Question about Driving Classes at Nationals

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StarRidgeAcres

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I'm not a "driver" at all so I apologize in advance if this is a really stupid question
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but the one and only time I did drive in a class (I know, who in the world let's a novice get in a cart for the first time at Nationals???? But that's a whole different topic!) when the announcer said "driviers, trot on into the line up" I headed that way, but the dang class was so freakin large that it was like a mass pile-up. So I had to pull my horse up and then I "walked" the rest of the way into the line. After the class, the trainer who owned the horse said it was a perfect ride except for me "walking" into the line when you are supposed to trot right into place and then stop. But I'm watching all these classes online and I'm seeing LOTS of people walk their horses into the line. And they are placing. So, what's the real rule about this?

Just curious. No more driving plans in my immediate future.
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We don't show breed shows, but at the carriage shows you are supposed to leave the rail perpendicular to the spot you choose in the line up. That saves a lot of people zigzagging all over the arena in front of each other. The announcer actually announced that drivers may "trot to catch up" to come into line up. Now, this last weekend, I did "double back" when I was on the end of the rail so that the judge didn't have to wait for me to go all the way around.

Myrna
 
I didn't see this topic until now.

Yes, when told to trot into the line up drivers shouldn't trot in from all directions--those in a position to turn and trot in to line up facing the ringmaster do so. Those that are not in a position where they can turn and trot straight into the line up should continue on along the rail until they are in a position to do that. If everyone does it properly you do not have people coming in helter skelter and you will not have to pull up to avoid someone else. If you're at the end of the ring & can safely double back to line up--as Myrna said she did--that is not unacceptable. For me that is what I would do rather than be the last horse still trotting all the way around the arena to get into line! If I were already going down the rail in front of the line up I would continue on around.

Sometimes the call is to line up--then if you're trotting you trot in, if you're already walking you walk in--or the call may be to "walk and line up". It may be that some of the classes you've watched they were not meant to trot into line? Or it may be that they were meant to trot in but the judges didn't put much emphasis on that portion of the class & so it didn't matter if the horse walked or trotted into line.
 
IMO the judges have already made up their mind as to who they want to place it won't matter if you walk or trot in.
 

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