Nine years ago today!

That's right, it's been 9 years!  The Lorenzo Driving Competition is this weekend and that was our first show in 2001.  Today was the Marathon, with some of the ring classes starting in the afternoon.  This photo by Gerry Hook shows Draken going through their water obstacle in 2009.

The marathon at Lorenzo is a "country" marathon.  That essentially means that all the hazards are natural.  It's not like a CDE or a Driving Trial where there are man-made hazards that you go through.  The marathon is similar to the second phase of eventing, the speed and endurance. It tests the fitness and stamina of the horses, as well as the driver's knowledge of pace.  This is where that 8 mile an hour trot plays an important part.  Even with a stopwatch, if you don't know how fast your horse is going then you're going to have a hard time meeting the optimal time.  You receive penalty points for going over or going under.