AUTUMN CARRIAGE DRIVING TRAINING 2024

Training led by Miha Tavčar, World Champion in Marathon Carriage Driving

Young and adult beginners, inexperienced and experienced carriage drivers accepted the invitation of the Equestrian Federation of Slovenia and attended the autumn training session at the Celje Equestrian Center. With or without a horse, on Saturday, December 7, 2024, we tested our skills, strengthened our knowledge, and learned many new practical techniques. The training was led by Miha Tavčar, world champion in marathon driving in 2017, a coach and driver who has won international awards in carriage driving for many years.

The preparation of the horse for driving begins with a single-horse carriage. Miha Tavčar introduced everyone to single-horse driving using one of his Lipizzaner horses. The horse was harnessed to a single-horse carriage provided by the Equestrian Federation of Slovenia, which can also be borrowed by members through arrangement. Each participant then had the opportunity to try driving a single-horse carriage, accompanied by co-driver Damjan Ščuka and Miha Tavčar. This was followed by a demonstration of children’s single-horse driving, with the opportunity for children and young people aged 10 to 16 to try driving. The demonstration was led by Žiga Tavčar, the current children’s national champion.

Many drivers and spectators attended the training. Drivers brought horses of various breeds and trained with single or pair-horse carriages. Participants included Matjaž Hlebš with two single-horse Lipizzaner carriages, Janez Peternel with three single-horse Lipizzaner carriages, Tomaž Steblovnik with a single-horse Haflinger carriage, Andrej Marc with a single-horse Lipizzaner carriage, Neža Podpečan with a single-horse Friesian carriage, Miha Cebek with a pair-horse Barock Pinto carriage, Dejan Beloševič with a pair-horse Barock Pinto stallion carriage, and Matej Markun with a pair-horse Lipizzaner carriage.

A big thank you to all the organizers, all the participants, and carriage drivers who attended the training and to everyone who helped make the autumn carriage driving training a success.

Melita Sinjur