CAZENOVIA — For nearly 50 years, the annual Lorenzo Driving Competition (LDC) has drawn participants and spectators from near and far. It has become one of Cazenovia’s signature summer events and one of the nation’s premier carriage pleasure driving shows.
This year, competitors, onlookers, supporters, and volunteers are invited to Lorenzo State Historic Site from Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21 for the 46th LDC Midsummer Classic.
“The great lawn of the Lorenzo State Historic Site is the setting for the competition, and elegant horses and polished carriages will invite spectators to travel back to a time when road trips required four hooves and a whip,” said LDC Board Treasurer Janis Barth. “Everyone is invited, so come for the horses and stay for the fun.”
The weekend schedule includes the classics — reinsmanship, turnout, working, and obstacle classes — plus several other highlights.
Friday
The show will begin on Friday with obstacle classes, driven dressage, and a timed country drive.
An evening picnic class will showcase each competitor’s reinsmanship — the driver’s ability to communicate with their equine partner(s) through the reins, whip, and voice — and their ability to set a festive table with homemade goodies for the judge to sample.
At 5 p.m. it’s time for the “Hats Off to Lorenzo!” party featuring drinks and hors d’oeuvres on the lawn, free horse-drawn carriage rides around the grounds, and a hat contest. Everyone is invited. Tickets are $10 at the door and include a souvenir glass with free beverage refills.
Saturday
Saturday’s classes will showcase the grace and skill of carriage driving.
The carriage dog class, a fan-favorite, is based primarily on the dog’s suitability to serve as a companion to the driver and can be judged by the “people’s choice.”
A noon educational demonstration will focus on the history and sounding of the coach horn.
From 1 to 3 p.m., the Cazenovia Blacksmith project will visit the grounds while Lorenzo’s rarely-open-to-the-public second carriage collection is open for viewing.
Another highlight of Saturday is the drive & ride class, which displays the versatility of the drivers’ equine partners. The horses are hitched and driven in the first portion of the event and then ridden and judged under saddle.
Sunday
The final day of the competition will begin with the “Pleasure Drive-Pace.” Competitors will drive their horses or ponies along a course through the countryside surrounding Lorenzo. The goal is for each competitor to drive at a pace that puts them at the finish line as close as possible to the ideal time for the size of their horse or pony.
Starting at 10 a.m., spectators can head across the street from Lorenzo to Albanese Longhorns at 4064 Rippleton Rd. to meet the impressive bovines up close and learn about their heritage from owners Mike and Ellen Albanese.
Then, starting at 11 a.m., head to Meier’s Creek Brewing Company at 33 Rippleton Rd. for a beverage and one of their Sunday food specialties.
Visitors can get a passport stamped at the Longhorn farm and the brewery and then return to the LDC showgrounds to watch the competition and claim a small participation gift.
At noon, four riders in period costumes will deliver a sidesaddle performance. The riders will have a tent at the show all three days. They will have saddles on display and answer questions.
When classes end on Sunday afternoon, visitors are invited to stick around for “Galloping Gators Vs. the Obstacle Course.”
“We have gators and golf carts that are loaned to us for the show,” said Barth. “When the classes are over and the last ribbon is awarded, for a bit of fun, about four folks will drive them through the same cones course the horses went through.”
The weekend will also feature food trucks, a Kid’s Korral with crafts and activities, two Market Lane tents filled with pop-up shops, and a silent auction.
“We are excited for this year’s show, the 46th time we have transformed the great lawn of the Lorenzo mansion into a unique and beautiful showground,” said LDC Board President Carol Buckhout. “We are so appreciative of the community support we receive. Everyone really steps up for this show, including the staff at the historic site, without whom Lorenzo would not be possible. We look forward to greeting everyone on the third weekend in July.”
The LDC is sponsored by the Lorenzo Driving Competition, Inc. Admission and parking are free.
For more information and the full schedule, visit lorenzodriving.org.
LDC history
Lorenzo is the 1807 Federal-style home of John Lincklaen, Holland Land Company agent and founder of Cazenovia.
The Lincklaen/Ledyard family continually occupied Lorenzo until the property and the mansion’s contents were conveyed to New York State in 1968.
The site is operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and supported with help from the Friends of Lorenzo.
In 1976, Russell Grills — Lorenzo’s then-site manager — organized a carriage exhibition on the mansion’s lawn.
Manlius residents Sue and Jack Voss decided to hitch up their Morgan horse, Starduster, and drive their carriage from their home to the exhibition at Lorenzo.
Inspired by the crowd’s excitement at seeing a horse and carriage on the grounds again, Grills decided to host a driving competition at the site.
The following year, the Vosses, the Remley family, and others helped organize the first annual LDC.
The competition has been canceled on only two occasions since its establishment. The first time was in 2017 due to a storm that caused significant damage to the Lorenzo grounds during the July Fourth Cazenovia Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps Arts and Crafts Show. The second cancellation was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lorenzo is located at 17 Rippleton Rd., Cazenovia. For more information, call 315-655-3200, visit parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/lorenzo, friendsoflorenzo.org, or follow the site and FOL on Facebook and Instagram.
