In The Event That...

Your Other Car's a Horse-Drawn Carriage

by Drew Lazor

The Laurels at Landhope International Combined Driving Event

Fri.-Sun., Sept. 8-10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., $10-$15, Landhope Farm, Wood View and Glen Willow rds., West Grove, 610-486-0710, www.laurelscde.org

Equestrian events can be a little stuffy. All those ill-fitting chaps. All that WASP-y circumstance. All those bad Christopher Reeve memories.

Thankfully, the sweet sport of combined driving (steeds pulling riders in souped-up carriages) is ushering in a new era in horsedom.

Located in West Grove, the Laurels at Landhope plays host to the premier driving contest in the country. The three-day event features a dressage program, a 16-kilometer marathon, a skills competition and a huge market.

For the marathon, organizers set up a 44-acre course for drivers to navigate; typical obstacles include water pits, bridges and steep expanses. Since drivers are not in direct physical contact with horses, they must rely solely on verbal commands and harness tugs to navigate their animals. It takes mad skills. A message to all you lame show jumpers: Get your game right.