OCDA “How to Drive a Derby” Clinic and Annual Awards Luncheon

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The OCDA “How to Drive a Derby” clinic and annual awards luncheon will be held at Steenbeek Friesians on Saturday, October 28, 2023. The clinic will start at 10 am with lunch to follow at 12 noon.

Driven “derbies” are making a comeback on the Ontario Fair circuit and here is your opportunities to learn to prepare for, and drive, these fun events. The clinician will be Martha Younger. Martha Younger has had the privilege of training, coaching and competing on three continents in show jumping and combined driving. A nationally certified Jumper coach since 1985, she came to the world of driving a little over fifteen years ago after a serious injury ended her professional riding career. She initially started in the pleasure ring but quickly made the move to HDs and CDs and was fortunate to have been started by Jeff Kohler before mentoring with Gerry McCallum followed by seven years training with World Champion driver, Suzy Stafford and now working with World Pairs Champion Jacob Arnold. Martha has started many young driving ponies over the years which have gone on to compete with their owners at prestigious competitions throughout the US. Her own driving career had to fit in with her busy Jumper clientele’s goals and has been entirely in the US and overseas where she competed successfully up to Intermediate level and several National Finals. Martha capped the 2023 season off with a podium finish with her now retired small pony, Mummy’s Mercedes, at Live Oak and winning the Canadian Champion Intermediate Single Pony at Bromont with her young pony, Checker. If you follow her on Facebook you will notice that she is often traveling to horse-shows to work as an official. Martha is an EC Jumper Steward and an EC Combined Driving TD as well as an ADS CD TD.

The clinic will use 3 demo ponies/horses and drivers to support the learning objectives of how to prepare for and walk the derby course, how to drive the course and scoring and placing.