Mandy Moon is carriage driving at Windsor Castle along with back-stepper Alice Scarborough.
It may sound like a contradiction to enjoy an equestrian sport where you never get on a horse to do it. Even more so, when you are just 80km away from the buzz of central London. But for Warkworth’s Mandy Moon, it’s something that has always been on her bucket list, and now she says she’s “seizing the day”.
Mandy has just completed her first international Carriage Driving trials, following in the footsteps of the late Prince Phillip at Windsor Castle, where he introduced carriage driving as a sport in 1971. It was the first time that she had driven her loan pony through obstacles or cones, and she was delighted to be placed second in her class.
“It was brilliant. I always wanted to drive the long mile, but I didn’t actually realise that I would be doing it in such spectacular grounds,” says Mandy.
Mandy has been competitively carriage driving for 12 years, with wins in the National Open multiple classes at local combined driving trials. She was invited to compete in Australia in 2023, finishing in second place in the Zilco Ashes with a borrowed horse, and again competed in Australia in 2024 with individual and team wins.
While in Australia, she met Robert Buck, who trained Team GB for the 2005 and 2007 World Championships and the British Para Squad and Team at the last two World Championships, and Chef d’Equipe for the British Para Driving Team, Julie Camm. This led to Mandy being offered a horse to compete at carriage driving in England, owned by Chef d’Equip for the British Pony Teams, Avarina Snow. Her dream became a reality.
“Ranger [loan horse] has been to the world championships a few times but subsequently retired from international competition. Luckily for me, he has been brought back in for me to drive, which is just fantastic. He’s not the sort of pony that just hands it to you on a plate, and if I don’t ask correctly he won’t do it! He is teaching me a lot!”
Now, she is training in preparation for the international carriage driving competition to be held at the David Broome Centre in Chepstow, Wales from 3-7 June. She is bubbling over with excitement.
“I can’t wait! It’s a FEI CAI2* and CAI3* combined driving trials event. It’s all very proper and demanding, and ‘up there’ in the competitive stakes,” she says.
The equestrian osteopath lives on a lifestyle block in Warkworth along with her six Welsh ponies and three shire crosses. All have been trained to carriages, although she had to adapt her carriage to fit her 16.3hh shire called Lewis.
“My identity as a practitioner has led me to train my horses in a way that is ethical. My horses prefer being driven rather than ridden; it allows them to be a horse, while you can still have a partnership with them.”
“There is nothing like sitting behind a team of horses and ponies and admiring them. It’s visually extremely pleasing. It’s like being in your favourite sports car, it’s so much fun,” she says.
Carriage driving is also a team effort. Mandy competes with a navigator and a back-stepper on board, participating in an arena —a bit like a dressage arena, but bigger.
“Each person matters, each horse matters, and so you are having fun together and the shared memories are more powerful.”
Mandy Moon and Cindy Timmer enjoing a day out carriage driving at Takapoto. Copyright Cornege Media.
Takapoto Estate jumping co-ordinator Cindy Timmer will join Mandy. She has been involved as the Show Secretary of FEI Driving events across Europe for 25 years, and the two met when she immigrated from the Netherlands a couple of years ago. Together they have worked together in New Zealand training horses for carriage driving.
“I can drive, but I’ve always preferred to be on the back of the carriage, either as a navigator or a back stepper, or as a groom. If you are on the back of a four-in-hand, you always have to have two grooms. I’ve always preferred to do that, so I could combine it with doing other work at the events,” says Cindy.
Mandy says her trip is primarily self-funded, with a generous sponsorship from a handful of Warkworth locals.
“A big shout out to ITSS engineering Warkworth, and Lisa Smith and Chriss Farrand who have made private donations. I also couldn’t have done this trip without the support of my family, Richard, Becky and Indy who are keeping the home fires burning and financial wolves from the door,” says Mandy.
“I think the take home is that it is never too late to live your dreams – you just have to take action and where there is a will, there will always be a way. Please wish me luck!”