Suzy Stafford, a National and World Champion Combined Driver, will be teaching a clinic at Camelot Hills Farm in Maine, July 29-31. A benefit dinner and silent auction will be held during the clinic to help raise money for Stafford and Miss Josephine (pictured) with their goal of attending the 2011 FEI World Pony Driving Championships in Slovenia. Stafford has earned Individual Gold and Bronze Medals, and a Team Bronze, at past World Pony Driving Championships. (Photo courtesy of Meredith Fetters)

Gold medalist Suzy Stafford and her registered half-Arabian mare Miss Josephine are long-listed to participate in the 2011 FEI World Pony Driving Championships in Slovenia, but before they make their international journey they will need a little help from their friends. That help will come in the form of a benefit dinner and silent auction during a three-day clinic taught by Stafford at Camelot Hills Farm in Dover Foxcroft, Maine, owned by Dan and Beth Steinke, with the proceeds to help Stafford and Miss Josephine with their goal of competing in Slovenia.

The clinic will take place July 29 – 31 at Camelot Hills Farm, with the benefit dinner and silent auction taking place Saturday night during the event. The dinner is $25 per person and will include a good old-fashioned dinner of chicken pie, mashed potatoes, squash, homemade rolls, ham, drink and dessert.

“I feel very honored and appreciative that the Steinke’s will be hosting a benefit dinner for me during the Camelot Hills Farm clinic,” Stafford said. “I know this takes a lot of time and effort and I am truly grateful for the overwhelming support! The menu for the dinner is not only mouth watering, but I am excited about the silent auction as well. Everyone always seems to have a good time at silent auctions and I know there will be a lot of great items to bid on.”

Stafford will also take part in a Question and Answer session during the dinner, which will include a DVD presentation of her previous competitions. The 2011 Championships would be the fourth consecutive World Pony Championships for Stafford, and the first for Miss Josephine. “Josie is an 8-year-old registered half-Arabian and we have been together since September of 2010. Although this would be Josie’s first international competition, I am confident that my international experience will give her the assurance she needs to perform under pressure and bring the winning results the United States is hoping for,” Stafford said. “This mare is very special to me and I am confident that we can show the results of our hard work and make our country proud.

Stafford said the benefit dinner and silent auction will be a great help, as the cost of an international trip is extremely expensive. “I am seeking financial support from my friends, family, clients, sponsors and driving enthusiasts because the total trip is over $40,000,” Stafford said. “That includes roundtrip airfare for Josie and the freight cost for two carriages and equipment.”

“Every little bit helps and I am so thankful for everyone who is behind my endeavor to bring medals home for the United States,” Stafford said. “I am also looking forward to teaching the clinic at Camelot Hills. Driving is my passion and I love sharing it through teaching.”

The cost to audit the clinic is $15 per day or $25 for three days. For more information on the clinic, contact organizer Beth Steinke at 1-207-564-3347 or 1-207-266-4675. Or email Steinke at lonaskye@aol.com. For more information on Stafford, visit her website at www.staffordcarriagedriving.com. Donations for Stafford’s trip to the World Pony Championships can also be made directly through her website.

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