The Carolina Carriage Club will hold its Dressage and Pleasure Driving Show Friday, Sept. 30 – Sunday, Oct. 2 at Harmon Field in Tryon. Spectators are welcome.
Organizers said they hope the 15th annual show will break the weather pattern of recent years, in which storms and heavy rains have disrupted the event.
This year, challenging the elements, organizer Karen Payne of Gaffney, S.C., has added a “Krazy Hat Contest” to be judged concurrently with the Carriage Dog Class. There is no fee to enter and the contest is open to all. Judge Craig Kellogg of Southern Pines, N.C., will likely follow tradition and invite audience participation to judge the popular Carriage Dog Class.
Ponies, any equine 50 inches or less at the withers, outnumber the  horses. The “ponies” include the popular very small equines (VSEs) and minis. The VSEs are smaller than the minis, who are smaller than ponies.
Besides the minis and VSEs, entries include three horses with Arabian ancestry (including an Arabian/Andalusian/Haflinger), a Friesian sport horse, a German riding pony, two Morgans, a Morgan/Hackney, a New Forest pony, a Shetland pony, a Quarter Horse and three Welsh Cobs to finish out the British connection.
Dressage starts Friday, Sept. 30 at 9 a.m.
Saturday action begins at 9 a.m. with the turnout classes, followed by working pleasure classes for ponies, horses and VSEs. In the adjacent ring will be the obstacle classes, reverse psychology followed by timed obstacles.
After the lunch break are the lady to drive, gentleman to drive, junior to drive, Jack Benny to drive, carriage dog and the draft pleasure classes.
A musical freestyle dressage demo class is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
For more information about the Carolina Carriage Club, visit www.carolinacarriage.org or call 828-894-2437.
– article submitted by Barbara Madill