The driver is by no means alone: in the marathon, two teammates ride on the back of their carriage, shifting their weight as though riding a superbike rather than a souped-up stagecoach.
Nobody drives a carriage quite like Boyd Exell.
The Australian has now won three world titles in a row, mastering not only the marathon but also the driven dressage (fancy moves determine how harmonious your horses look) and the obstacle test (steer your team through sets of cones, losing marks for any you hit).
You cannot fault the World Equestrian Games for the variety on offer.
Take a stroll for 10 minutes from the carriage driving and you come to the Games village, an array of shops and stalls with an equestrian theme.
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If we began with Norman, the final word goes to another surprising candidate on four legs: a dog named Journey, who set a record at an event for a different species.
Sydney Collier, a paradressage rider from the United States, brought Journey on the journey as her service dog.
Journey required a special pass to head inside venues with Collier, hence becoming the first accredited canine in World Equestrian Games history.
Happily, Journey avoided the water jump.
