Combined driving event boosts the sport on a special weekend

by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 1, 2024 | On the rail, Previous Columns | 0 comments

Alice Tarjan is best known as a dressage rider. Dennis Sargenti is a master of the Essex Fox Hounds. But enjoying the discipline of driving is something they have in common. And, oh yeah, they happen to be married.

The couple from Oldwick, N.J., spent the weekend near their home competing in the Gladstone Horse Driving Trials at the Pine Meadow section of Hamilton Farm, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation property. This is their fun, a break after returning from Germany, where Alice’s horse, Jane, made the U.S. Olympic dressage team with her trainer, Marcus Orlob. Alice served as the groom for the mare she trained to Grand Prix from the time she got her as a three-year-old.

Dennis entered a Dutch harness horse in the Gladstone competition for singles, while Alice drove a pair, but decided one of the horses competing was not ready to try the marathon, so she skipped that segment.

Alice and Dennis were among 21 competitors at the event that is working to bring back popularity of the sport, which once drew international riders to the site that hosted the globally acclaimed 1993 World Pairs Driving Championship. Alice has fond memories of those championships; as a teenager, she groomed there for her neighbor, Doug Kemmerer, who drove in the parade of coaches that was part of the production.

Since Pine Meadow’s heyday, however, many of the people who were pillars of competitive driving in the region either have died, retired or moved south. The once fancy facility now lacks the frills it used to have, but it is still a good location for a competition and attracted exhibitors from New England, Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as New Jersey.

Rebecca Gutierrez, the technical delegate for the event, noted the organizing committee is attempting to “regrow the show and bring the facility back to the way it was in 1993, when it was fantastic.”

She pointed out, “it has a lot of good elements. Original (marathon) obstacles here are in good shape, but they had some obstacles that were not able to be used this time. So maybe there will be some benefactors who want to donate some money so we can access those.”

Event secretary Ellen Ettenger noted a golf course has encroached on part of the property since its glory days “so it’s not exactly the same as it was, but I think it makes a great venue for the lower level. Through Intermediate, it’s an excellent facility.” She mentioned that the ring can hold up to even the heaviest rain.

The event briefly was put in jeopardy last week by a tornado that left tree limbs down in three marathon obstacles and caused closure of Fowler Road, which runs alongside Pine Meadow. Luckily, a volunteer effort aided by chainsaws and the efforts of USET Foundation employees put things to rights, just as drivers were shipping in, enabling the event to get under way on schedule.

It has a relaxed feel, which means people interested in driving can enjoy a comfortable place to start pursuing their interest and learning skills.

Alice supports the organization’s initiative.

“It’s great that they’re trying. They’re putting a lot of work into it,” she said, noting she participated in one of the schooling days the committee staged.

Alice and others, including technical delegate Rebecca Gutierrez, were encouraged by the fact that the event attracted six junior competitors, driving everything from mini horses to a Fjord horse and a senior citizen Morgan/thoroughbred cross.

“That’s where I started out. Just get around the ring and get some experience,” said Alice noting a fancy horse is not needed at this level.

“The kids are out there having a good time. To me that’s grass roots; horsemanship, that’s what it’s about. They’re actually doing the work. They have to train their horses. They don’t have the funds to go and buy a made horse. That’s how they’re going to learn and excel.” It is, as she acknowledged, the story of her early life with her first feisty backyard pony, Licorice.

“We need to grow the next generation coming along,” said Rebecca.

John Layton, president of the Gladstone Equestrian Association Gladstone Driving, who trains young drivers at his Tailspin Farm in Juliustown, part of Springfield, Burlington County, points out about the kids, “they’re the future of our sport.”

He was the navigator during the marathon for Lynden Kersten, a 12-year-old who won the junior singles section with her 20-year-old Morgan/thoroughbred cross, Splash of Chrome. Lynden, who has been driving for less than a year, trains with Laura DeFazio of Whistle Hill Farm in West Grove, Pa. Laura is the president of the Brandywine Valley Driving Club, which had a summer camp last year that got kids involved in driving.

“It turned into yearlong summer camp and I love it,” said Laura.

She brought four junior competitors, including Colette Gray, who at eight years old was the youngest person Laura had taken in an event. Tiny Colette was driving a 21-year-old warmblood mare, Victoria’s Secret.

Competing in a driving event over two days involves a lot of work.

“It’s not a horse show where you sit around and watch,” said Laura.

“It’s a family affair and everyone’s gung-ho to help, For that, I’m entirely grateful. This was a very successful event. We’re looking forward to next year.”

With an eye-catching orange-themed marathon ensemble, Ben Riesse finished third in the junior singles division driving a Norwegian Fjord horse, Isla, an 11-year-old, one year younger than Bill.

The driver lives on a farm in Frederick, Md., where he takes care of his horse and has ambitions to compete a second time at the major Live Oak event in Florida.

His enthusiasm about driving is catching. He advises, “You should really get into it, it’s really fun.”

Part of the fun for those watching was to see the variety of horses, ponies and mini-horses (officially listed as Very Small Equines) as they proceeded through the phases.

Kaylee Angstadt, a 29-year-old professional trainer from Massachusetts’ Bradford Equestrian Center, caught everyone’s eye with Gail Wong’s black and white mini pair of 17-year-old Jewel and her son, Wicked, 11.

It was their first time doing the advanced dressage and cones course. I wondered how those tiny animals could be conditioned to pull a carriage and two passengers. Kaylee said it involved interval training and dressage work.

“The people get tired before the ponies do,” maintained Kaylee, an FEI 3-star single pony driver.

Jewel and Wicked reminded me of the mice that pulled Cinderella’s carriage in the animated feature of that name. When I mentioned that to Susan Wong, Gail’s daughter and Kaylee’s navigator, she told me I was right on target.

The minis, it seemed, had pulled “a winter-themed Cinderella carriage” in the local Wassail parade.

Susan belongs to the Myopia (Mass.) Driving Club, which was on the ground floor of developing the sport of combined driving in the U.S. that eventually led to a foundation that could support something like the world championships.

Raffa, a Welsh cob owned by Suzanne Johnson of Readington, is a veteran who at age 17 has done several kinds of competition.

Suzanne remembered that his best finish came at a pleasure show at Morven Park, where he won championship and reserve ribbons.

“So maybe I should go back to pleasure driving,” she mused, but then went on to finish second in the Preliminary Single Horse category after winning the dressage phase at Gladstone. So a change of occupation may not be in the cards for Raffa after all.

Volunteers, as always, were the backbone of the event. Perennial volunteer and organizing committee member Susan Data-Samtak has been involved for a long time and still believes it’s important to keep the competitions at Pine Meadow going.

“New drivers, new people; some of the old show committee is still around, the facility’s still here,” she commented, “so why shouldn’t local folks come and take advantage of all the beautiful scenery and facilities we have?”