Driving

Walking driving is designed more for presentation and relaxation than for sports testing horses, drivers and grooming. In this direction, more than anywhere else, the appearance, harmony and presentation of the team (driver, groom, horses and crew) are important. Walking driving is popular in many European countries, especially in the UK. Often arranged driving parades, runs and other events that attract many participants and spectators.

Driving competitions are held around the world, including in Russia. The classic trial includes three disciplines: Dressage, Marathon and Parkour. But there are other types and directions, no less interesting and spectacular.

• Dressage (an analogue of dressage in driving). Athletes must drive a predetermined pattern on the battlefield, usually 100x40 meters in size. The scheme includes a set of elements that demonstrate horse riding and obedience. Also in the dressing, the appearance (presentation) of the team is evaluated.
• Parkour (driving analogue of jumping ). Cones like emergency ones are placed next to each other so that a crew could pass between them. At the top of the cone, it is customary to put a ball, like a ping-pong ball. Pairs of cones are placed both in the form of an independent obstacle, and combined into certain figures (systems) of several pairs (for example, “L” of 3 pairs of cones). Going through the system is usually more difficult than a single pair of cones. Corridor (The corridor is the name of another type of obstacle in the parkour. The meaning of the obstacle is the same as in the cones - do not run over the obstacle element with a wheel (hoof). The "corridor" is composed of 4 (2, 6) long rails. The material from which they are made is not very important. The rails are placed in 2 parallel rows. The distance between the rows should be sufficient so that the crew can pass. Usually they are laid out in the form of the letters "L", "P", "Z" and etc. At the beginning and end of the obstacle, “gates” are placed — pairs of cones with balls on the tops.
• Marathon (similar to triathlon cross-country). A marathon in driving consists of several phases. Firstly, it is a cross-country route, without obstacles, showing the ability of horses to continue to compete in the following sections of the marathon. This phase must be completed in a certain time, depending on the length of the segment. In the next phase, horses must walk in steps of usually 700-1000 meters, after which the crew is given several minutes of rest. The most spectacular phase of the marathon, the last segment - travel through indestructible obstacles. The length of the segment is several kilometers, on the route of 4-10 obstacles, which are systems of gates and driveways through vertically standing logs dug into the ground, water obstacles, elevations, bridges, etc.
• There are also very dynamic and spectacular competitions combining obstacles from parkour and marathon, when a route of 10-15 cone-obstacles and 1-3 indestructible obstacles similar to marathon ones is set on a limited area (and often in the arena).

In the event of a ball (cone) falling, wheels (a) / hooves (a) falling outside the “corridor” obstacle, penalty points are awarded. Then, according to a certain system, penalty points are transferred to seconds and added to the participant’s time. The driver's task is to guide the crew along the route without destroying the obstacles in a minimum amount of time.

In a marathon, however, it is important to minimize only the time taken to complete the obstacles. The general route must be completed strictly in accordance with the time interval allocated for the passage of each segment. Exceeding the time limit in any direction is punishable by the addition of penalty points.

Dressage is evaluated similarly to dressage competitions, that is, participants receive marks from the judges for each item completed.

For presentation, trainings and parkour, a special type of crew is usually used, which emphasizes the emphasis on appearance and attractiveness. Very often used the so-called spider, originating from the same name phaeton , however, it is permissible to use other types of crews, including two-wheeled vehicles (two-wheeled crews). For the marathon, a special type of crew is usually used, made of steel, using alloy materials. This crew is unusually strong, stable, has a low center of gravity, a reduced turning radius and other technical features. All modern crews are equipped with hydraulic brakes. In the initial classes of the competition, the use of one crew is permissible if it corresponds to the established gauge sizes for different disciplines (for example, it has transformable axes).

Crews in pleasure driving are very diverse. National, historical, and modern crews of all kinds take part here.

In Russia, driving began to develop only in the late 90s of the XX century . In 1999 , the Driving Association was created, V. I. Ryshkov became its first president, and the first Russian driving competitions took place in the same year.

In 2007, a committee on non-Olympic sports was created in the Equestrian Federation of Russia, which includes driving, vaulting , runs and military-applied sports .

On October 24, 2014, at a meeting of the bureau of the Equestrian Federation of Russia, the committee on non-Olympic disciplines was abolished and the FKSR Driving Committee was created.

According to the results of 2015, for the first time in history, the Russian athlete Maria Muraleva entered the FEI rating in the class of single teams.

Today, driving covers not only the professional level, but also such areas as amateur, children’s and Paralympic sports.

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