Annual Driving Awards
ACDS Queensland Branch Inc conducts three carriage driving awards, based on accumulated points. All Qld
ACDS driving members are eligible to nominate:
Show Driving - Trevor Cox Memorial Perpetual Trophy
3 Phase/CDE - Event High Points Award
Driven Dressage - Ross Seimon Memorial Cup
The competition year for each award is 1 January until 1 November.
– only $10 to nominate per combination for each award.
Clubs – If you are intending to conduct an event, please consult the relevant Discipline Convenor or ACDSQB
Awards Registrar to check the award rules for any specific requirements.
How did these Awards start?
Queensland carriage driving has had a number of perpetual awards since competitions and carriage driving clubs began in the 1970s and 1980s. See below for the list of winners for the current year and all previous years. The first of the current awards was the President’s Cup for Driven Dressage, donated by Ross and Heather Siemon in 1989.
Ross Seimon Memorial Cup
Ross was very involved both as a competitor and as a judge, and also in the administration of driving since the Queensland Branch beginnings. A strong interest in the breeding and driving of Hackney horses and ponies kept him deeply involved while running his own building business. Ross had shown with success at the Royal shows, at many other agricultural shows and ADS (now ACDS) shows and events. Ross held the position of Club President and Presidency of the ADS Queensland Branch for some time, was a
member representative to the EFAQ and delegate to the ADS (now ACDS) Federal Council. His lasting contribution
to carriage driving in Queensland is the introduction of the President’s Cup for Driven Dressage during his term as
State Branch President. This perpetual trophy sought to encourage the development and improvement of driven
dressage in Queensland with the trophy being sponsored by Ross and Heather, who herself was also an
accomplished carriage driver. When Ross passed away in November 2000, the Cup was renamed in his memory.
Trevor Cox Memorial Perpetual Trophy
Show driving is the longest established competition for carriage driving, with harness classes
being held at Royal and agricultural shows in their horse programs for over a century. Harness
classes also feature at breed shows. The ACDS and its State branches run show driving
championships, with high point awards usually conducted at each show. Mini shows are also
conducted by affiliated ACDS clubs. The ACDSQB established a State-wide high points
competition in 2002 which was later renamed the Trevor Cox Memorial Perpetual Trophy in
memory of Queensland member, Trevor Cox. Trevor passed away in March 2006 and his
widow, Barbara, wished to donate a perpetual trophy for the State show driving award. It was a
discipline in which they both enjoyed with their harness horses. Trevor, the quiet achiever, was
a much respected ACDS Show Driving Judge, Novice Dressage Judge, President of Jimboomba &
Districts Pleasure Drivers, and Club Delegate to the ACDS Queensland Branch.
3 Phase/CDE High Points Award
Combined Driving Events (CDEs) started world-wide in the early 1970s when rules were developed by the FEI.
The first perpetual trophy in Queensland was introduced by Neville Lindley as an inter-club CDE competition.
CDEs in Queensland ebbed and flowed during the 1980s and 1990s but are now experiencing a revival in
Queensland. A new Queensland 3 Phase/CDE High Points Award and perpetual trophy was sponsored in 2008 by
CDE enthusiasts Jim Cassidy and Helen Baskerville to keep the competitive spirit alive. The award also recognises
‘3-phase driving events’ which have the 3 competitive phases of a CDE but the marathon phase is reduced to one
section which allows the event to be run in a day.
How do I nominate?
To enter for the individual carriage driving awards, refer to the Rules and Nomination Form.
Remember –
1. Read and complete all details on the nomination form and post with payment to the ACDSQB Treasurer –
points will start only from the date of receipt of correct payment with ACDSQB.
2. Entrants submit their results to the ACDSQB Awards Registrar within the due timeframes – check the Rules for each competition. It is the competitor’s responsibility to submit their results in time for inclusion in the award.
What information can help me prepare for these competitions?
Carriage drivers interested in the competitions of driven dressage, show driving and combined driving should
obtain and read the following manuals. Please refer to the ACDS Qld Branch website or Australian Carriage
Driving Society website (http://www.australiancarriagedrivingsociety.org/) to view them. The manuals have
everything you need to know about competing in these events:
ACDS Driven Dressage Manual (and ACDS dressage tests from ACDS website)
ACDS Manual for Show Driving
ACDS Rules for Australian Combined Driving Events (available online from ACDS website)
CDE Organisation Manual 2010 (CDEs)
Questions?
If you have any further queries about the Awards and nominating for them, please contact the ACDSQB Awards
Registrar, Sue O'Brien email sjobrien611@gmail.com
Rules & Nomination form