The Moore County Driving Club “Mini” Combined Driving Event here Feb. 4 was an astounding parade of breeds. Of 30 turnouts, 16 different breeds were represented.

Dutch Warmbloods were predominant (10), but Morgans played a large part (six).

Other breeds represented: Welsh Cobb, Ashland, Hannoverian, Haflinger, Dartmoor, Fjord, Standardbred, Gelderlander, Swedish Warmblood, Holsteiner, Friesian, American Quarter Horse, Welsh Pony, and Thoroughbred. No matter what a horseman’s fancy, there was some serious eye candy in harness here last Sunday.

All eyes are on the advanced pairs this year, with their 2001 World Championships scheduled for Riesenbach, Germany this August. The close scores attested to the fact that all four turnouts in this advanced pairs class are long listed for the national team.

Randy Cadwell emerged victorious with a keen pair of Welsh Cobbs owned by her sponsor, German breeders Family Wiemers. This was only the pair’s second competition together, and Cadwell had just switched sides (in harness) with the 8-year-old black stallion, Kurbaum’s Chinook, and 9-year-old chestnut gelding, Kurbaum’s Flyer.

“I was late, and I didn’t get to warm up for dressage,” Cadwell said, “and my only goal (for the marathon) was to go cleanly around, make all the turns, and trot the whole thing. We missed one turn, but I was very pleased with them.”

Dana Pigford finished a mere two points back with her Dutch pair, after winning the dressage. Pigford, a former dressage rider, excelled in the white rectangle and drove the seven kilometer, four obstacle marathon in an efficient, controlled style for second place.

Dressage judge Margaret Dauber of Montgomery, Al. appreciated Eleanor Gallagher’s test with her advanced single Kashmier, an imported Gelderlander. Her score (40) was the day’s best mark.

“He usually does quite well in the CDEs,” Gallagher said. “We would have been short listed for the 2000 World Championship team, but I didn’t get all the qualifiers done. We are going to try for the 2002 World Championships in Paris.”

Gallagher credits her trainer Bill Long for her top scores, and mentioned dressage rider Jim Koford as having been instrumental to the horse’s dependability and presence.

In the same class, Marcie Quist won the marathon, for the seventh consecutive event, with her Thoroughbred stallion Montana Light. But she barely held on to second place with 21 cones faults.

Gary Stover’s combination Hannoverian/ Dutch four-in-hand were sharp, winning the advanced multiples class over Boots Wright and her spunky Ashland ponies.

In the preliminary divisions, Sherrie Davis and her trainer Scott Padgett posted top scores to win the single and pairs classes, respectively.

Padgett plans to move up to advanced with his Dutch pair, owned by Ann and Ned Bliss of Shearborn Mass, to shoot for one of three national team slots this summer. Padgett was pleased with his trip, saying “Fresno (the gelding) knows his job, but it was the mare’s first marathon, so I was really happy.”

The mare, 8, has come along quickly after an early career in the breeding shed. Two years ago she was broken, used in a riding school, jumped, started driving and was imported just eight months ago.

Davis piloted her homebred 10-year-old Morgan gelding Cash to the top of a competitive class with a double clear cones trip and winning marathon. “We really want to do advanced,” said Davis. “But the dressage is our bug-a-boo. He knows the marathon is coming up and anticipates. He’s an advanced horse with a preliminary driver! We hope to move up this fall.”

Cones was the deciding factor in both preliminary pony classes. Marcy Maley bested Ursula Walsh by five points after Walsh posted time penalties on the cones course. Ditto for Katie Whaley over Lindsay Taliaferro.

Padgett trainees dominated the training divisions, racking up a total of four Padgett blues out of nine classes. Leigh Morgan won the dressage with a Standardbred pony and never looked back. And Christine Padgett, Scott’s sister-in-law, recorded her second win of two starts with Sherrie Davis’ Morgan gelding Repeat Offender.

RESULTS

MOORE COUNTY DRIVING

CLUB MINI-CDE

ADVANCED MULTIPLES: 1. Gary Stover, 181.4, 2. Boots Wright, 148 (E).

ADVANCED PAIR HORSE: 1. Randy Cadwell, 117.5, 2. Dana Pigford, 119.5, 3. Jamie O’Rourke, 124, 4. Jamie O’Rourke 130.8.

ADVANCED SINGLE HORSE: 1. Eleanor Gallagher, 85.8, 2. Marcie Quist, 102.3, 3. Kate Shields, 103.9.

PRELIMINARY MULTIPLES: 1. Kate Whaley, 111.6, 2. Lindsay Taliaferro, 143.9.

PRLELIM. PAIRS: 1. Scott Padgett, 90.5, 2. Claire Reed, 95.7, 3. Rick Rettig, 109.5, 4. Barry Soloman, 119.0.

B 1. Sherri Davis, 90.1, 2. Ellen Epstein, 102.5, 3. Craig Kellogg, 108.4, 4. Dana Pigford, 109.4, 5. Claudia Needham, 116.6. 6. Eleanor Gallagher, 88 (E)

PRELIM.SINGLE PONY: 1. March Maley, 102.4, 2. Ursula Walsh, 107.8.

TRAINING SINGLE HORSE: 1. Christine Padgett, 91.8, 2. Abby Shultz, 113.6.