In addition to the hat contest that will take place at Harmon Field in Tryon this weekend, Sept. 26 and 27, there really will be a carriage show!

At the Carolina Carriage Club&39;s 13th annual Pleasure Driving and Dressage Show, 16 &dquo;Minis,&dquo; aka VSE&squo;s or Very Small Equines, measuring less than a yard high at the shoulders, outnumber all other breeds competing. There are six Morgans and Morgan Crosses, five members of the Friesian family, four Shetlands and crosses, three Welsh Crosses, two Welsh Cobs.

No, there will be no partridges in pear trees ‐ unless perhaps they are entered in the hat contest. Other breeds with one representative each are Arabian, Arabian Cross, Canadian Sport Pony, Connemara Cross, Dutch Warmblood, German Riding Pony, Haflinger, Norwegian Fjord, Paint, Spotted Draft, and a Tennessee Walking Horse.

Many of the entries have special stories, but Nancy Faller&squo;s Paint Shetland Pony Peanut has come a long way since Nancy, from Mocksville, N.C., rescued him in 2005. In 2008, Peanut was the leader in the tandem with Jellybean. This year Peanut will have solo billing, but Nancy will also compete with a six-year-old Welsh Cross mare named Hannah.

The free hat contest for spectators and non-competitors has drawn a lot of interest, and the &dquo;rules&dquo; have been evolving since co-organizer Sue McDaniel came up with the idea. The contest will be judged throughout the day by secret judges. Photographer Mark Lehner will be taking photos of the hats and the wearers, who will have filled out an &dquo;entry form.&dquo;

So, bring your parasol (or &dquo;bumbershoot&dquo;) as the weather dictates, a folding (or motorized) chair and have fun. One word of caution, be alert for the call, &dquo;Heads Up&dquo; ‐ translated, that means &dquo;Get out of the way!&dquo; &bsp;

Refreshments will be available. Everyone is invited to&bsp; have fun and enjoy a growing sport that has hundreds of years of history.

Don&squo;t forget to check out the silent auction. It will be stabled in the barn area. Proceeds will go to one of our local horse rescues, Hope for Horses – http://www.hopeforhorses.org/ &bsp;

On hat contest day, Saturday, two rings will start action at 8:00 a.m. For more information about the CCC, go to http://www.carolinacarriage.org.