Afton Driving Clinic

Draken at the World Equestrian Games

2010-10-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

Hello!

2010-10-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Draken just wanted to say "Hello!"

Upcoming Deadline

2010-04-22T04:19:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder - if you're coming to the Afton Driving Clinic registration forms must be in by May 1st. All horses being driven must be registered prior to May 8th. Everyone on the grounds that day must be registered as either a driver, header, or auditor.

If you are coming as a auditor, we will be accepting registration that morning but we would really appreciate it if you preregistered. To register as an auditor, you use the same form as the drivers but you would check the box that says "auditor."

Driving attire - Debra McCarthy

2010-03-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Whether you show in hunter seat equitation, western pleasure or carriage driving, attention to detail often makes the difference between a good performance and a ribbon-winning one. As exhibitors, it is important to realize that when two competitors are tied in performance, turnout is often considered as the tie-breaker.

Following “traditional” fashion guidelines, a lady’s driving attire not only has to fit well, and be complimentary to the individual’s figure, it must also coordinate well with her harness, vehicle, and of course, her horse.

Debra will discuss competition show clothing, and how to put outfits together, as well as:

v Where to Buy Clothing
v Proper Fit and Tailoring
v What Neckline is Appropriate
v Accessorizing
v Footwear
v Makeup – Too Much or Too Little
v Shopping on a Budget
v Rain Gear and Waterproofs
v The Proper Hat and How to Wear It

For ladies who are apprehensive about wearing a hat, don’t despair. EVERYONE looks good in hats. It’s simply a matter of finding the right style brim to compliment you and knowing how to wear your hair.

Riding since she was a child, Debra has coached intercollegiate riders for three Northeast colleges, and has been a licensed Standardbred trainer for many years. She has shown in equitation, ladies side saddle, hunters, combined training and pleasure driving. Many of you will recognize Debra – she has served as the announcer for the Lorenzo Driving Competition in Cazenovia NY since 1997, and announces several carriage driving shows throughout upstate NY. On breaks, she can usually be found meandering through the hat vendor’s tents looking for “yet another hat” to add to her collection.

Registration Forms now available

2010-02-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Registration forms are now available for printing. Please click HERE to get your form.

Susan McLellan and Driven Dressage

2010-01-26T00:42:00.000-08:00

Dr. Susan McLellan, is a small animal veterinarian in New York City and lifelong horsewoman. You may have seen her around the region with her Morgan stallion Middlemist Midnight Magic, or Merlin as he is affectionately known. Susan started driving with Merlin at Tri-Valley Horseman Assoc. shows several years ago. If you haven't been attending driving shows then you may have seen Susan and Merlin on the cover of the Regional Edition of the Equine Journal.

Susan McLellan explains her driving philosophy, “Carriage driving demands a great deal from the horse and the driver because it encompasses three different skill sets within one discipline. Not only must you have flawless gaits and impeccable manners for the ring classes, you must have precision, impulsion and relaxation demanded by the dressage classes. And third, you must have speed, precision and a bit of the daredevil in you for the obstacle courses or cross country courses. It’s not easy, but it certainly is a lot of fun.”

Susan is going to be your Driven Dressage instructor at the Afton Driving Clinic. She's going to walk you through, both on foot and with your horse, the very basics of a dressage test. Not into dressage? Not to worry, the skills that Susan is going to be teaching also apply to Super Reinsmanship and Reinsmanship classes.

Clinic Format

2010-01-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

The idea behind this clinic is to give drivers that are safely driving on their own the opportunity to grow their skills. We believe that driving has a lot of variety to offer and would like to give you a taste of some of that variety. Each horse and driver (and header) will have roughly 30 minutes in each clinic area. We'll divide the drivers up in smaller groups, no more than four to a group, and they will move through the different sections of the clinic together.

Example: Horse A & B start with Nicole in the main ring, Horse C & D start with Joyce on cones, Horse E & F start with Kathleen in the Marathon, Horse G & H start with Susan in Dressage, etc.

This format should allow everyone plenty of time to get a taste of the different areas and get all of their questions answered.

We do strongly suggest that everyone have a header. There will be two 'ground' areas - the bitting area and the clothing area. Additionally Susan has expressed an desire to have everyone walk through a simple dressage test, your header would be responsible for hold your horse during that time.

We would like to stress that this clinic is open to ALL breeds, including minis and drafts. While there are sections that are more show oriented than others you do NOT need to be a show driver to participate. The idea is to create better drivers with skills that are appropriate both in and out of the show ring.

Group Rates

2010-01-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

We've received some inquires about group rates. We did want to make the event affordable we have already made the rates as low as possible, therefore we will not be offering group discounts.

If you are thinking of bringing a group please take into consideration that most of the activities will not be taking place in the main ring. Only Nichole will be in the main ring, all of the other clinic offerings will take place throughout the fairgrounds. When we determined the format of the event we planned for a very intimate educational experience.

Where we're located & how to get there - Afton Fair Grounds

2010-01-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

From I-88
The Afton Fair Grounds is easy to find! It is located immediately off of I-88 at the afton exit. After exiting from the highway you will need to take a left onto State Route 41 South. Drive a couple hundred yards and the entrance is on the left.

From State Route 7

If traveling in on Route 7 you need to watch for the sign for Route 41 South. The intersection is right in town. If coming from Nineveh, Harpursville and points west of Afton this will be a right hand turn. If coming from Bainbridge, Sidney and points east of Afton this will be a left hand turn. Once turning onto Rt 41 South you will go under a railroad bridge, and then over the bridge spanning the Susquehanna River. Continue following signs for Rt 41 South. It is only about 100 yards after the bridge that you follow 41 south to the right. The Entrance to the Fair is a couple hundred yards from that point, on the left.

From Route 41
If traveling in from the north (Oxford, Norwich) on Route 41 you just need to stay on Route 41 through town. You will cross over Rt 7 in town and then go under the railroad bridge, over the Susquehanna and then take a right turn to stay on Rt 41, a couple hundred yards and the entrance to the fair is on the left.

Coming from South of Afton
If you are coming from south of Afton you will either be coming into Bainbridge on Route 206 or Nineveh/Harpursville first, and you can follow the directions above to get to the fairgrounds. Other than that there a number of back roads that intersect with the Back River Road and Rt 7 to the east of Afton and Rt 41, Back River Road, or Rt 7 to the west of Afton. If you are familiar with these roads you can probably find the fairgrounds without too many problems.

***Please note that if you MapQuest the Afton Fair Grounds it gives you directions to the Fair office not the Fair Grounds.

Nicole Cable's Bio - primary clinician

2010-01-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Nicole's Bio -

I began, with the help of my father, at the early age of eight driving carriage horses. I started with American miniatures, as I was too frightened to drive "big horses" like my father and grandfathers. Soon after I wanted a pony, then a horse, and from there I could never get enough. I enjoyed the challenges of all different breeds of horses big and small. I have been lucky enough to work with many trainers to develop my skills and continue to learn with each and every horse I drive.

The shows that you may have seen Nicole at include Wallnut Hall, East Aurora Carriage Drive and Competition, Genesee Valley Riding and Driving Club Pleasure Driving Competition, Lorenzo, and Barneveld.