Arizona Driving and Carriage Society

Upcoming Events and Review

MaryAnne Boyden of Cave Creek driving her haflinger "Jetta" , Aug 18th near Happy Jack by Kathy Steele

Its time to hitch-up for ADCS's second major driving competition, the Old Pueblo CDE held on November 16-18 at the Pima County Fairgrounds SE of Tucson. This event has rapidly gained status as one of the better run and pleasurable events to attend. Boots Wright will preside as the President of the Jury with Wayne Kramer as T.D.

For those wanting to try out CDEs, this is the best event to enter as the important first-step Training division is offered as well as Limited and Open Preliminary Divisions. Additionally, Old Pueblo has been accepted for the National Bellcrown Triple Pony Challenge as well as being considered as the first competition of the new year for the Zilco Western Preliminary Pony Triple Challenge. So dust off that backyard pony your kids outgrew, paint your carriage, and start training for this event. The atmosphere doesn't get any friendlier than at the Old Pueblo. There are so few CDEs in the west that you can't afford to not go to this one.

The Fairgrounds offers a grassed dressage/cones field, lots of great marathon trails through the high desert of southern Arizona and excellent stabling facilities. Camping with hookups also is available on the grounds and hotels nearby. Entries open September 15th and close September 31st, after which, a post entry fee of an additional $25 will be charged. There will be a Friday night Welcome Party and the always-delicious Saturday night Banquette. For entry or more information, call or e-mail Sally Henry at 520-883-1818 or litepole@aol.com.

Don't miss our Annual Drive in the Pines at the Gorees' (in Mountainnaire, just south of Flagstaff) on September 15-16. This drive has always been a wonderful scenic drive of country roads with Pine and Quaking Aspen trees and mostly gently rolling hills and the food and conversation afterward always is refreshing. Most importantly, the horses have unanimously expressed heartfelt glee at being out of the heat (for those subjected to the desert weather) and for being able to spend time with other carriage horses. Carriage horses have a special bond, you know, a kind of brother or sisterhood. They never spook at other carriages or Minis. The weather will still be warm days and cool nights with the threat of thundershowers a distant memory. Bob and Marybeth Goree are superlative hosts allowing everyone to camp on their property and spend the entire weekend there. Call Linda Speranza at 623-386-1029 or Marybeth Goree at 520-723-3718 for info and directions.

For those of you who missed the August 18th Fun Drive in the cool, green forests near Happy Jack because you feared the rain, you should know that it has never rained on our fun drives! True to the word, the sky cleared that Friday it remained a glorious weekend. The weather was wonderfully cool to warm with no hint of rain for the 13 hardy people and ten horses whom attended.

The drive, which will now go down in history as "The Happy Jack Drive", was centrally located in the Rim Country between Clint's Wells (to the south) and Mormon Lake. ADCS member, Brenda Steelman from nearby Strawberry, hosted the event, generously revealing her long-time "secret" forest retreat for us fellow members to enjoy. The driving among the pines, woodlands, and creeks was as near perfect as could be. Members arrived from as near as Flagstaff and Snowflake, and as far as Tucson with others heralding from Mesa, Phoenix, and Cave Creek.

The camp area Brenda selected was wonderfully flat with plenty of turnaround room for the trailers and just enough trees to picket or corral the horses. Most attendees were set up for camping however a few came up just for the day. If there was anything to mar the adventure, it was only the numerous cows sharing the campsite. Since the forest had been receiving a lot of rain in the last few weeks, it was extremely green, but also lush with fat cows. Ever the opportunists, the cows continued to investigate the human and equine intruders for possible snacks. Mostly, however, they simply harassed the horses and smeared truck windows with their noses.

Seven turnouts of all types and horses (i.e., Arabs, Haflinger, Morgan, Quarterhorse, POA, and Friesians) trotted out for the first drive that morning, traveling a loop route over interesting forest roads, some slightly washed out and all very picturesque. There were even a couple of small creek and large mud puddle water hazards to practice. All the horses behaved themselves enjoying the companionship of other carriage horses. Only two problems arose, my mare pulled a shoe going down a hill, and Dell's (from Snowflake) seat on his carriage fell off, (taking Dell with it) after rather abruptly dropping off into a dry creek bed. Luckily, Dell's scrambled to his feet an caught his horse, Jigger, before going very far. After assessing the situation and finding that his seat could not be easily reattached, Dell abandoned the seat and simply climbed aboard Jigger riding him back to camp with the carriage bouncing behind. Some very kind ATV folks later brought the seat back to camp.

Back at camp, Kim Dean from Tucson, with the aid of Dell's spare horseshoe nails, reattached my mare's shoe. After a lunch and rest, we were ready to go again. This time we traveled newly graded forest roads and were rewarded with a smooth trip under a beautiful late afternoon sky and nearly no motor vehicular traffic. While a few of us went out to dinner at the nearby Happy Jack Lodge, others had dinner at camp, socializing around the bonfire in the cool evening before checking their horses for the night and succumbing to the forest orchestra of cicadas, gentle pine breezes, distant elk, and coyotes.

I awoke to a crisp, clear morning hearing cows tromping through our camp and snorting horses. Quickly exiting my camper to shoe the cows away, I spied my mare happily sharing her leftover dinner, nose to nose with a big black cow. After breakfast, those a few of us hitched up or saddled up to explore more forest roads and simply enjoy the clear air and camaraderie. All too soon, however, we had to pack up and leave that magical spot, vowing to make this drive an annual event.