Scurry Racing, Monmouth Show.A pair of ponies being driven in the scurry competition at the 2012
Scurry driving is a fast-paced
equestrian
The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse".
Horseback riding (or Riding in British English)
Examples of this are:
* Equestrian sports
*Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...
sport in which a pair of
ponies
A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...
pull a carriage around a course of cones in an attempt to get the fastest time. The full name of the sport is Double Harness Scurry Driving.
Rules
The aim is to achieve the fastest time in getting around the track, without knocking any balls off the top of the cones that mark the course. For every ball that is knocked off, a time penalty in incurred. It is almost always done at a
gallop
The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait pos ...
. Due to the small distance between the cones (170 cm), accuracy is key. A course contains between 10 and 14 obstacles, such as a box and a slalom.
The ponies are normally given names of famous pairings, such as Tom & Jerry, Bonny & Clyde, Judge & Jury, Dun & Dusted and so on.
History
Scurry driving developed in the 1960s from the American sport of
chuck wagon racing. In the United Kingdom administration was at first by the
British Horse Society
The British Horse Society (BHS) is a membership-based equine charity, with a stated vision of "a Society which provides a strong voice for horses and people and which spreads awareness through support, training and education". It currently has ...
, and later by the
British Horse Driving Trials Association. In 2001 the Scurry Driving Association was formed and took over the organisation of events.
Scurry driving takes place in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Northern Europe. The European Championships take place in the Netherlands.
References
External links
* http://www.scurrydrivers.co.uk/
* http://www.scurryponies.org/
* http://www.osborne-ref.co.uk/osg/index.html
* http://www.orchard-scurry-team.co.uk
* http://www.scurrynz.co.nz
* http://www.scurrydriving.com
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Horse driving competition
Sports originating in the United States