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The Carrick a Pompe is centered around a carriage, but not just any ole’ carriage…

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The Carrick a Pompe was a one person racing carriage and originated in the middle of the nineteenth century and was very fashionable among the aristocrats and rich merchants.

What set the Carrick a Pompe apart from other two-wheeled carriages is that those were drawn by just one horse.

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The Carrick a Pompe was drawn by a pair of horses, driven by the owner and typically followed by two footmen on horseback or a valet, which stood behind the driver.

Being drawn not by one, but two horses, meant the two horses had to be not only of equal size but also of equal strength and ability.
Sophisticated in its design to accommodate two horses, it was also very light and fast and racing quickly became a rather expensive and elite sport among the super rich.

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Although elegant and fast, its speed, which made it popular in the first place, became its demise. Difficult to control and maneuver, in particular if both horses were not in absolute unison, caused many injuries and even death to both horses and driver.
Unfortunately, the Carrick a Pompe‘s popularity did not last long.

While it may not have been as fast as a Formula 1® Ferrari or a McLaren, the Carrick a Pompe certainly earned its place in racing history!

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