FEI Driving World Championship
for Combined Ponies

Oirschot (NED)   15-18 September 2022

All the British ponies contesting the Pony World Championships have been passed by the FEI vets as fit to compete.

The team has been announced as Rebecca March and Rosanna Walters-Symons in the singles class, Averina Snow and Phillipa Howe in pairs and Angela Smith will contest the fours. Lucy Scott will contest the single class as an individual.

British Carriagedriving wishes all the drivers representing their country the very best of luck.

British Equestrian Driving Team

DRIVERS REPRESENTING GREAT BRITAIN

Lucy Scott

Lucy drives in the Single Pony class at the Pony World Championships in Oirshot. Her pony Tricklebank Maestro (just known as Maestro at home) is an 11 year old Welsh Section C gelding.

Although this is the pair’s first World Championship, they have amassed considerable international experience en route to their selection.

At the 3* event at Exloo in The Netherlands in March 2023, they finished 3rd overall and won both the 2* events contested in Kronenburg, Netherlands and Selestat, France in 2022.

At the British Carriagedriving National Championships in September 2022, Lucy and Maestro finished as Advanced Single Pony National Champions.

Lucy grew up with ponies, going through the ranks with the Pony Club and originally started scurry driving at 16 with her mum’s ponies. She progressed to horse driving trials in 2019 with Maestro and finished that season as the HarnessStuff Reserve Intermediate Driver of the Year.

The following year, despite Covid, she managed to get enough competitions in to progress from Open Pony to Advanced Single Pony.

Lucy says, “My groom is my sister Phillipa who has been with me throughout my driving career. She also drives a single pony, who doubles as half of my pair. I also have a Welsh Section D who I compete under saddle through the winter.”

Lucy is supported by Adveco Ltd, Hot water systems. Revolution Carriages, Chandelles Saddlery and the GB POD Training Group.

You can keep up to date with Lucy and Maestro here: Lucy Scott on Facebook >>

Rebecca March

Rebecca, from East Lothian, got into driving trials as the result of a bet between her mum (well known tandem driver Carol Boswell) and Jamie March (now her husband) at the National Championships back in 2015. Driving runs in the family as her granny was Gladys Dale, a household name in driving and Welsh breeding circles.

Rebecca says, “I had to sell my ‘proper horse’ as I was unable to continue ridden eventing due to work commitments and I thought a driving pony would be simpler. However, that soon went out the window once we started competing and moved up the levels.”

Rebecca drives a 16 year old cob gelding called Elwood (aka Woodie), now co-owned by Rebecca and Carol, who she found by complete chance. Her mum was asked to take him from his previous owner, who had bought him off the road from travellers passing through Kelso. They believe she bought the whole turnout, including the gypsy caravan he was pulling.

Woodie started out with a few ridden shows, club driving trials and then the RDA driving camp. Rebecca’s mum said she would have the most fun with him and that’s how it all started.

They have progressed through the levels together getting to their first World Championships in 2021 having begun at Novice in 2016.

Rebecca says, “The reason we have continued to drive is because we are able to combine the family and social element with the competitions. I’m very lucky to have such support - it really is a family affair”.

Her husband Jamie will be on the carriage with her for the marathon and cone driving while her friend, Rachel Caughey, will be up for the dressage phase.

Rebecca is supported by Riding and Harness Stuff, Ideal harness and Seacliff Stables.

Keep up to date with Rebecca and Woodie here: Seacliff Carriage Driving on Facebook >>

Rosanna Walters-Symons

At the Pony World Championships, Rosanna Walters-Symons, a psychology lecturer who hails from Devon, drives Polmesk Caesar (aka Brock) in the Single Pony class.

Brock is owned by Ruth and John Martin and is a 9 year old Welsh Section C gelding.

Rosanna says, “I started driving and competing at indoor events age 9 years old with my mum’s Dartmoor pony, Lightning. The British Young Drivers programme and, in particular, the Easter camps at the Unicorn Equestrian Centre, always inspired me to keep driving.”

This will be Rosanna’s 6th time representing Britain at the FEI World Driving Championships for Ponies, where she has previously won Individual Silver in 2013 and Team Bronze in 2015.

Her international career started in style with Individual Bronze at the 2012 FEI European Youth Driving Championships.

Rosanna has not yet confirmed who will be on her carriage for dressage but Ben Freer, her husband, will be contesting the marathon and cones phases. Ben has backstepped for her since 2011.

Rosanna has considerable support from Halspan Ltd, Succeed Equine, Stringer Equine Veterinary Practice and Helen Tompkins Veterinary Physiotherapy.

Keep up with Rosanna’s journey to the World Championships on Facebook here >> and on X (was Twitter) here >>

Phillipa Howe

Phillipa was born into the carriage driving world with two very successful parents. Her mother Sara has competed successfully for the British Equestrian Driving team for many years and her father was the head coachman for Harrods.

Phillipa's equine journey started as a member of the local pony club (West Kent Sevenoaks) which was a great grounding, before moving onto carriage driving.

Phillipa was very successful as a junior driver, winning many championships with her very special pony ‘P’ and finished as Advanced pony pairs National Champion in 2022.

Phillipa also enjoyed eventing and believes this helped her to improve her understanding and feel. Phillipa is based at her family run riding and driving centre in Kent.

This will be Phillipa’s third world championships, having been twice previously as a single driver and now moving to the pairs class.

She will be supported by her young family, Edward (4), twins Henry and William (2) and husband Dan while her mother, Sara, will be on her carriage for all three phases of the event.

Phillipa says, “It’s a real honour to be able to share this experience with my family”. Phillipa will be driving two of her mother ponies at the championships this year. Dolf and Windhoek’s Wynston (aka Dino) are Welsh geldings aged 18 and 16 respectively.

Her third pony is Cuppers Ranger (aka Harry), a 19 year old Welsh gelding belonging to Trish Jones.

Philippa is supported by Saracen Horse Feeds, Botanica International, Kevin Bacon and Dan Foley Farrier Services.

Keep up with her progress here: Phillipa Howe-sportsperson on Facebook >>

Averina Snow

Averina Snow already has considerable championship experience, having been a member of the Combined Ponies GB Driving squad 2019 in Kisber, Hungary and again in 2021 in Haras du Pin, France.

In Oirschot (NED) she will again contest the pony pairs class.

Averina was brought up in Zimbabwe, surrounded by ponies and took part in all equestrian activities on offer. She first thought about driving aged ten when her parents made a very basic cart for one of the ponies.

However, before she could take the reins the family moved to Zambia taking the pony but not the cart. She vowed to have a go one day. Averina says, “It took 30 years but was well worth the wait.”

She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in London and was without a horse for 15 years and only competed occasionally after that, given the demands of working for a major international bank.

With retirement in sight, she started driving a pony pair in 2014. She was helped enormously by Rowena Moyse of South Wales Carriage Driving Centre and progressed from club to international competition.

She was thrilled to be part of the Combined Ponies GB Driving squad at the 2019 World Championships in Hungary and also finished the season as British National pony pairs champion.

She had intended to retire from international competition after Hungary and lent her main pony, Houdini, to Deb Daniels in the para-driving team.

However, during lockdown she participated in online training offered by the GB POD Training Group and soon realised her competitive desire was still very much alive.

Averina says, “Julie Camm helped me rebuild my support team. She very kindly lent me one of her young ponies, Flash. Deb Daniels agreed to base Houdini with Robert Buck, where we could both access training and share competition time. It was teamwork at its best, rewarded by selection for both the 2021 and 2023 Combined Ponies Driving World Championships.”

Averina's groom, Dani Wheatley, events and team chases her own ponies. She is a brilliant navigator and has been helping Averina at competitions for the last three years. Dani will be on the carriage for all three phases of the competition.

You can follow Averina’s progress via Facebook.

Angela Smith

Angela from North Lincolnshire, has been driving for around 30 years and will be contesting the World Pony Championships in Oirschot in the Pony Fours class.

She has been training hard with GB Pod Training Group, successfully qualifying at Sandringham and Chepstow FEI 3* events.

Her team consists of five Welsh Section A or Welsh cross geldings, which are owned by herself and her husband Peter. Crumpwell Chase (aka Bertie) and Justin are 18 years old, Roscoe is 15, Rayrose Tornado (aka Timmy) is 11 and Rayrose Hurricane (aka Henry) is 12.

In 2023 they won the National Event at Hopetoun and the International event at Chepstow and Angela has been the HarnessStuff Driver of the Year for the last 4 years.

Angela started competing with singles, then pairs (including an occasional ‘go’ with a tandem) before driving a team of ponies.

Angela says: “Going to Lowther and watching driving trials, like many other people, got me started with driving horses and driving trials.”

She has also competed in ridden competitions including show jumping, dressage and endurance riding and finished National reserve Champion in endurance in 2009.

Angela has the same support crew on her carriage for all three phases of the competition who are her good friends Stephie White and Nikki Reddington.

Angela says, “I met Nikki more recently, although we hit it off well, and Nikki has been competing with me for a couple of years now. I have known Stephie for around 10 years and she has groomed for me and competed alongside me during this time.”

To keep up with Angela’s progress here: Angela Smith on Facebook >>

Chef d'Equipe:

Marisa Pinnock

Trainer:

Andrew Simmons