He began his driving career in 1977, and entered his first Combined Driving Event in 1979. Sterling participated in his first international event in 1984 as navigator for the four-in-hand of Emil-Bernhard Jung, a member of the American team, at the World Four-in-Hand Championships in Szilvasvarad, Hungary.

In 2006, Sterling competed as an individual at the World Singles Championships at Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, where he was fourth on the marathon and the highest overall placed American driver with Alexander Hewitt’s Belgian Warmblood gelding, Quincey. Sterling has thrice won the FEI Top Driver Award, North American Challenge, Single Horse championship. In 2008 he won the USEF National Combined Driving Single Horse National Championship with Dante, a Sport Cob owned in partnership Dr. Wendy Ying, and Dante won USEF Combined Driving Single Reserve Horse of the Year 2008.

Sterling competes in both Pleasure and Combined Driving, with singles, pairs, tandems, unicorns, and four-in-hands.

Details to follow.

Combined Driving

MEMBER OF THE 2003, 2005 & 2009 USET World Championship Team

Not only is Sara Schmitt a skilled Ridden Dressage Competitor, trainer and instructor, but she is also a talented Combined Driver. She is a USET long listed driver and in 2003 was selected to compete with her Morgan stallion, “High Country Doc”, in the first ever World Combined Driving Pony Championships. At the 2003 FEI World Combined Driving Pony Championships in Karlstetten, Austria, Sara and Doc won 6th individual overall and helped the US team to a 6th place finish! At the 2005 World Combined Driving Pony Championships in England, finished 10th! In 2009 the US Pony Team finished 4th overall.