Young carriage driver fares well at international event

An Elora teen is celebrating a successful season of carriage driving, a sport renowned for its versatility in breed, size, and shape of competing horses.

Alexis Clark is among many junior competitors in Wellington County and beyond who are keeping the carriage tradition alive.

Last year the 17-year-old, working with a leased pony named Applegarths Royal Gala, showcased her skills and training at the Garden State Combined Driving Show in New Jersey in October, placing second in a competitive group of many experienced adult drivers.

The event tests dressage, cross-country marathon and obstacle cone driving over three days of competition, and is similar to the mounted equestrian sport of eventing.

Officials say Clark’s second-place finish was impressive considering she was riding a “green” pony and was the lone Canadian competitor at the show.

Clark also made her debut at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto in the fall in the Welsh and half-Welsh evening driving performances.