Sep 13, 2022

Harvey Brown at the FEI Youth Driving European Championships - Event Report

Harvey Brown and his two ponies were selected to represent Great Britain at the FEI Youth Driving European Championships. He has followed in his father's footsteps and started driving aged 10 with a single pony. Fast forward to 2022 and he is competing against the best young drivers in Europe!

“I was very excited to represent my country for a second time and also felt happy that we as a team were all going to gain more experience.”

Harvey on being selected for the FEI Youth Driving European Championships

Harvey is a brand ambassador for Riding & Harness Stuff. Find out how he got on at the FEI Youth Driving European Championships!

In this event report:

Preparing for the European Championships
The Team
The Kit
The Event
What's Next?

Preparing for the European Championships

To prepare for the championships, Harvey has been training 5 times per week all year with his ponies. He also attended team training at Ashfields with team trainers Roger Campbell and Sara Howe.

The week running up to the event was spent packing and organising everything at home ready for a 13 day trip and 2900 mile round trip.

Harvey Brown Lorry on Way to Youth Driving Championships

The Team

Harvey has only had his ponies for five months but they already have a fantastic partnership. Mac and Tosh are both chestnut Welsh Sections Cs with big personalities!

His parents are huge supporters, helping to get Harvey to the championships. His father trains Harvey at home with assistance from Tara Wilkinson too. They also both shared driving the horse box to Kisbér-Ászár in Hungary where the championships were held.

Harvey Brown Driving Team

The Kit

Harvey's ponies use the Zilco Classic Pairs Harness. The temperatures in Hungary reached 37°C some of the days, so we supplied him with Ice Boots to help keep the ponies' legs cool.

The Event

We chatted with Harvey to hear his thoughts on how each phase went.

Dressage

“My dressage was not quite the score we were looking for however my ponies performed to their best ability."

Marathon

Walking the marathon:

"After walking the obstacles we quickly realised that it would suit my small ponies as they are really nippy on tight turns but can also gallop out and in on the long entries and exits to the obstacles."

Driving the marathon:

"I could not have asked for more from the marathon as we won the phase overall with no mistakes or knockdowns."

Harvey Brown Marathon Phase Driving Championships

Cones

“The cones was a very twisty course with a tight time so it was a decision whether you played it safe with the balls and risked getting time or just went for it, we decided the second option was the safest as time penalties can add up very quick."

What’s Next?

Harvey is aiming to compete abroad next year with his ponies, gaining his 3* rating with just one more event. They are aiming for the Youth Championships in Sweden in 2024.

We look forward to cheering Harvey and his ponies on at many championships to come!

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