Something’s Afoot at our Elk Creek Driving Competition!
Elk Creek gets new organizers. Meet world class drivers Suzy Stafford and Amy Cross.
“We’re gonna’ have a Big Classy Show with a LOW KEY Attitude and a BIG HEART!” Our driving competition takes place over three days at the beginning of June. We have a combined test consisting of Dressage and Cones. The following two days are a Combined Driving Trial which follows the example of Eventing with three phases: Dressage, Marathon and Cones. USEF tells us, “The sport, conceptualized by the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is modeled after the mounted equestrian three-day eventing or the human equivalent of a triathlon.”
It is truly a spectator sport, thrilling to watch, while talented horse and driver combinations attempt what seems absolutely impossible! Teams of one, two or four horses compete by pulling carriages with precision in the dressage ring and then on to conquer obstacle courses on Cross Country.
Our event has been ably run for many years by two marvelous volunteers who love the sport, Diane Trefry and Lisa Singer. They have worked hard to make our event exciting and fun for competitors and spectators alike. And now, we have two enthusiastic new organizers who will take the reins next year, mentored by Diane and Lisa. Amy Cross and Suzy Stafford are stepping up to the plate to continue the wonderful driving tradition at Fair Hill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suzy grew up in the Middletown Pony Club, and Lana Wright owned the property that they used. Lana, a native of this area, was the first woman to compete in eventing at the Olympics, earning a team silver medal. “I took to driving when my eventing days were over but didn’t have a horse to ride,” said Lana, who went on to win team gold in 1991 at the World Pairs Driving Championships with her Connemara ponies. She also founded and organized the Fair Hill Combined Driving Event in Maryland.
Suzy took up driving having learned about the sport through her training with Lana’s daughter, Beale. Lana introduced her to Lisa Singer, who became her coach for driving. Suzy has quite an array of driving awards, including being the first American ever to win a Gold Medal at the World Championships in combined driving. She continues to compete and train others.
Being friends with Lisa and Diane, the previous organizers, Suzy knew they were looking to pass on the torch. “It is all about my personal connection to the facility and the area as well as the discipline of Driving, which I love.” Suzy has been competing in driving for a long time. She is stepping in with Elk Creek because Fair Hill and Elk Creek Driving are her homebase.
Amy comes from a totally different background! She hails from New Hampshire, but she moved to Connecticut and started working for Leslie Howard, a Hall of Fame show jumper. Amy traveled with Leslie to competitions, caring for her horses for six years. The traveling became too much, and she changed to working in a horse hospital. During that time, her husband started working for Wendy O’Brien doing combined driving together, and Amy went to shows to help. After moving to Aiken, SC, with O’Brien, she began showing some of Wendy’s ponies, getting to know Lisa there and becoming part of the driving community. At the moment, Amy is working towards going to the Pony World Driving Championships 2025 in France with Wendy O’Brien’s pony.
Amy has attended Elk Creek several times and loves the venue and the comradery. She is intent on keeping the tradition of driving going at Fair Hill and will partner with Suzy to keep our event filled with great volunteers and competitors.
Elk Creek competitors are mostly local people who have a passion for the sport. Driving can be expensive to compete at the higher levels. The equipment can be complicated and there are several people necessary for each team to travel to events. However, one of the things that is wonderful about driving is the range of people who participate. Children and adults participate in the sport. Another great thing about driving is that it is a team effort. Mothers and daughters team up together. Non-equine spouses often become important parts of team success. It seems to be an inclusive sport for those who might not be as horsey as some! The team is recognized as an important part of success. Part of the pleasure of Driving is the inclusivity of the sport.
There is a great deal of organizing that goes into hosting a competition that is beyond the expertise of a competitor. Goals for Elk Creek Driving are to keep the show modern and current, to encourage more people to participate, to make it user friendly for competitors and to bring more spectators. We are sure that under the guidance of our long-time organizers, Suzy and Amy will continue the great Elk Creek Driving tradition.
