Jean and Puddin’‘You just passed gate three, looking for gate four!” yells the navigator as the vehicle careens action-movie style — two wheels on the ground, two in the air — around the tight curve. The navigator hangs on precariously, leaning to the high side to balance the rig.

Sounds like a scene from a high-speed chase on the big screen, but it’s not. It’s Competitive Carriage Driving, and it’s the fastest growing equine sport in the world — a sport that requires coordination, driving skill, equine sense, athletic ability and guts.

Sixty-five-year-old Jean Stuard of Burleson should know; she’s been doing it for more than 20 years. [More…]