Join us at the East Haddam Grange on Saturday Sept 11th , at 6:30 pm to share some tricks of the trade. Club members are asked to share one (or two) driving tips. It could be about harnessing, special equipment used, trailering tips, training tips, maintenance of horse, carriages, safety, driving cones, dressage, reining - basically anything about driving that you think is worth passing on. It need not be earth-shattering or lengthy. Please give this some thought ahead of time. The idea is to learn from each other. Please come to this program - the more members, the more learning will be had, the more food and the more fun.

This is one of our most popular drives, and we want to see your smiling faces! Come as a driver, rider, passenger or cheering section. And this year, we are planning a treasure hunt, so there will be lots to entertain you! After the drive, we will enjoy a potluck lunch, with hot dogs, hamburgers and chowder provided by the Cone Family. Directions and details can be found online (see the right sidebar), in the September newsletter or by emailing info@cvdrivingclub.com.

SEE YOU THERE!!

Fran Hornick is the guest speaker for CVDC’c August meeting. She will be giving a program on leatherwork. She owns a business called “Awl for the Horse” where she does all types of leatherwork and repairs.

Fran is traveling from Bridgeport and will be staying overnight, so members are encouraged to attend this meeting and bring guests!

leather repair

Also, we want to hear from you if you have suggestions or concerns about this event and about our other activities.

If you cannot attend, please contact Jan Frick at president@cvdrivingclub.com before the meeting to let us know your thoughts.

2010 Driving Calendar

(We do our best to stay up-to-date, but please remember to verify event details directly with the event organizer!)

Our judges, ADS judge Dana Bright and learner judge Susan Koso, scrutinized and critiqued their way through the morning dressage sessions, and Technical Delegate Craig Kellogg did the honors over on the cones course.  In spite of the beautiful clear morning, just as the mini’s set out on their marathon course, the heavens opened and it poured. Volunteers peered at their stopwatches from under soggy hats while competitors stuck to business. After all, there’s only so wet you can get, then you can’t get any wetter! The footing remained good and eventually, the rain did stop. When the dust (or raindrops, if you prefer) had settled, people were still smiling and still happy to have had a good day.

The following day, June 13, was the club’s annual post-driving trial Fun Day. Some folks had clinic lessons with Dana or Craig, while others brought their horses to “play” in the big field, in the dressage ring, around the cones and in the obstacles. We had a wide variety of turnouts for Fun Day, from several VSE’s to a couple of people with their Morgans to Peter Von Halem’s four-in-hand. Even a standard donkey was seen happily driving around the grounds.

If you missed the fun this year, keep an eye out for us next year. Competing or volunteering, you’ll have a blast!

Additional pictures taken by Anne Albee at the CVDC Driving Trial are posted at:

http://tinyurl.com/2010-cvdc-hdt

Thank you, Anne, for spending the day with camera in hand!

Geoff is not only a talented farrier, he is also a very talented horseman. He just returned from Australia where he was working with the brumbys. Think of him as America’s Clinton Anderson.  At this meeting he will work with one of his horses and Marguerite Hayber’s “Nick” in the round pen. Please come and join the fun.

‘Cow Hill’ is the home of Frank and Randy Sabatino. For the meeting, please bring your pot luck and a chair. We will have the meeting after the demo.

Directions from the East Haddam Grange ; You will do 3 LEFT turns; Go LEFT out of the East Haddam Grange driveway and go past the Fire Station. Go LEFT on Daniels Road. Turn into the first driveway on your LEFT.(look for #23 on the mailbox) If you need more direction call Randy @ 860-873-3894