What ever shall I wear?
Here's what to wear when invited to ride on a coach.
Ladies:
In general clothes should be comfortable and conservative suits or pantsuit in seasonal colors so as not to draw attention from the horses or equipage. Consider yourself part of the Concours. Hats are de rigeur and are of tightly woven straw (Panama) or felt with brims no wider than the shoulder breadth. Baskets of flowers or fruit on the head are a tempting target for horses and not recommended. A sharp brim with a colorful band and a pheasant feather is always appropriate. Hats should not interfere with the peripheral vision of the “Whip” if you are on the “Box,” or with the view of a “tyrol” next to you on the “gammon.”
You will be climbing ladders! Dresses below the knee, above the color bone and covering the arm are best in colors that complement the Coach. High heels are dangerous! Sensible leather shoes with flat heels are recommended. You may have to disembark rapidly.
Gentlemen:
Generally a grey or conservative suit and vest on a Park Drag and the same or for daytime on a Coach a tweed jacket or blazer. Ties always, of course. For formal drives, a “Driving Coat” if you have one.Generally your driving club uniforms should be reserved for club events. A grey topper by day, black beaver top hat after 6.
For
informal drives on a coach….Panama Hat with black or club colors on the band. A felt Newmarket fedora in cooler weather. On a park Drag, a top hat always.
PLEASE NOTE: in the event of rain, whips will provide all rain gear for their guests. |
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September 28-30, 2007
Veteran USET driver S. Tucker Johnson of Hobe Sound, Fla., finds Hanoverian dressage mounts make excellent four-in-hand carriage horses.
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The National Sporting Library was the fortunate beneficiary of a three-day Coaching Weekend Sept. 28-30, with Jacqueline Ohrstrom and George "Frolic" Weymouth the co-chairmen. Twenty-seven wonderfully-restored four-in-hand coaches participated in the historic drives that took place around Upperville, Va., about 55 miles west of Washington D.C. Different routes were planned each day, varying in distance from eight to ten miles.
The weekend included a public presentation Saturday morning at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show Grounds. As spectators viewed the wonderful pageantry of carriages, an announcer described the horses and coaches, delving into the discipline’s fascinating history. The afternoon included a coaching horn-blowing contest. In the evening, a black-tie dance at Llangollen Farm in Upperville featured music by Peter Duchin and his orchestra.
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Tantivy, pictured above, is just one of the many coaches that was featured in the NSL 2004 Coaching Drive, an occasion that attracted more than 30 four-in-hands. Tantivy was originally an English road coach, transporting people and goods from Kingston to Sandown Park.
Copyright ©
2006 National Sporting Library
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