who drove the course until each was comfortable with the pattern.

After a lunch break, a course walk of the 2km marathon course was done from a hay rack pulled by a tractor. After that, again in groups of three or four, drivers tried different routes through the three hazards. "What if I went to the right after gate A? Would that be faster then going left and around the tree?" Kathy offered advice on routes, and timed participants as they drove each hazard. She also emphasized that they should take full advantage of the opportunity to practice driving both hazards and cones ahead of time, opportunities that are NOT available at a CDE or HDT.

Sunday we put it all together with a Horse Driving Trial that began with each competitor performing their dressage test again, this time for a score. Immediately after their dressage test, participants drove the 12-pair cones course. After a short break for lunch, horse, driver, and navigator drove the 2-kilometer, three-hazard marathon. The event was scored just like a CDE, so participants could gain experience with CDE scoring (which only a mathematician can really love!)

Okay, it was sunny, but not all that warm. Gene Rhinehart and his 4-year-old Friesian-Appaloosa cross, Celtic, raised and trained by Gene, enjoy the warmth of the sun on the cones course. When the dust cleared, Gene and Celtic posted an unheard-of 40.20 dressage score. They posted the best times in the hazards, as well, but Celtic did not like the cones course on Sunday. Photo by Eleanor Eagly.

Katy Rhinehart and Gentry, her quarter horse, negotiating the cones course, where they encountered a tree-climbing wood chuck! Photo by Eleanor Eagly.

Deb Moser and Ken, a palomino Morgan, pose for photographer Eleanor Eagly on the cones course.

Randy Farwell and Sunny, a quarter horse, on dressage day. Randy and Sunny took dressage lessons with Kathy, but he brought Big Al, a mini, for the Horse Driving Trial. Photo by Eleanor Eagly.

Sheyl Stillions and Megan, a Friesian cross, waiting their turn at cones. Photo by Eleanor Eagly.

BITS Distance Driving Clinic and Novice Drive May 21, 2006

Competitive or distance driving, in which competitors negotiate marked trails within a specified amount of time, is a relatively new sport in the Midwest. With most competitions in the 10 to 25-mile range, each event offers drivers lots of opportunity to enjoy their favorite horse, or pair of horses, while touring trails through the scenic countryside. Scoring for distance driving is based on the fitness of the horse with vet checks before and after each drive to monitor such things as pulse, respiration, hydration, soundness and fatigue. To our knowledge, the BITS Distance Driving Clinic and Novice Drive held May 21, 2006, at Three G Farms northeast of Ames was the first event of this type in Iowa.

Here is competitor Katy Rhinehart's description of the event:

BITS Distance Driving Clinic and Novice Drive

An idea that was started in January became a reality on May 21, 2006. The 1st Annual BITS Distance Driving Clinic and Novice Drive was a huge success. All 20 entrants successfully completed the course and as MDDA says "To Finish is to Win". President of BITS, Mary Winter, welcomed Jac Deweese and Wes Licht, leaders of Midwest Distance Driving Association (MDDA) who had traveled from Wisconsin to help finalize the event. When they inspected the trail they were pleasantly surprised to see how much had been done by the BITS volunteers Gene and Katy Rhinehart, Steve and Sheryl Stillions, Mickey Hansen and her dad, Bob Hansen, Anita and Jim Schlosser, Eleanor Eagly, Earl Morris, and Mary Winter the weekend before. Wes and Jac finished the trail marking with the help of Earl Morris and Gene Rhinehart.

The "Vetting In" process was held on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. All horses passed the watchful eye of Dr. Christie Loiacono and her great help from the ISU vet students and volunteers and we were ready to compete. Unfortunately Jacklyn Smith, who had organized the agenda for the morning distance driving clinic, couldn’t attend due to illness but Steve Stillions put together the clinic materials into a special notebook for everyone. Speakers from BITS and MDDA shared lots of information about the sport of distance driving, all "without a hitch." The schedule for the afternoon "order of go" and the trail description completed our morning clinic. Sheryl Stillions reported that enough door prizes were donated that every paid driver and clinic auditor were able to receive one. Deb Moser, Edna Oakley, Sheryl Stillions, Katy Rhinehart and various other BITS members gave everyone from the clinic a bag of goodies that had been assembled earlier with information about MDDA, BITS, and other groups in Iowa that drive horses. It also contained donated items from a variety of sources. We then broke for lunch where everyone enjoyed sloppy joes, salads, chips and bars.

The first driver Gene Rhinehart completed the "Safety Check" and started the 6-mile course promptly at 1 p.m. to the cheers of the audience and volunteers. This procedure was followed every 5 minutes by another driver until all 20 drivers were out. The course was a beautiful array of prairie meadow, hay fields, forest and wildlife. Baltimore orioles, blue jays, scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings and bluebirds were among some of the colorful creatures seen along the trail. On "the hill" you could hear people calling out "I'm coming down" or "I'm half way up!" as this part of the trail was navigated. It was fun to see other drivers on the route and be able to call out greetings as we passed. Although there were a few driving concerns about spots in the trail, everyone eventually made it to the finish line without incident.

At the awards ceremony a special "thank you" hay bag was given to Dr. Christie for all her help and wheel jacks from Wrightway Trailers were given to Jac and Wes. All competitors received completion ribbons for finishing the course, with their horses passing the final "Vet Check." Paul Degen and Tilly received 1st place with a score of 382 out of a perfect 400 points. The 2nd place went to Sheryl Stillions and Megan with 376, 3rd place was awarded to Edna Oakley and Jake, 4th place was Vicki Fraser from Nebraska and her horse, Joe, and 5th place went to Jada Neubauer and another pony named Joe. There was a tie for 6th with Deb Moser and her horse, Ken, and Katy Rhinehart and Gentry sharing honors. Other competitors were Anita Schlosser, Pat Ketterer, Mickey Hansen, Marjean McIntyre, Brian Morris, Earl Morris, Eleanor Eagly, Debra Knoll, Christy Hemken, Gene Rhinehart, Brian Thompson, Carmella Feldmann, and Mary Winter. You could hear people saying that "Next time, I'll drive it this way or that way," so you know there will be a next time!

A big thank you to 3G Farms for hosting a wonderful event and to all the BITS volunteers and others who donated time, prizes, food and helped make this event safe and fun for everyone.

Fourth Annual Skunk River Horse Driving Trial June 25, 2006

By noon on Saturday, June 24, the alfalfa field (aka parking lot) at Three G Farms looked like a small village, with more than 20 horse trailers, some with sleeping quarters, and some with awnings, tables and chair, the sorts of things horse people surround their trailers with at horse events. They assembled for the Fourth Annual Skunk River Horse Driving Trial, held June 25, 2006. The event, sponsored by the Best of Iowa in Traces Society (BITS), drew more than 60 people from 8 states.

After 15-20 entries each of the previous years, 32 entries were a welcome surprise (and problem) for a one-day event. Doing the math (8-minute dressage tests x 32 participants is more than 4 hours without a break of any kind) meant starting at sunup on Sunday to complete the tests so the marathon could begin at 1:00 P.M. With the approval of Presiding Judge Anne Councill, Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, and Technical Delegate Linda Viani, Charles City, Iowa, competitors were sent an e-mail two weeks before the event asking for volunteers to drive their dressage test on Saturday. And, typical of the spirit of the weekend, 16 competitors offered to go Saturday. The first 12 volunteers were scheduled between 4 and 6 PM, after the course walk and before the Iowa chop dinner.

The volunteers for cone-setting were scheduled for Sunday, not Saturday, so Saturday dressage drivers were scheduled for cones before, after, and during (in the break) the Sunday dressage drivers, who went to the cones course immediately after their dressage test. Because the schedule was so complicated, participants needed to be in sync with the official time, and on time for each event. And, to a participant, they were, which made the event run like clockwork. Cones were done by 11:30, with sufficient time for the volunteers to get lunch, receive training for hazard observation, and get to their hazard. The 5.5 marathon course, designed and mowed by Earl W. Morris, went up, down, and around wooded hills and fields. It included five hazards, three composed of natural elements (The Oaks, The Orchard, and The Cedars), one (Roll Out the Barrels) of eleven white plastic barrels, and another (Pillar to Post) of fifteen PVC pipes mounted on T-posts.

For the first time ever, there were pairs, and not just one pair, but three pairs. Mark Dahlberg, Solon Springs, WI, drove Rowdy and Bess, 13- and 14-year-old bay Morgan crosses in tandem in preliminary.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Erin Freese, Monticello, MN, drove her pair of Welsh ponies, Doncardeb Flashdance Ted, a 17-year-old chestnut stallion, and Youngs Black Eagle Feather, an 8-year-old black gelding, in training level. Erin drove Ted as a single pony in the 2004 and 2005 SRHDTs; this is his first year as a part of a pair.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Also competing with a training level pair was Jim Block, Minong, WI, with July and Nikki, 7- and 11-year-old chestnut Morgans. Erin was the winner of the class, but Jim received the award from the American Morgan Horse Association for high point (or, in our case, low point) Morgan.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Three ponies competed at the preliminary level: Paul Degen, Mason City, IA, with his 8-year-old Fjord mare, Tilly, Barbara Kirby, Overland Park, KS, with Nova, a 6-year-old bay Welsh cross, and Joe Boeser, Young America, MN, driving Lady, a 10-year-old Haflinger. Paul and Tilly posted a 44.33 dressage score, taking home the prize, donated by Robin Groves, Brownsville, VT, for best preliminary-level dressage. Paul and Tilly also won the overall prelim championship, a folding chair with the BITS logo, "Skunk River Horse Driving Trial 2006," and "Preliminary Champion" embroidered on the back.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Two horses competed in the prelim: Grace Ostien, Elk River, MN, and her 17-year-old black Quarterhorse mare, Dancer, and Mary Loy Brown, driving Excalibur’s Second Chance, her 7-year-old bay Morgan gelding. When it was all over, less than 1.5 points separated Grace and Mary Loy, with Grace taking home the first-place ribbon.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

If the number of people competing at training level is any indication, it will not be long before there will be larger preliminary classes. Eleven horses competed at training level and nine ponies were entered at training level, with six completing the event. Paul Kern, Stillwater, MN, drove Wilko, a 7-year-old Friesian gelding, who received a dressage score of 49.75. Paul was awarded a book, also donated by Robin Groves, and a $25 gas certificate, donated by Paul Degen and Sally Overturf, Mason City, IA, for the best training-level dressage score.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Anita Schlosser, Ames, Ia, driving Baykill Regent, a 15-year-old bay Morgan gelding, turned in the only double-clear cones run among the training-level horses, which put her in first place after dressage and cones. Right on her heels was Gene Rhinehart, Ferguson, IA, driving his 4-year-old Friesian cross, Celtic. Anita’s 2.6 points in marathon time penalties were just enough to give the first-place ribbon to Gene and Celtic, with Anita and Rege winning the second.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Others competing in the training level single horse division were Diane Ameter, Roberts, WI, driving Apache, a 5-year-old paint cross gelding; Orphy Beattie, Scandia, MN, driving Stormy, a 21-year-old black Morgan gelding; Carmella Feldmann, Hopkinton, IA, driving Prince, a 13-year-old Morgan; Sheri Haviza, Whitewater, WI, driving Jax, a driving a 9-year-old gray Welsh-Thoroughbred cross; Heather Hough, Oswego, IL, with Marie, a 14-year-old spotted draft mare; Bill Lewis, Springhill, Ks, driving Serenity, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare; Edna Oakley, Clear Lake, IA, driving Jake, an 18-year-old Morgan gelding, and Katy Rhinehart, with Gentry, a 10-year-old Quarterhorse gelding.

The quest for first place in the training-level ponies was equally tight. Brian Morris, Gilbert, IA, driving Christie Loiacono’s 7-year-old chestnut Welsh gelding, SL Rey, turned in the best dressage score, a 54.52. Close behind was Michael Scott, St. Louis Park, MN, driving Kathy and Randy Johnson’s 4-year-old Fjord stallion, WW Reidar, with a score of 55.88. The cones course decided first place for training level single ponies: Michael and Reidar were double clear; Brian and Rey knocked one ball down. Michael and Reidar held their dressage test through the marathon, winning the blue for training level single pony and the overall training level championship, a blue folding chair like the prelim prize.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Other training-level pony drivers competing were Donna Crossman, Lake Mills, WI, driving Little Cloud, a 9-year-old POA gelding; Eleanor Eagly, Ames, IA, with Winnie, a 4-year-old gray American Quarter Pony mare; Mickey Hansen, Mechanicsville, IA, driving Classy, an 8-year-old Haflinger mare; and Pat Ketterer, Lincoln, NE, with her new pony, Diezel, 6.

Although Very Small Equines have competed at the Skunk River in the past, there has never been a special class just for them. This year three training-level VSE drivers participated: Margot Ashley, Hartland, WI, driving BMAS McEve, a 13-year-old chestnut mare, Nancy Brandtjen, Ocnomowoc, WI, driving Silver Palma, an 8-year-old pinto mare, and Gail Thomas, Oskaloosa, KS, driving Southern Sam, a 15-year-old black gelding. The VSEs drove their dressage test in the 40 x 80 meter arena, but had a shortened marathon course: 3+ km with three hazards. Margot and McEve took home the blue ribbon in the class. She also was awarded a coffee mug, donated by Katy and Gene Rhinehart, for the best score among all competitors in the dressage and cones combined.. And Margot received a lovely ceramic box, also donated by Katy and Gene, for the best score by someone entering an HDT or CDE for the first time.

Photo by David and Carla Young. Used with permission.

Other newcomers were awarded subscriptions to Carriage Driving World, compliments of Donna Hornsby, CDW editor, and notecards, also donated by the Rhineharts.

Barbara Simmons, Papillion, NE, was serving as a learner judge this year. She was very helpful, especially in setting and marking the cones course. Dr.Linda S.Thompson, ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, was the official veterinarian for the event. She was joined by several ISU vet students, who helped with the vet check after the marathon. The role of on-site medical professional was filled by Dr. Fred Oakley, Clear Lake, IA. His wife, Edna, was one of the competitors.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THE 2006 SRHDT POSSIBLE!

The ABCs of CDEs

Early last spring, the Older People's Riding Club asked if Three G Farms would host a hands-on clinic about driving. We agreed upon a date, Saturday, August 19, and topics: harnessing and hitching, including information about harness and carriage selection; driven dressage, the opportunity to ride along in cones and hazards; and finally, the opportunity to drive one of our lesson ponies. For a report of the clinic, with GREAT pictures, go to www.geocities.com/brimmk/, and then click on Three G Farms. From Kris' report, the clinic was exactly what they wanted. And we had a blast, too, taking new folks as navigators through hazards, and then letting them get the feel of driving a responsive pony.

Snowdrift ADT II February 25

Not a good year for the Snowdrift Arena Driving Trials I and II. ADT I was cancelled because of the cold. Looking back, we should have gone with the cold . . .

Snowdrift II was scheduled for February 25. It is was the end of a long winter, and we were longing to drive. Not watch videos of horses or previous lessons, not groom horses, not clean harness, but drive. Get in a carriage and drive.

So we were looking forward with great anticipation to the February Snowdrift II Arena Driving Trial at Three G Farms February 24 and 25^th. A week before the event, the long-range weather forecast sounded okay: reasonable temperatures (high 30s) for the weekend, with the possibility of light rain or snow Saturday. Sounds good. As the week progressed, the weather forecast got worse and worse, finally ending in a winter storm watch. The forecast prompted Jacklyn Smith, the competitor who planned to come the farthest, to decide against coming (wise woman!). Gene and Katy Rhinehart, who planned to travel from their barn near Newton, called Friday morning to ask of they could come right after work that day, rather than Saturday. Their stalls in the new barn would not be ready yet, but there were stalls ready in the old barn. Their bed in the spare room was not made up, but that would be easy to fix. Great idea, come on Friday! They arrived around 5, just as the driving rain was beginning. They got their ponies settled, we had dinner, and cleared the table for an evening of card playing.

We awoke Saturday morning to a quarter of an inch of ice over everything. We kept watching the thermometer, hoping that it would rise enough to melt the stuff. Not possible. The Saturday barn help called in, and we said stay where you are. Do not even try to get to work. Finally, the four of us headed for the barns in the 4-wheel-drive vehicle around 8, stopping at each of the four barns to feed and water the critters inside. We each walked gingerly from the vehicle to the barn doors, working hard to avoid falls. Once inside the barn, we looked a little like a NASCAR pit crew . . . each had a job, each did it quickly, and we were back in the Jimmy and on to the next barn. After we got back to the house, we called all of the other participants. We were able to reach everybody except Eleanor Eagly, where we left the same message we had given to everybody else: don’t even try to come!

Too late. I had barely hung up when I looked out to see Eleanor making her way gingerly to the house from her pickup, parked in front of the old barn.

So we settled in for the duration. We had plenty of people food, ditto for horse food. We had unloaded 175 bales of hay in the three barns where we were short on Friday, just before Gene and Katy arrived. Eleanor and Katy brought soup (or makings for soup) for Saturday noon, I had pork roast and salad for Saturday night and soup for Sunday. And we had many decks of cards and many card games in our collective arsenals of Things to Do While Snowbound. Euchre, Railroad Pedro (that’s pronounced "Peedro," which really annoys Earl’s Spanish sensibility!), Push Rummy, Oh, Hell (also known as Screw Your Neighbor), and Whist. An afternoon NASCAR-type event for chores (as the ice piled up and the snow started), this time with 5 people. And back for more card playing. It was clear that Eleanor was going to be spending the night so she settled into the the sofa in the living room.

Sunday morning the 8 inches of new, wet snow made walking a whole lot less dangerous, unless you got right down to the ice (which did not happen often, fortunately). After the pit crew did chores, Gene and Katy and Eleanor and I decided to do something. Gene unloaded his marathon vehicle, which he pulled through the snow while Katy and I pushed. He pulled Katy’s carriage over from the A building, where it was stashed Friday evening ahead of the storm. I led Kev through snow above his knees from the stallion shed to the new barn ("you want me to do what?? Where is this in my contract??"). Celtic and Keeper felt the same way . . . but we made it. We put out 10 pairs of cones in the arena (turns out in a pattern that was almost undriveable) and played Pick Your Route, with Eleanor and Winnie first, followed by Gene and Celtic, Kevyn and me, and then Katy and Keeper. Gene was declared the winner with the fastest time when leaving all cones standing (we did not bother with balls on the top). Thinking we were going to go ahead with the event, Eleanor had etched Snowdrift awards: candy dishes and mugs. So Gene was awarded a mug. Maybe Eleanor can change the "7" to and "8" for next year . . .

We put the horses up ("you mean I have to go back through that stuff???") and headed to the house for lunch. More card playing, followed by chores. By that time, the snow had stopped and 550^th Avenue had enjoyed at least one pass by a snow plow, so Eleanor decided to head for home in her 4 x 4 pickup, and made it safely. She got home in time to welcome friends and their two dogs who were without electricity.

Gene and Katy called their work places to say they would not be in early Monday, and settled in for another night. They were finally able to load up and head home Monday morning after we were pretty well plowed out. And found there was no electricity when they got home. Should have stayed another day or two!

We were among the lucky Iowans who did not lose power, which made the weekend endurable, even fun. If you have to be snowbound, let it be with good people.

And listen, God, when we named the winter Arena Driving Trials at Three G Farms "The Snowdrift ADTs," we did not mean for you to take it literally. Next year we’ll try to be clear about the fact that we are not interested in a foot of snow on the date of the ADT.

CDE Camp April 19-22

The annual Combined Driving Event (CDE) camp, held every April at Three G Farms, is an opportunity for people new to the sport to learn the ropes of this type of event before entering ADS (American Driving Society) competitions throughout the Midwest in the summer and fall. And it is a chance for more experienced drivers to improve their skills in driving dressage, cones, and hazards under the watchful tutelage of a clinician.

The 2007 CDE camp began on Thursday, April 19, with the first dressage lessons for the 16 camp participants. Each 45-minute lesson, held in the 40 x 80 meter outdoor arena, began with the driver performing a dressage test. Then the clincian, Kathy Palmer, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, worked with the driver and pony on individual elements of the test, usually done by riding along with the driver in the lesson. At the end of the lesson, the driver and horse performed their test again. Each test was scored, so the camp participant received early feedback on his or her performance.

After a walk through the 14 pairs of cones on Saturday morning, with the clinician explaining principles of driving a cones course, each participant had the opportunity to drive the course several times to perfect his or her skills.

Photo by Katy Rhinehart. Used by permission.

Saturday afternoon began with everyone walking the 2-kilometer marathon course, to locate each of the three hazards. Then participants practiced driving the three hazards under the watchful eye of the clinician, with different routes through each hazard tested and timed, so participants could figure out which route worked best for their horses.

Sunday, the 22^nd, we put it all together with a Driving Trial that began with each competitor performing the dressage test again, also for a score. Immediately after the dressage test, participants drove the cones course again, with cones set at the correct clearance for their level of competition. After a short break, horse, driver, and navigator drove the 2-kilometer marathon.

After helping compute the dressage scores in the morning, Katy Rhinehart served as the starter and finisher for the marathon. Because everybody except Tracey Jenkins, who drives a mini, needed a navigator, Katy also served as navigator-assigner. "You're up next, Erin. Gene, will you ride with her??" "Ali, Jada needs you next!" Thanks to Katy, everybody had a navigator! Even though the event was scored just like a regular Driving Trial, obviously, we bent the rules about navigators, permitting navigators to go several times, drivers to navigate for other drivers, and even kids too young to navigate for an "official" ADS event.

When the dust settled, and the scores were calculated. Christie Loiacono, Boone, driving her Welsh pony, SL Rey, posted the lowest dressage score of the day, a 42. Mickey Hansen, was second in training level dressage, with a 45, Jo Arrowsmith, posted a 48.75 for third, and Anita Schlosser, was right behind Jo, with 49.06. With only one ball down in her cones run, Christie held her first place finish through the rest of the event.

Photo by Jenny Kim, used with permission

Mickey and Anita did not take their ponies on the marathon, so two first-time participants in the camp (and in CDE-type events), Jo Arrowsmith of Boone, and Nikki Thummel of Des Moines, placed second and third, helped considerably by their double-clear cones drives: no balls down and within the time allowed. They were two of only three competitors who managed double clear cones drives on Sunday.

Photo by Jenny Kim, used with permission

In fourth place was Edna Oakley from Mason City, driving her Morgan, Jake.

Photo by Jenny Kim, used with permission

Fifth was Jim Block from Minong, Wisconsin, driving a pair of Morgans. Jim spends his summers in northern Wisconsin and his winters in northeast Oklahoma. He stopped at the camp on his way home for the summer.

Photo by Jenny Kim, used with permission

Jada Neubauer, driving Droste, a Hackney pony, had the third double clear cones run, which helped them place sixth in the event.

Photo by Jenny Kim, used with permission

Gene Rhinehart and Mary Winter participated in the event as preliminary competitors. They both posted reasonable dressage scores: 42.42 for Mary, 49.59 for Gene. Neither of them had a clean cones run: one ball down for Mary two down for Gene. Gene and his navigator did not have their marathon times straight, and so walked in . . . only to receive overall time penalties in the marathon. So . . . Mary won the prelim competition, but not by much!

Photo by Jenny Kim, used with permission

Other camp participants were Eleanor Eagly, Tracey Jenkins, Mary Johnson, Erin Umphress, and Leslie Wichman.

Photo by Jenny Kim. Used by permission.

Photo by Nikki Hummel. Used with permission.

Photo by Jenny Kim. Used with permission.

Photo by Jenny Kim. Used with permission

This year's Combined Driving Event Camp had good news and bad news. The good news:

seven of the 16 people participating were new to Combined Driving Events, further indication of the growing interest in driving in Iowa;

we missed the really cold weather of the week before, and the rainy weather of the week after (by minutes on Sunday; it began to mist as the last competitor completed the marathon course, so people were loading up to head home in the rain);

the dressage tests of all participants improved significantly over the weekend, thanks to lessons with Kathy;

getting to drive the cones course and the hazards several times, trying different routes, was REALLY fun. Because of the practice, everybody made the time easily in the cones on Sunday, and almost everybody did the same in the marathon. The cones were a lot tighter in the Driving Trial on Sunday, of course, so only three competitors had double clean runs in the Driving Trial.

wonderful volunteers helped the day run smoothly: Katy Rhinehart, Charles and Darla Snyder, (Tracey Jenkins' parents), Randy Farwell, Ali Glenn and Clayton Stage, Bob Hansen, Jeff Hughes, Mickey Hansen, Jake Arrowsmith and Earl Morris are all on that list! Jenny Kim gets a special thanks because she not only scribed for dressage (a big job!) but also took many of the photographs that are included on this page.

The bad news? We had our first accidents in the seven years we've been holding events at Three G Farms. We had loose horses (without a carriage, fortunately) and a turnover on the marathon that resulted in a driverless horse and carriage streaking to the barn. The good news about the accidents was that, although the people and horses were bruised and shaken up, there were no broken bones. And, of course, all humans were wearing helmets. The major casualty was a Meadowbrook carriage, which may never drive again.

All in all, a great camp. The most participants, some of the best weather. And may it be another seven years before we have another accident!

CDE Camp April 25-27

Participants began arriving for the Sixth Annual Combined Driving Event (CDE) Camp on Thursday, April 24. Unfortunately, so did the rain. Four inches of rain on already-soaked arenas and courses at Three G Farms Equine Center northeast of Ames forced the development of creative solutions to the problem of dangerous footing for horses and ponies. The event was advertised as an opportunity for participants to have a private lesson in the 40 x 80-meter outdoor dressage arena, drive the 10-pair cones course, school in three hazards on the property, and participate in a 3-phase Driving Trial (dressage, cones, and a 2-km 3-hazard marathon). After more rain on Friday, it turned sunny on Saturday and Sunday, but it was still cold and windy, not great weather for drying out the courses. So, out of necessity, the entire weekend was spent working in the 27 x 40-meter indoor arena.

The driver who probably found the change in plans the most challenging was Theresa Burns, Plattsville, Wisconsin, who brought her four-in-hand. The four horses had never been in an indoor together, certainly not one with mirrors everywhere. It was a tribute to Theresa’s training and driving that her ponies "stayed calm and didn’t get frazzled" (Theresa’s words!) They stayed together, turned together, and exhibited absolutely no signs of anxiety. A major accomplishment!

Photo by Jada Neubauer. Used with permission.

The other driver with a major challenge was Jim Block, Minong, Wisconsin, who drove his pair of Morgans tandem, with Nikki in the lead and July as the wheeler. Like Theresa, Jim’s skill as a trainer and driver was obvious, especially in his last run through the hazard,, when he negotiated the course in under a minute.

The three-day event began with a day filled with 45-minute dressage lessons with Camie Stockhausen of Field Day (www.camstock.net) as the clinician. Because all thirteen participants could not be accommodated on Friday, two dressage lessons were scheduled for Saturday morning at times when the two competitors would not be working on cones. The idea worked well when the event was scheduled outdoors, because the dressage arena is a long way from the cones course. Once it turned into an indoor weekend, there were scheduling problems in the arena, solved by having the two lessons before the cones walk and the indoor cones practice. Gail Thomas, Oskaloosa, Kansas, had the 7:00 A.M. lesson (not her favorite time of the day!) so she could join the group walking cones at 7:45; Katy Rhinehart, Ferguson, Iowa, followed at 8:00, when everybody else was walking cones.

The cones walk, conducted by Earl W. Morris, began in the indoor arena (between dressage lessons!) with Earl using the white board to explain the apex between pairs of cones, the point at which a driver needs to be clear of the first pair of cones and lined up correctly for the second. Then the group walked the 10-element cones course set up outside, paying attention to the apex between pairs and sighting on a distant stationary object when walking cones, to assure the correct alignment of horse and carriage ahead of a pair. Also discussed were cones driving strategies: "Never look down, never look back," and "line the horse up, let go until clearing the pair, take back the reins, line up again , etc."

The inside dressage lessons were done by the time Earl set up five pairs of cones in the arena, set to give long diagonals between pairs. Participants took turns driving the course, working on both time and accuracy. At noon, Jada and Matt Neubauer set up a hazard in the middle of the indoor arena, a hazard that, after gate A, had several alternate routes. Like the cones course, everybody drove the hazard several times. Sheryl Stillions, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with husband Steve navigating, walked the hazard, and then drove her Friesian cross, Megan, as she walked it. Steve insisted hat she try his route, which shaved several seconds off her time, something he did let her forget!

Sunday the thirteen participants drove their dressage tests in the indoor arena, ably judged by Camie Stockhausen. Edna Oakley, Clear Lake, Iowa, driving her Morgan, Jake, posted the lowest dressage score of the day, 58.61. Close on her heels were Sheryl Stillions and Megan, with a 60.66.

When all dressage tests had been completed, a 6-pair cones course was set up, and each competitor drove the course twice, with their best score used in calculating their total score. Then a single hazard was set up in the middle of the arena. Each competitor drove the hazard twice, with both drives counting for the total score.

Double-clear cones runs (no balls down and within the tine allowed) were hard to come by, but Gene Rhinehart, driving his Friesian cross, Celtic, accomplished that feat, as did Edna Oakley and Jake, and Kyle Loewe, Ankeny, driving his Welsh pony, Tiger.

Photo by Jada Neubauer. Used with permission.

Kyle, 14, was a hit with the volunteers and the audience, especially in his 22-second run through the hazard, the fastest of the day. Kyle’s mother, Denise Loewe, drove her 3-year-old horse, Daisy, in dressage and cones but decided to pass on hazards for Daisy’s young brain.

Photo by Denise Loewe. Used by permission.

Also turning in stunning performances in the hazard were Jo Schumacher, Boone, Iowa, driving Toby, and Fred Block, Collinsville, Oklahoma, driving a Morgan mare, Nikki. Jo and Fred finished first and second in the hazard scores for training level single horses, gaining them third and fourth overall.

When the scores were calculated, Gene Rhinehart and Celtic won the prelim single horse division, with Heather Hough, Oswego, Illinois, placing second with her gorgeous draft cross, Miss Marie. Edna Oakley and Jake took first among training level single horses, with Sheryl Stillions and Megan placing second. Kyle Loewe and Tiger placed first in the training level single pony class, with Tammi Martinson, Center Point, Iowa, and Bambi in second place.

Participants were packed up and on their way home by 1:30. Another great weekend of learning and camaraderie!


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Contact: Earl W. Morris or Mary Winter: 515-232-3019, 515-450-1041 (C-MW), 515-450-1046 (C-EWM) Email:info@threegfarms.com