Tryon, N.C. – Competition kicked off on Thursday at the 2024 Tryon International Combined Driving Event. This year, Tryon is hosting the USEF Driving National Championships for Advanced Combined Ponies. The championship entries begin their competition on Friday, Sept. 19, with the dressage phase.
In the Advanced Pair Ponies division, Katie Whaley (Paris, Ky.) is aiming for a third consecutive national championship with her own 2015 Welsh Pony gelding, Timmy, and Gail Riley’s 2012 Welsh Pony gelding, Clanfair Sunglow. Whaley won the championship last year at Spring Fling CDE and in 2022 at Live Oak International, and was part of the U.S. team at the 2023 FEI Combined Driving World Championship for Combined Ponies.
The Advanced Single Pony division will feature six experienced athlete-and-pony teams vying for the national champion title. Among the ones to watch are Denise Loewe (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Steppy IK, her own 2013 Haflinger cross gelding, who have had an undefeated 2024 season at the FEI 2* level. Anna Koopman (Middleburg, Va.) and her 2010 Morgan gelding, Chandler Creek Eclipse, earned a win in their last U.S. outing in the CAI3* at Live Oak International. Amy Cross (Chestertown, Md.) and Eulenhof Spencer, Wendy O’Brien’s 2010 Welsh Pony gelding, members of last year’s U.S. Team at the FEI World Championship, had a big win this summer in Bromont, Quebec, and will be trying for the national championship at Tryon this week.
Tryon CDE hosts a full slate of divisions from training level to FEI 3*, including divisions for horses, pony, and para equestrian driving. Competition began on Thursday, Sept. 19, with the first day of dressage. The USEF Combined Driving National Championship divisions will have their turn in the dressage court on Friday with the single ponies beginning at 9:40 a.m. ET and the pairs division at 11:15 a.m. ET. The marathon phase will take place on the Tryon International Equestrian Center’s iconic White Oak Cross-Country Course beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The cones phase will wrap up the competition on Sunday at 9:00 a.m.
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