Pittsburgh Area Carriage Driving Club

Quick reminder that our first driving club meeting is this Wednesday nigh, April 24th, at 6:30. Caustelot Farms in Cecil have been nice enough to host the first meeting. Their address is Caustelot Farm, 39 Oblock Ln McDonald, PA 15057, it is right off 50 (or Millers Run Rd, whatever you want to call it). They share the driveway area with Venice Pres. Church. We'll do a long lining demo and then get the meeting underway. Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Article on the clinic plus a few pictures

The United States Trotting Assoc. mentioned the clinic in their article - http://xwebapp.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/templates/article.aspx?articleid=52349&zoneid=63

Mike Wilder speaking

Against the Best hooked to the pleasure driving cart

Aiken hooked to the marathon vehicle

Registration is complete!

Thank you for signing up for the 2013 Carriage Driving 101 Clinic.  We'll be starting promptly at 9am this coming Saturday, the 16th.  Emails have been sent to everyone that I have registered for the clinic.  If you have not received an email please check your spam box, if it is not in the spam box then please contact me so that we can confirm your registration.

Please bring your helmet with you when you come.

Directions

 Tipperary Farms, home of Kerry Bog Ponies and Irish Draught Horses, is hosting the event.  Their address is 1185 Stewart Road, McDonald, PA 15057.  There is a white sign with green lettering at the end of the driveway; the driveway is kind of long and goes uphill.  The farm is 3.5 miles from the ‘downtown’ McDonald, PA. 

 

If you are coming from Washington, PA then you can get directions here - http://mapq.st/WFSGZS

If you are coming from Pittsburgh, PA then you can get directions here - http://mapq.st/Xy3KUL

 

 Schedule (always subject to change)

 

Coffee, hot chocolate and apple cider, along with breakfast pastries will be available upon your arrival.

9:00 am - - Introductions followed by harnessing demo, we will then break into smaller groups and each person will have the opportunity to harness a horse.  From there we’ll break into the four groups.  The clinicians will stay in their ‘classrooms’ and you will move to them as a group (just like school).

 

Noon – Lunch and Speaker

 

After Lunch - Kathleen will do a quick long-lining demo and explain the different ways to hold the lines.

 

The rest of the afternoon is driving time.  You are welcome to line drive Mike’s draft horse, try driving the mini pair, as well as experience the difference between a marathon vehicle and a pleasure cart.   While you can certainly wait your turn in the arena we will also have a variety of books and videos in the heated viewing area that you can peruse.

 

If you are interested in the horses that will be at the clinic a list is here - http://www.carriagedriving101.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-horses.html

 

Clinicians

Mike Wertz

 

Mike is the owner of Mike’s Carriage Service and together with his Percherons he has been doing parades, special events and downtown Pittsburgh tours for nearly 20 years.  Mike will be bringing a draft harness and one of his Percherons for you to experience.  One of the things that he will be spending quite a bit of the time speaking about is hauling carriages.  We’ll have three different trailer set-ups for you to see.  Show carriages are an investment, one you’ll want to protect when hauling.  Mike is also a good person to ask about ‘local’ driving resources.

 

Joyce Haak

Joyce is the primary driver of a mini pair named Trick and Treat.  The ‘boys’ do it all – pleasure shows, driving trials, and in-hand.  Joyce drove them to championships in 2012 at the Saratoga Driving Trial and the Susquehanna Valley Whips and Wheels Driving Trial.  They’ve also done parades in five different states.  Joyce will be introducing you to driving games – how to set up hazards and cones courses as well as how to drive them.  Bruce and Joyce are joining us from New York.

  

Bruce Haak

A farrier by trade, Bruce has driven a wide variety of horses.  While he is currently using Against the Best for the sleighing season his normal driving partner is Aiken, a Fjord.  Together they have competed at a variety of shows including the Saratoga Driving Trial, the Finger Lakes Fjord Show in addition to pleasure driving at the KY Horse Park and participating in Carriage Round-up and the National Drive.  Bruce will be demonstrating how to harness a horse and balance a carriage.

 

Kathleen Haak

Kathleen has driven singles, pairs, tandem and a four-in-hand.  She has achieved her Level 1 certificate with the Carriage Assoc. of American and is currently working on her Level 2.  Kathleen achieved a high level of success with Draken, her Standardbred, winning three National Championships.  Following the retirement of Draken, she started Against the Best in his pleasure-driving career.  Best and Kathleen currently up for national awards, they’ll find out the results on Sunday.  Kathleen will be bringing her hat and jacket collection to show you how to put together a show outfit.

Special guests - Mike Wilder and Mike Wertz

We've been lucky enough to have two special guests for the clinic, surprisingly both are named Mike!

Our first Mike, Mike Wilder will be our lunch time speaker and is brought to us by the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association. A native of Ohio, Mike developed an interest in horses through his stepfather who trained Standardbreds at the Shelby County Fairgrounds. He was well-know at Lebanon Raceway, where he won 13 driving titles, and he captured two driving championships at Scioto Downs before moving to The Meadows in 2001. Mike registered his 5,000th lifetime driving win in 2009. In 2012, he was one of nine drivers chosen to compete in The Battle of Pennsylvania Driving Challenge.  Mike will talk about what it takes to be a competitive race driver and how that differs from other types of driving.  He'll also be bringing along a race cart for you to examine.

Our second Mike is Mike Wertz, owner of Mike's Carriage Service. Mike and his Percherons have been doing parades, special events and downtown Pittsburgh tours for nearly 20 years.  At the height of the holiday season it is not unusual for them to appear at 4-5 different venues in one day.  That means organizing people, harness, carts, and horses for maximum efficiency.   Mike will be not only be bring draft harness with him, he'll also be bringing one of his trailers and a carriage.  He'll be showing you some of the easiest (and safest) ways to transport your carriage.  Show carriages are an investment that you'll want to protect.

The Horses!

Several people have asked about the horses that will be used at the clinic - who are they and what type of experience do they have.  While change is always possible right now we're intending to have Aiken, Against the Best and the minis, Trick and Treat, at the clinic.

Aiken is a 9 year-old Fjord who rides and drives.  He has competed at a variety of shows including the Saratoga Driving Trial, the Finger Lakes Fjord Show, and Tri-Valley Horseman Assoc. shows.  Additionally he has participated in the Parade of Breeds at the KY Horse Park, Carriage Round-up and the National Drive. He's also been known to haul a light log or two out of the woods.  Aiken currently holds the title of 'cutest horse in the barn' at Caustelot Farms where he is boarding.  He is typically driven by Bruce Haak but is currently on loan to Kathleen.

Against the Best retired from the racetrack two years ago with 274 starts.  He has made a successful transition to pleasure driving horse but excels at combined driving.  He does very well at cones and marathon, and is working on his collection to place higher in dressage.  He has been reserve champion at the Saratoga Driving Trial twice.  Best has participated in Equine Affaire (Ohio), the National Drive, Carriage Round-up and the KY Horse Park's Parade of Breeds in addition to several parades.  Best is typically driven by Kathleen Haak.

Joyce Haak is the primary driver of Trick and Treat, minis that she purchased on Halloween several years ago.  The 'boys' do it all - they have done pleasure shows, driving trials, and in-hand shows.  Joyce drove them to championships in 2012 at the Saratoga Driving Trial and the Susquehanna Valley Whips and Wheels Driving Trial.

They are 32-inch blue roans, as blue roans they change color year-round so you'll see pictures of them with really white coats in July to really dark coats in winter.

Other horses that may be at the clinic include:

The small but mighty Tell.  Tell has only been driving for a few months but he may be joining us to demonstrate a harness.  Eventually Tell will be joining Trick and Treat as either a unicorn or three-abreast hitch.

Draken is a three-time SPHO National Champion driving horse.  He has appeared at the World Equestrian Games, the Kentucky Horse Park, and various other venues over his career.  Draken was trained by Joyce Haak and driven by Kathleen Haak. At 22, Draken is pretty much retired but occasionally comes out to try new things.  In 2012, he drove tandem (one horse in front of another) with Best!  While Draken will probably stay home he has been know to make his way into the trailer unexpectedly.