The 2014 USEF National Single Horse Driving Championship came to an exciting conclusion on Sunday in the cones phase of the Southern Pines CDE.

2013 Champion, Leslie Berndl, held her nerve to drive a near flawless effort over Richard Nicoll’s cones course to retain the title.

On Saturday Berndl (Newcastle, Calif.) and her own 13-year-old KWPN gelding, Uminco (Manno pref x Marinka by Waterman), headed onto the marathon with the lead after winning the dressage with a score of 34.24. They headed into the final cones phase on a total score of 113.67, giving them more than a three-point cushion over the field.

Berndl and Uminco, were the final competitors to tackle the cones course in the championship finishing within the time allowed and only dislodging two balls to add six points to their overall score. They finished on a total of 119.67 on weekend that surpassed expectation for the singles driving veteran.