Sport
9 October, 2025
Chariots on Fire at Bundanoon
Bundanoon was blessed with beautiful weather on the long weekend, where Southern Highlands Carriage Club conducted the final leg of the two International Championships at Home.
THE CARRIAGE DRIVING ASHES & NATIONS CUP
INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
HOSTED BY THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS CARRIAGE CLUB AT BUNDANOON
Bundanoon was blessed with beautiful weather on the long weekend, where Southern Highlands Carriage Club conducted the final leg of the two International Championships at Home. A short format, multiple discipline carriage driving competition for new and experienced carriage drivers from across Australia provided an opportunity to compete against international carriage drivers in England and Europe.
Drivers from the Hunter Valley area, South Western Sydney, the Far South Coast and the Southern Tablelands, joined local drivers from the Southern Highlands in the competition which included Compulsory Figures (Dressage), Cones and Obstacles. All drivers in Australia, England and Europe were required to perform exactly the same events as each other, thereby making the scoring fair for all.
Southern Highlands Carriage Club was hoping that Australia could “bring home The Ashes” again, which Australia won in the inaugural year of 2023, but this year it was not to be. However, to everyone’s credit Australia was second in The Ashes, which is a contest between England and Australia only, and also second in the Nations Cup, with many other countries in the world taking part, a fantastic result for a country that is so far away from the international carriage driving hubs of the world.
Everyone had a wonderful week of learning (from Victorian carriage driving coach, Phill Marshall), competition, socialising and fun, culminating in the weekend’s competition. All the drivers enjoyed taking part in this wonderful weekend of carriage driving, a sport which the carriage drivers describe as the “best fun you can have sitting down”!!
The club thanked all its generous sponsors who assisted in making the 2025 Competition a great success. Now the training of our equines continues in preparation for returning in 2026 to compete again with a renewed vigour to make it to the top of the ladder and return The Ashes to Australia.
Contributed by Yvonne Wood
Photos Linda Mace
Read More: Bundanoon, Southern Highlands, Yass