This message is from: "Arthur Rivoire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Everybody from Carol Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -
I don't have the whole quote, but someone responding to my comments said - "It doesn't happen overnight". -- My response to that is that it had better happen over night . . . That is, "the night before" your first ADS driving show. If you want to compete at ADS Pleasure or Combined Driving Events, you MUST, at the very least, wear a hat, gloves, and driving apron. And you must carry a whip. -- If you wish to wear farm boots and a plaid shirt along with your hat, gloves and apron, that's up to you, but you won't do well, and for most people, showing off their horse and turnout is why they go to a show. The challenge and fun of competition, plus the pride in your horse, is what it's all about. It's a Horse Show, for heaven's sake. -- The American Driving Society is not an "English/East Coast" organization. It's the "AMERICAN Driving Society" and it's run by and for all North American drivers - Canadians and Americans! I'm sorry -- Call me old fashioned, but I find it disrespectful of the horses, the show, and the spectators to dress inappropriately. And, I think a lot of people might be less interested in driving shows if the old standards were abandoned or watered down. But, hey! Is anybody anywhere else other than in the Fjord world objecting to dress standards in driving? If so, I haven't heard about it. -- In fact, let's face it, putting together a great outfit (particularly the hat) is one of the things that attracts a lot of women to driving. APPROPRIATE ATTIRE - Someone brought up that point as well, and it was a good point. -- In some pleasure driving shows (in Europe anyway), they have what they call "Concours d'Elegance" classes. These classes are not necessarily about ELEGANCE. They are about appropriatness. I've seen these classes in England and in Holland. For instance, in England at Pleasure Driving Shows, there will be various "commercial" entries; such as, brewery hitches. And in these entries, everything must be appropriate to the turnout. The driver wouldn't wear a top hat or a monogrammed apron, but he MUST conform to whatever dress is appropriate for the driver of a brewery hitch. -- Same thing for other commercial turnouts; such as a - Greengrowcer or Milk Wagon. In Holland, I've seen wonderful turnouts in this "Concours d'Elegance" class. One I particularly remember was a farmer driving a gorgeous antique farm wagon all beautifully restored. He was up on the seat in his farmer's overalls (period overalls, mind you), and he had the necessary whip, which in this case was a stick with a frond of leaves at the tip -- absolutely appropriate! It's silly to protest that - "Nobody's going to get me into a top hat" - Silly, because there's no need to wear one, unless you deliberately choose to drive a formal vehicle that calls for a top hat. And, in my opinion, those vehicles are not appropriate to a Fjordhorse. I think farm vehicles can continue to be a welcome feature at Fjord shows. But, I also think that these turnouts should be required to be as spiffy and neat, shiny, clean, and polished as would be seen at any well-run show. And, of course, the horses should be equally spiffy, neat, and clean. The English and Dutch driving shows I've mentioned welcome "farm" or "commerical" turnouts. However, the farm turnouts don't come to the show right out of the potato field. The farm machinery shown is restored and painted, and the farm wagons are beautifully decorated. They are, in fact, "Show Vehicles", and every little detail of the whole turnout which includes the vehicle, the horses, and the driver are turned out to show ring standards. As far as Western heritage in driving, it's still a case of "Appropriatness". A restored stage coach turnout will have the driver in clothes appropriate to his vehicle. There won't be a driving apron. The hat will be western. It will all be appropriate! -- These turnouts are wonderful at Pleasure Shows, and I think there should be more of them. They're a huge amount of work, but very beautiful and very popular with spectators. . In my last post, I mentioned how things used to be at the early Woodstock Shows. -- Well, just last night I looked at the website of the Woodstock Show photographer, and I was mightily impressed at how things have definitely improved. The site is - www.photosbybarb.com ---- Most (not all) of the competitors were very well turned out, and I saw some nice looking Fjords too. Up here in Nova Scotia, and no longer competing, I don't know if casualness is a trend in the driving world, or if it's just in the Fjord world. I hope it isn't a general trend, and I don't think so. -- Frankly, I really hate to go into the bank on "Casual Friday". Some of those ladies in blue jeans look pretty silly, uncomfortable, and kind of inappropriate . . . "for a bank" I mean. Kind Regards, Carol Rivoire http://www.beaverdamfarm.com Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II R.R. 7 Pomquet, Nova Scotia B2G 2L4 Tel:(902) 386-2304 Fax:(902) 386-2149 Carole Rivoire, author of THE FJORDHORSE HANDBOOK, only book in English on the Fjord breed, available from Beaver Dam Farm, $36.95 US includes P&H http://www.beaverdamfarm.com/book.htm .
