COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

THE HISTORY OF THE COACHING CLUB, 1871-2000
by Tom Ryder
London: J.A. Allen, 1999.

Prince Phillip writes in the foreword of The History of the Coaching Club: "In this age of mechanical transport and jet aircraft, it is difficult to imagine that for thousands of years humans had to depend on their own two feet or on animal power to get from one place to another on land. The Road Coach and Park Drag, drawn usually by four horses and driven by a Coachman, were the very last - and most technically advanced - of the long line of animal-powered transport vehicles. They would have disappeared from the face of the earth but for the enthusiasm of a number of amateur drivers, who enjoyed the challenge of driving these beautiful vehicles. They formed the Coaching Club in 1871 and, against all the odds, the Club is still flourishing while developing the skill required to handle the reins of a four-in-hand continues to attract enthusiasts.

"I am delighted that Tom Ryder was prevailed upon to write this history of the Coaching Club. Few people have as much knowledge and experience of driving horses than he has managed to acquire over a lifetime. This book is particularly timely as it covers the crucial period of transition from the horse-drawn to the mechanical transport eras. It will take its place at the end of the shelf of the famous coaching books from previous generations and provide a lasting record of the strange anomaly that is the Coaching Club."

The Eighth Duke of Beaufort, the first president of the Coaching Club, leading a drive in Hyde Park, 1875.

The Coaching Club covers the history of this fascinating organization and its members from its inception to present day. Early activities of the club consisted of arranging two meets during "the London season." In these delightful meets, the coaches started in Hyde Park late in the afternoon and driven to a hotel for dinner. Ryder writes, "This aroused so much interest among the sporting gentry that soon there was a long waiting list of applicants for membership of the new club...To be able to drive a four-in-hand became a required accomplishment of the man of fashion, and coaching clubs were established in several European and American cities."

The late Alfred G. Vanderbilt of Maryland on his "Venture" road coach.

The Coaching Club evolved to include classes at major horse shows beginning in 1893 with Britain's Richmond Horse Show. Next, members arranged for classes at the Royal Agricultural Show at Royal Park in 1905 and the International Horse Show at Olympia in 1907.

By 1964, the Coaching Club was called upon by the governing body of international horse sport competitions, the Federation Equestrian International (FEI), to draw up rules for combined driving events. The first international driving trial for four-in-hands was held at Royal Windsor in 1971. Drivers from Britain, Germany, Hungary and the United States made driving history. Ryder writes: "Colonel [John] Miller was first in presentation, setting a standard that others struggled to match for the next few years."

The History of the Coaching Club joins the NSL's collection of rare and contemporary books on coaching and driving.