Andrew Counsell Master Class for Driven Dressage at the Florida Horse Park November 17-19, 2024
Saturday, June 29, 2024 | Mary Phelps
Sign up before the closing date to reserve your spot for an unprecedented educational opportunity for drivers, judges, aspiring judges, and Combined Driving officials.
Andrew Counsell Master Class
- Back by popular demand, the Andrew Counsell (GBR) Master Class for Driving is being offered in conjunction with the ADS Iron Horse Combined Driving Event at the Florida Horse Park on November 16-17, 2024.
Counsell, an FEI 4* Driving Judge, Organizer of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Driving event, and member of the FEI Driving Committee will continue to build on his successful Driven Dressage clinic, which was held in January 2024. - November 17 (Sunday afternoon) – November 19
- Florida Horse Park
The educational series begins on Sunday after the marathon and awards, following the event with dinner and a video lecture. We would also like to thank ADS President-Elect Teresa Bron for generously donation her time as a judge for the Iron Horse Event.
A special thank you
- The Florida Horse Park for donating the use of the facility for this event.
- Lynda Jowers and the Florida Whips, thank you for your assistance.
Brought to you by
- Mary Phelps – Markel Equine Insurance sponsor
Expenses for Andrew Counsell and Teresa Brons volunteering as judges. - April Hardeman is dedicating her time as the scorer for the event.
The clinic for three days to audit is $250. This includes the lecture, dinner, and light lunch on Monday and Tuesday.
Sign Up Form
This class is critically important to the driving community: judges, officials, drivers at all levels, and others interested in learning more about driving sport. A selection of drivers, horses, and ponies will participate for two days, Monday the 18th and Tuesday the 19th, following the training scale discussed in the introductory lecture on Sunday. Also introducing Young Horse Progam for US Driving and Newly Approved FEI Tests for Pairs and Four In Hand.
Schedule ( format may be adjusted)
Please note – No Video Taping Allowed
We are working on having a videographer – to be announced
Sunday – November 17
- 4-6 PM – An Evening with Andrew Counsell – Dinner provided
A video and PowerPoint presentation on the training scale and examples of dressage tests will be discussed. Given the time, it may also be possible to demonstrate the Young Horse Test in the Live Oak Arena.
Monday – November 18
- 8:30 – 9:30 Orientation and discussion for the program
request for auditors to assist judges in training to scribe - 9:30 – Driving begins (Drivers and levels will be announced)
- 5:30 – last drive – dinner on your own
Tuesday – November 19 9-4:30
- Driven tests begin with judging for Judge Participants
Tests will be provided.
All participating drivers are required to clean their stalls before shipping. Thank you.
Save the Dates – More information will follow soon
Keep checking this page for updates. We are just in the preliminary stages and are asking all interested parties to be flexible and receptive. Whatever the outcome, this unique opportunity to learn from the best in the world will be worth the time and investment.
We are proceeding as we did in January by developing this clinic as an educational opportunity for drivers, judges, aspiring judges, and Combined Driving officials.
Selection of Drivers
The clinic, Drive a Test with Andrew Counsell, will feature horse-and-driver combinations at all levels, including singles, pairs, and four-in-hand. We will review all applicants to choose a diverse selection of drivers and combinations to cover all levels, from Training to Advanced. It is important that we can offer the full range of levels and experience. There will be a limit of 8 drivers for the two days.
Any drivers wishing to participate, please get in touch with mary@horsesdaily.com with detail
Level and equine (s)
Are you competing at Iron Horse CDE
We are looking for Young Horse participants and multiples at all levels.
As drivers are selected they will appear on the schedule.
Sunday, November 17 – 5:30-8:30
The format will be an evening classroom presentation with Andrew Counsell on Sunday following the show, including a buffet dinner. His detailed presentation, with graphics and videos, demonstrates the training scale, how to assess the horse’s way of going, what to look for as a judge, and what to strive for as the driver.
Location to be determined.
Monday, November 18th – 8:30-5:30
The first day of driven dressage tests will include all auditors and drivers focusing on the way of going and what to look for, not on judging the actual test. The drivers will do their test with commentary and questions, then do the test again.
Tuesday, November 19, 8:30- 5:30
On the second day, the “Judges” will participate in the test, and auditors can also participate as scribes. This format was extremely popular and resulted in a clear advancement of all drivers and a deeper understanding and camaraderie among the judges in training.
About Andrew Counsell
Andrew Counsell
A professional educator, Counsell became a national driving trials official and an FEI international driving judge in 2006 as principal of the Duchy College in Cornwall.
He has now officiated at over 160 international events, including 19 World Championships and World Equestrian Games.
During his college years, Andrew chaired an RDA group and became a national RDA Driving instructor and inspector. He is now chair of British Carriage Driving.
Andrew’s passion for driving and education will bring a new dimension to the USA Driving Community. We aim to create this event, and we will develop a plan for continued educational opportunities on multiple levels of our sport.
See What People Are Saying
Here are some comments and “Takeaways” from the clinic held in January 2024. It was well attended by drivers, auditors, judges, and aspiring judges.
I loved it! They were all so kind and willing to share. More, please! This gave me an idea of the scoring scale as it relates to other disciplines. I particularly liked the attention to the basics. As a ridden dressage judge, I will be able to give driven dressage competitors a better comparison to others who drive—and less likely to use the ridden dressage scale.
He comes from the traditional way of driving. He explains what he is asking so everyone can understand. He respected the horses’ abilities and didn’t push them past the limits.
I traveled from Pennsylvania to attend this clinic. Andrew knows the subject matter well and stresses the importance of focusing on the correct basics, no matter the level. It’s a learning process to become better at judging, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to hear from respected officials like Andrew Counsell.
This was one of the best run clinics I’ve been to. Everyone was really kind and understanding.
There were many “takeaways.”
I ask my pony to be slightly over bent so when she halts and her head comes up, she is on the bit, not over.
Spiral in and out of a circle to get her to use her ring and develop more spring in the trot.
Make sure my pony is straight before asking for an extension.
Don’t cram your equine into the corners of the ring if it will throw them off balance.
Have extremely clear transitions!
I found working with the other judges one of the most beneficial parts of the clinic, particularly as I am not a judge myself. Listening to them evaluate the test that we watched and then participating in the discussion was illuminating. The judges that I stood beside were more than happy to share their opinions on what they were seeing, and I found that very helpful!
This clinic was very educational. Andrew has a very easy, logical way of explaining movements and ways of going. A specific takeaway for me as a driver was the use of softening the hand and working at the walk. And as a judge, Consider way of going more.
In the format of having the driver drive the test, we discussed the movements that needed improvement and had Andrew give feedback to the driver on how to improve the movement and then drive the test again. A clear and brilliant way to help the judges develop their eye and gave the driver valuable information to improve their horse and their way of driving.
This was a superb clinic. It was seriously the best dressage judging information I have received. I enjoyed how Andrew presented the information and valued the drivers’ and auditors’ feedback (judges). Well done, and I highly recommend another clinic! Thank you to Andrew for sharing your knowledge and insight.
Priceless.
Driving under pressure in front of several other judges, receiving direct feedback from Andrew, and having him work on specific pieces of the movements was a unique benefit. I enjoyed seeing Andrew Council in action and taking the test apart into smaller pieces, and commenting on how those movements could be made better. I also really respect his scoring and judging is always done with the horse in mind. He seems very fair, and I felt lucky to see it all in action
Andrew delivered his critique on specific points in a very positive manner. He spent valuable time in coaching the driver to improve weaknesses seen that day in our test. I so appreciate his help and have several excellent takeaways to work on at home. We learned a lot from observing the comments given to the drivers as well. The best clinic ever! Thank you so much for the invitation!
Well-organized and presented clinic; thank you, Mary and Wayne. Here are some “takeaways”;
Horses must stand still with their head, as well as their legs, in the halt.
Horses must show a clear bend in the corners as well as on the circles, even at training level.
Drivers must not have straight arms because then they have nowhere to give.
Even driving horses can stretch their topline to make their strides longer.
Horses must not only stand quietly and rain back willingly, and it is also very important that they move off in an absolutely straight line for a top score.
Clinic with Andrew Counsell
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