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Download the CT Valley Driving Club July Newsletter. In this issue:
Saturday, June 27th — Click here for Details and Directions CVDC will hold its June meeting and annual elections at the lovely Milestone Farm, home of members Robin Malkasian and Kate Burr. An expert on greening your farm from CT’s HEAP program (Horse Environmental Awareness Program), will be on hand to give us guidance on how we can do simple things to make our barns and farms more environmentally friendly. Milestone is a HEAP award-winning farm set in Hebron, with acres of lovely green pastures and an amazing barn with a wide variety of equines. You won’t want to miss this meeting. Robin and Kate always make us feel very welcome. Plus, you can learn how to become a HEAP award-winning farm yourself. The Horse Environmental Awareness Program (HEAP) is a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies, organizations, and individuals interested in educating horse people on Best Management Practices to protect the environment. The efforts of the group are funded by educational funds available through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). Be sure to come to the meeting to vote in our annual club elections! Hop on board now. The bus is filling up! Should be a fun day, ferry ride and tour.
We will be bused via luxury Coach to the Bridgeport Ferry. The ferry ride takes approximately 1+ hours and is a lot of fun in itself. There is food and beverage on board. Enjoy your lunch, beautiful views of the sound and shores, and the comradery of other driving enthusiasts. On arrival at Port Jeff, Long island, the coach will take 10 minutes to reach the Museum. We will then have a guided tour of the Museum’s main building with its beautifully displayed carriages, coaches, carts and sleighs. Mr. Jerry Trapani and Mr. John Sciacchitamo have graciously offered to guide us through the collections. These two gentlemen will then take us back across the street and into the CARRIAGE STORAGE BARNS. This is a unique opportunity because these barns are not normally open to the public. They are just filled with vehicles, many unique or special in some way. You may never see this variety of carriages again. Our tour will prove to be an education for even the most knowledgeable among us. At the end of our guided tour we can spend more time on our own in the Carriage museum or visit any other museum exhibition. There is also an extensive carriage library on the premises. We will then proceed via Coach and Ferry back home to our starting point (probably by 7-8PM.) This should be are really fun trip! We will have 47 seats at $38 per seat. This is a very reasonable cost. This fare includes round trip fees for the luxury coach and ferry, and your ticket into the museums. The fare is NON REFUNDABLE because of the fixed costs involved. BUT WE WANT ALL OF YOU TO COME, so please circle the date on your calendar. To secure your spots, make out your check to CVDC, for $38 per person, memo LI Trip, and send to: Randy Z. Sabatino Questions?– contact Randy — 860-873-3894
Robin has posted lovely photos from today’s Mother’s Day drive and ride. Thanks Robin. And thanks for marking Kate! Everyone had a great time. Welcome new members Samantha Allard (and family) and Carrie Wind. UPDATE: Sat. morning, May 9th: Rain appears to be clearing out of RI between 10-11 for today’s drive and ride. We’re still on, where just going to push everything by around an hour to an hour and a half when the rain is expected to stop. Contact is Andree, at cell 860-395-7283. Loop will be marked when rain stops. If you drive out early in the rain, the loop will not be marked yet. 6.5 Mile CVDC Loop Trail Map (download and print) This SATURDAY, come ride and drive with us to celebrate Mother’s Day. Club members will meet just over the CT line at Rhode Island’s “Arcadia Management Area: LaGrande Reynolds Horsemen’s Area” — between 9 and 10 am and drive out at will alone or in small groups. Robin Malkasian has pre-scouted and will mark a nice 6.5 mile routes. For a shorter ride or drive, simply back-track. She says it is scenic enough to see twice. The drive will be followed by a Mother’s Day Potluck Picnic. Bring chairs and food! This is a lovely place to drive and a perfect time of year. Mothers of children and animals, be sure to wear a flower or decorate your carriage or equine. CVDC 6.5 Loop Description: Optional 10 mile loop pre-scouted by Robin Directions: From Route 395 heading southbound: Peter Von Halem’s New England Carriage Imports, Bozrah, CT  The Tiger Marathon Vehicle by New England Carriage Imports Most carriage drivers will tell you they are part horse person, part carriage buff. The quality of one’s carriage can easily make or break one’s interest in the sport, and us drivers tend to become a bit obsessed with finding the right vehicle and harness. I’ll never forget my first carriage was a gig that made me feel seasick. I was ready to throw in the towel. Good thing I met Pam Pruitt, who introduced me to Buckeye Road Cart. One CVDC member, Peter Von Halem, loves carriages so much, eleven years ago he decided to start his own business, New England Carriage Imports. Peter had already had a successful career as a commercial airline pilot, and when he retired early, he decided to pursue another passion, one a bit closer to the ground. His love of carriages stems from growing up in the Principality of Liechtenstein, where carriages were commonplace. He’s pleased to see a revival of the sport. Peter soars around preliminary and intermediate level marathon courses with his lovely Canadian Crossbreds. Peter has won his division at many of the bigger shows such as Bromont, The Laurels, Fair Hill, GMHA and Gladstone. He now has four Canadians: Susi, Kati and Mitzi and the latest addition a gelding, Deejay. He drives singles, pairs and unicorn (three). I was lucky to hop aboard one of Peter’s lovely marathon carriages at our latest club drive. The ride was so smooth. The vehicle features a new air suspension system that makes you feel more like you’re floating on a cloud than riding in a carriage. Peter’s customers come from all over. They come to Peter for custom, imported vehicles of a reasonable price and excellent quality. He said all vehicles are built to suit the size and experience of both the driver and the equine. They arrive six to eight at a time in large 40’ containers. He also sells a nice imported harness from overseas. Peter makes an annual trip to Germany and Poland to meet with his carriage makers. They are continually improving the products, in large part because of the feedback they receive directly from drivers. At our May meeting, Peter looks forward to showing us his line of new vehicles, and maybe we’ll likely get to see his Canadian Crossbreds and barn! Directions to May Meeting - Peter Von Halem’s New England Carriage Imports, Bozrah, CT: - From RT.2 (Hartford - Norwich) take exit 23 and follow signs to RT.163 which starts there, toward Montville. Go 2.7 miles to 279 Bozrah St. (same as RT 163) Farm, barns, carriage house on right. - If you are coming on RT 82 (from Salem, Lyme etc) go through “Salem Four Corners” about 2.5 miles towards Norwich, look for RT 163 on the left, go north on RT 163 about 2.5 miles to 279 Bozrah St. Farm etc on your left.  Robin captured the view from her cart at Pachaug. Click the photo to see more pictures from Saturday's drive. Shutter-bug and fellow CVDC member Robin Malkasian documented Saturday’s club drive at Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, and has uploaded her photos. It was a full house, with minis up to drafts. Following the drive, members from both the Connecticut Valley Driving Club and the Eastern Connecticut Draft Horse Association enjoyed lunch and laughs together. Be sure to View the Slideshow! Driving Loops Map of Pachaug State Forest Note: Directions Below Pachaug is a great place to drive. In the Chapman area is the Frog Hollow Horse Camp — a large circular road with 18 horse camp sites for parking, a center green with picnic camp fire area. Nice non-paved woods roads. This will be a joint drive with both CVDC and Eastern CT Draft Horse Association. We will meet at the Frog Hollow Horse Camp within Pachaug State Forest, and plan to ride / drive out at 10:30 a. Henry Tarryk and Peter Von Halem have pre-scouted several routes and we’ve created a Driving Loop Map for your convenience with a 5.5 mile loop, a 4.5 m short cut home, and 2.5 mile flat up and back loop. So people are welcome to just head out when they want in small groups any time you like. Your choice. After the drive, you can have lunch by your trailer or join others on the center green. Bring chairs, food, regular supplies. Park does have horse water and an outhouse, but always a good idea to bring your own — just incase. Water that is, not outhouse! DIRECTIONS from Route 395 heading north. Take Exit 85, and continue straight past the first intersection (164) to Route 138 and turn RIGHT> Drive 6.5 miles and turn LEFT onto Route 49, and contineue .6 of a mile just past the river, and turn LEFT into Pachaug State Forest on the LEFT. Follow that road in until you get to the intersection and stay towards the left. Don’t go towards the office. Then simply follow the signs for the Frog Hollow Horse Camp in the Chapman area. DIRECTIONS from Route 395 heading south. Take Exit 85, turn LEFT onto Route 138 and follow directions above. |
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On July 25th, 2009 the Connecticut Valley Driving Club will be taking a tour of the ‘
