6
Wednesday, August 24, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Drivers work the reins in a carriage derby
City
snapshots
By kathryn godsiff
Correspondent
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
• At their Thursday, August
25, 7 p.m. meeting, Sisters
City Council will be consid-
ering a motion to adopt the
Highway 20/Barclay Avenue
roundabout traffic manage-
ment options and the aesthet-
ics of the installation. The
public is invited to make com-
ments at that time. A draft con-
cept can be viewed at http://
www.oregon.gov/ODOT/
HWY/REGION4/Pages/
US20atBarclayDrive.aspx.
• The EDCO forgivable
loan program for traded-sec-
tor businesses that are starting
up or relocating in Sisters, or
creating new jobs, has been
approved by City Council. For
information, contact Caprielle
Foote-Lewis, Sisters EDCO
representative, at 541-977-
5683 or caprielle@edcoinfo.
com.
• Sisters has a new perma-
nent city attorney, with the
selection by City Council of
the Bend law firm of Bryant,
Lovelien and Jarvis (BL&J).
BL&J, which has been serv-
ing as interim counsel, is a
full-service law firm with 14
attorneys and nine partners.
They have extensive experi-
ence in municipal and land-
use law throughout Central
and Eastern Oregon. The
City will have at its disposal
the expertise of the entire
firm, but will have contact
mainly with senior partner
Jeremy Green, whose spe-
cialty is municipal law, and
his associate Alan Dale, who
is a graduate of Sisters High
School. Garrett Chrostek,
associate, and Sharon Smith,
partner, will provide advice
on land-use issues. If needed,
they have a group of three
attorneys whose sole focus
is litigation. Madras attorney
See CITy on page 27
Carriage-driving enthu-
siasts had a unique oppor-
tunity to hone their skills at
a Carriage Driving Derby,
held last Saturday in the grass
arena at Kanoe and Dyrk
Godby’s Crooked Pine Ranch
on Indian Ford Road.
In a driving derby, com-
petitors complete a course
consisting of cones and obsta-
cles. There is a route to fol-
low that demonstrates skill in
turns and spatial awareness. It
is a timed event, with penalty
seconds added for tipped-over
cones. Some cones have balls
resting on top of them, and
penalties are incurred if they
become dislodged.
The low-pressure, fun
event was organized by
the Driving Enthusiasts of
Central Oregon (DECO)
club, and open to drivers out-
side the region. In addition
to local drivers, there were
participants from Lebanon
and Dallas, Oregon. Each
round was run to a 1960s-
era soundtrack, adding to the
lighthearted spirit of the day.
It was part of a three-day
clinic/gathering for driv-
ers. The first day was a
cones clinic taught by Muffy
Seaton, giving participants
an opportunity to get familiar
with part of the derby course.
The last day was a trail drive
through the forest.
Maggie McLaughlin of
Tumalo, a long-time club
member and competitor, said
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it was the first driving derby
held in Central Oregon. The
sport has ties to another driv-
ing discipline — combined
driving — and is very popu-
lar on the East Coast and in
Europe.
Sandy Marlow of Sisters
is the current president of
DECO and drives mostly for
her own pleasure.
“I had enough of competi-
tion with hunters and jumpers
years ago,” she said.
However, after a turn
around the course as
McLaughlin’s navigator (the
person hanging onto the back
of the carriage that provides
stability at faster speeds) she
found her opinion of competi-
tion changing.
It was very
exhilarating.
It makes me see
this is a cool sport.
— Sandy Marlow
“It was very exhilarating,”
she said with a wide smile. “It
makes me see this is a cool
sport.”
Another competitor
was from Healing Reins
Therapeutic Riding Center
in Bend. The carriage was
pulled by a spunky fjord
photo by Kathryn GoDsiff
Maggie McLaughlin with Sandy Marlow navigating and Lucy, a Welsh cob
mare, working through the derby course.
horse called Acer. Maddie
Engles, a Healing Reins par-
ticipant, was the driver, with
Cindy Cronin along as her
able-bodied navigator.
Cronin is a certified ther-
apeutic riding and driving
instructor who has been driv-
ing for 15 years.
“It is ideal for partici-
pants with high fear or weight
issues or who are unable to
physically sit in a saddle. We
are the only therapeutic riding
center in Oregon to offer driv-
ing,” she said.
Engles, who also rides
at Healing Reins, added, “I
like all of it. Driving is so
different, in discipline and
atmosphere.”
DECO was formed in
2000 and has quietly been
providing carriage drivers
with a community of like-
minded members. There are
around 20 active members,
some who compete whenever
they can, some who enjoy
driving for pleasure. The club
holds clinics, group outings
and campouts and now seems
poised to offer some enjoy-
able competitive options.
For information on DECO,
contact Maggie McLaughlin
at maggiemc@q.com.
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