By Robin Bates
The Carriage Association of America Carriage Festival was held June 29 – July 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The event drew pleasure driving entries from all over the country and gave Mid-Southerners a chance to see some outstanding pleasure driving, antique carriages, and beautiful horses and ponies pulling them. There was also an antique car show held in conjunction with the driving events. Held in the air-conditioned Alltech Arena, the venue gave both man and beast a welcome respite from the outside temperatures, which topped 100° F during the show.
Many breeds were represented, including Morgans, Dutch Harness Horses, Hackneys, Dales ponies, Friesians, Welsh ponies, Miniature Horses, Haflingers and Fjords. From tiny miniature horses measuring a scant 30 inches to 17 hand Warmbloods hitched to road coaches, every conceivable size of animal was represented. One of the most popular divisions was the Pony Division, which had so many entries that it was split into two sections.
The carriages presented ranged from an antique goat cart to enormous English road coaches pulled by four-in-hands of impeccably groomed horses. Although many of the carriages being driven were antiques, some exhibitors preferred to drive vehicles that were reproductions of antiques. Driving a reproduction can help save the rare antique vehicles from wear and tear, and reproductions can also be much easier to maintain.
One of the most popular divisions at the show featured neither antique nor reproduction carriages. That was the Utility Division, which allowed exhibitors to drive the modern, metal vehicles that they might also use for cross country competitions. Using a marathon carriage for both Combined Driving Events (which is modeled after Three Day Eventing competitions) and for the Utility Division of a Pleasure Show helps reduce the cost of showing. For many people, this division is fun way to "get your feet wet" in several very different types of competitive driving without the costs of buying multiple vehicles.
There were classes judged predominantly on the appearance and appointments of the entries (Turnout Classes) to those that were purely performance timed events (Fault and Out Obstacle Classes). There were classes judged on how well the drivers performed (Reinsmanship Classes), as well as those with the emphasis mostly on the performance of the horses or ponies ( Working Classes). In addition to the full divisions the audience enjoyed a Carriage Dog Class, in which the canines got to ride along, and a Costume Class. The Coach Horn Class, in which classic Coach Horn calls were performed from atop antique English road coaches, conjured up days long past in England. The coach horns helped clear the road when the giant vehicles were the primary mode of transportation between major cities.
The last day of the show saw the carriages rolling through the beautiful surrounding countryside in a judged outdoor presentation pleasure drive. Despite the heat, the steady stream of well-turned-out carriages and their occupants were a beautiful sight! To see photos of all the exhibitors, visit the Carriage Association of America blog at http://carriageassociation.wordpress.com
Photos from the CAA Carriage Festival: Two photos of Cathy and Carrie Ostrowski driving Plainsview Red Hot, a Morgan gelding put to an antique wicker ladies phaeton. They are driving in the Sunday drive, winding through the Kentucky Horse Park and an adjacent farm. Carrie and Red Hot were third in their section of the pony division. Third photo is Jennifer Harber driving Maja, a Fjord mare put to a marathon carriage, on the Sunday drive. Jennifer and Maya were the Champions of the Utility Division, in which participants drive their modern, metal vehicles that they normally use to compete in cross country (marathon) in Combined Driving.
(photos by Janeene Jennings)
The Carriage Association of America Carriage Festival was held June 29 – July 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The event drew pleasure driving entries from all over the country and gave Mid-Southerners a chance to see some outstanding pleasure driving, antique carriages, and beautiful horses and ponies pulling them. There was also an antique car show held in conjunction with the driving events. Held in the air-conditioned Alltech Arena, the venue gave both man and beast a welcome respite from the outside temperatures, which topped 100° F during the show.
Many breeds were represented, including Morgans, Dutch Harness Horses, Hackneys, Dales ponies, Friesians, Welsh ponies, Miniature Horses, Haflingers and Fjords. From tiny miniature horses measuring a scant 30 inches to 17 hand Warmbloods hitched to road coaches, every conceivable size of animal was represented. One of the most popular divisions was the Pony Division, which had so many entries that it was split into two sections.
The carriages presented ranged from an antique goat cart to enormous English road coaches pulled by four-in-hands of impeccably groomed horses. Although many of the carriages being driven were antiques, some exhibitors preferred to drive vehicles that were reproductions of antiques. Driving a reproduction can help save the rare antique vehicles from wear and tear, and reproductions can also be much easier to maintain.
One of the most popular divisions at the show featured neither antique nor reproduction carriages. That was the Utility Division, which allowed exhibitors to drive the modern, metal vehicles that they might also use for cross country competitions. Using a marathon carriage for both Combined Driving Events (which is modeled after Three Day Eventing competitions) and for the Utility Division of a Pleasure Show helps reduce the cost of showing. For many people, this division is fun way to "get your feet wet" in several very different types of competitive driving without the costs of buying multiple vehicles.
There were classes judged predominantly on the appearance and appointments of the entries (Turnout Classes) to those that were purely performance timed events (Fault and Out Obstacle Classes). There were classes judged on how well the drivers performed (Reinsmanship Classes), as well as those with the emphasis mostly on the performance of the horses or ponies ( Working Classes). In addition to the full divisions the audience enjoyed a Carriage Dog Class, in which the canines got to ride along, and a Costume Class. The Coach Horn Class, in which classic Coach Horn calls were performed from atop antique English road coaches, conjured up days long past in England. The coach horns helped clear the road when the giant vehicles were the primary mode of transportation between major cities.
The last day of the show saw the carriages rolling through the beautiful surrounding countryside in a judged outdoor presentation pleasure drive. Despite the heat, the steady stream of well-turned-out carriages and their occupants were a beautiful sight! To see photos of all the exhibitors, visit the Carriage Association of America blog at http://carriageassociation.wordpress.com
Photos from the CAA Carriage Festival: Two photos of Cathy and Carrie Ostrowski driving Plainsview Red Hot, a Morgan gelding put to an antique wicker ladies phaeton. They are driving in the Sunday drive, winding through the Kentucky Horse Park and an adjacent farm. Carrie and Red Hot were third in their section of the pony division. Third photo is Jennifer Harber driving Maja, a Fjord mare put to a marathon carriage, on the Sunday drive. Jennifer and Maya were the Champions of the Utility Division, in which participants drive their modern, metal vehicles that they normally use to compete in cross country (marathon) in Combined Driving.
(photos by Janeene Jennings)
