Coachman’s Delight Home

Our first European CDE turned out to be equal parts horse show and wine country getaway. We had a dragon-wrapped rental truck, a rented cones carriage, and just enough mud to work on our drifting skills.

It's official — US Equestrian has announced that we will be on the Defender U.S. Driving Team for the 2026 FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses in Munich, Germany.

The full Go Retta Roo team is back together in the Netherlands, and Loretta is keener than ever. Between fine-tuning with Kelly, a few equipment adventures and the odd bit of paperwork, this was our week to get ready for our first CDE in the EU.

We made it to the Netherlands! The trip was a logistics gauntlet, but Loretta is as keen as ever. Here's why we're prepping for Munich from about 600 km to the west.

Shipping Loretta to Europe means jet stalls, horse passports, and a flight that keeps getting rescheduled—four times and counting. Stuck near JFK with borrowed tack and no plane ticket of my own, I’m waiting it out at a beautiful jumper barn while Loretta gets ready to fly solo to Belgium.

The final countdown is on. Loretta and the Go Retta Roo team are days away from shipping across the Atlantic, dressage fundamentals rebuilt, fitness dialed in, and a brand new leg ready for its first trial by fire. Next stop: Europe.

The 2026 FEI World Singles Driving Championship comes to Munich September 1–6. Here's what the event is, how the sport works — and why RettaRoo will be there.