World Singles Driving Championships 2008

Since I am now only collecting spam, you will no longer be able to post comments to this site.

Many, many thanks to all of you for reading and for supporting the team. It was a wonderful experience for us all and I was glad of the opportunity to share some of my views with you. This was my first experience as a blog reporter and, although more work than I expected, I will certainly do it again in the future.

Linda

I’m gradually getting some of the additional photos I took while in Poland uploaded for your viewing pleasure. To view some more “Polish color,” visit my web gallery. I’ll be adding more later.

Link to my web gallery.

There is also an album entitled Tuesday Aug 26 which shows an assortment of the trailers, horseboxes and campers (caravans) at the show.

Bill and Beau mind-meld.

A cow on every corner … Since there are few fenced pastures, the family milk cow is staked out on a chain to graze.

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My brother asked if the gravity is different in Poland. 

Keith has problems with Polish gravity.

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As the rules change to make cones faster and tighter, it is surprising this doesn’t happen more often. Fortunately, only the carriage was seriously injured.

When cones go bad...

We have made it back home. Finally. And I am now awake enough to post again. Sorry to leave you hanging, but final results ARE available at Hoefnet!

Cones was a success for the US, with Robin placing 5th and Bill placing 11th. (Leslie was 23rd and Donna 44th). This moved the team up to a final finish in 11th place. Not too bad for a team with no International experience! 

The Closing Ceremonies was quite a sight. I am usually not too excited about this sort of thing, but watching some 60 turnouts (horses, drivers, passengers and grooms all in their shiny brass and finest livery) galloping around the stadium at the same time was truly something to see.

There is a GREAT article about the US team on Hippoevent! 

http://www.hippoevent.at/index.php?id=683#c6198

With 20 left to go after lunch, all of our team has already driven. The course is extremely difficult and confusing, with an L and a double L and offsets, stairsteps, and just about every trick in the book. Thanks to Lisa, they schooled all this at camp!

Everyone did great. Donna had 2 balls down and time for a total of 13.22 faults. Bill drove clean with only 4.76 time faults and is currently 6th in cones. Robin did even better with only 1.67 time faults and is currently in third! Leslie was slightly over time and had 2 balls (7.24 faults), but considering that Rodger was rearing when she went into the ring, she drove amazing well.

The team has moved up to 12th place with a potential of moving up even more. All in all a very respectable showing for our first-championship drivers! No one eliminated and no accidents, along with some fine driving, resulted in a finish no one should be ashamed of. I know everyone gained from the experience.

Photos to come.

and the world’s best gator …

Notice the Texas Lone Star helmet covers!

Not fast, but pretty!