[drivingpairs] Re: my Tandem story, long
- From: "Renie Gillis" <ponylady@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 08:58:50 -0500
I learned to drive tandem with a veteran tandem of feisty hackney ponies.
I think they would have driven in tandem without any lines or harness and
just go on voice. We were driving in the ring at the Venture County Fair
before the show. I was the catch groom and the driver handed the reins
over to me and said I'm tired, you drive. I was hooked. Since I had been
seen in public driving a tandem (and lived to tell about it) I would be
able to join the ATC.
When I went home I acquired all the necessary gear and decided to drive my
ponies. OK now what, I have no two wheel cart, I have no knowledgeable
help. It's a four hour drive to the Cutler's. Can't manage that very
often. After several phone conversations with Jud Wright & Jody Cutler I
decided to ground drive them. We went every where. I had my ten year old
niece keeping the leader up while I figured it all out. The leader kept
wanting to get into her pair position. Once she got the idea that she was
to stay out front we were fine. This went on for two months, around and
around our neighborhood streets every evening after work. Driving the
tandem on my rein board every evening. Doesn't everyone have a rein board
hanging in their dining room? The LA County Fair show was coming up. I
wanted to enter the ATC class. I made arrangements to borrow a two wheel
cart and talked Trish Demers into being my groom. She was always game to
try anything and could jump out and be at their heads in a flash if needed.
I entered the class. The time came to hook the tandem and get them into
the ring. This was going to be my first time driving them actually hooked
to a cart. All our previous work had been done at the walk on the ground.
Jud Wright (extra person there to announce info about Tandem driving during
the line up) & Grace Yaglo (ring master) were in the ring and aware I was a
green tandem driver. Jud kept reminding me that if I could do it at the
walk I could do it at the trot AND where the leader goes so goes the
wheeler. We go straight from the barn to the main ring, no warm up for us,
the warm up ring at Fairplex is too small & it already had four tandems in
it! We enter the ring and track right, all is good. We keep our distance
from the three friesen and two pony tandems. Change rein on the diagonal,
OK, we can do this. All is still good. Then a child on the rail waves his
jacket, my leader goes off the rail. Ok, ok we are fine, follow the
leader. We circle right around the judge get back on the rail and I adjust
the wrong rein and instead of going straight on the rail we do it again!
Right around the judge a second time. Ok, ok, don't panic it's almost
over. They finally call the line up. As the judge passes by she makes a
comment, "I thought the first loop around me a bit unusual but it put you
in a good possition to the other tandems in the arena (I had been a bit
close to the tandem in front of me). But, when you did it the second time
I had to drop you down a place (a red ribbon was OK).
After all this more time was spent learning the finer details of rein
handling and enjoying working with others at the ATC meets.
I'm back driving again (two drives so far) after a long two year recovery
from an accident. I've seen photos of my new pair being driven tandem.
Future fun awaits us.
Trish...a great big thanks for being brave and going out with me on that
first drive. Barbara, I miss you, I'm sure you've taught St Peter how to
do everything by now. Jay, someday I'll drive tandem half as well as you
do and be very pleased with myself. I love South Carolina but, I miss my
California driving buddies.
Renie
ponylady@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.GilcrestFarm.com
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