CAZENOVIA — Competitors, spectators, supporters, and volunteers are invited to the Lorenzo State Historic Site from Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 16 for the 45th Lorenzo Driving Competition (LDC).
Since its inception, the annual event has attracted participants and onlookers from near and far, establishing itself as one of Cazenovia’s signature summer events and one of the premier carriage pleasure driving shows in the United States.
According to Carol Buckhout, president of the LDC Board of Directors, approximately 60 competitors had entered the 2023 show as of June 27.
“As a carriage driver and a community member, it’s a pleasure to keep this long-standing Cazenovia tradition alive,” said Buckhout. “I work with a group of dedicated board and show committee members that plan for this annual event all year long. We owe a great deal of thanks to the many show volunteers and financial sponsors that enthusiastically show their support without question. I invite everyone to join us at our Sapphire Jubilee to appreciate our community’s heritage.”
Friday
The show will kick off at 8 a.m. with the Timed Country Drive followed by driven dressage starting at 10 a.m.
Friday’s competitors will also have the chance to drive in two different obstacle courses.
The evening classes will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Main Ring and will include two signature competitions. The first is the Antique Vehicle Turnout, which features carriages built prior to 1940. The second, the Picnic Class, will showcase each competitor’s reinsmanship — the art of communicating with the carriage driving horse through the reins, whip, and voice — and their ability to set a festive table complete with homemade goodies for the judge to sample.
The “Hats Off to Lorenzo” opening party will begin at 5 p.m. to officially welcome the competitors and honor the show sponsors. The celebration will include horse-drawn rides around the Lorenzo grounds and complimentary tours of the Lorenzo mansion. Community members are encouraged to attend and wear hats to compete in a hat contest with VIP judge Brandon Roth of WSTM in Syracuse. Reservations are not required. Pay $10 at the door to receive a signature LDC glass and unlimited refills of wine, beer, or nonalcoholic beverages.
Saturday
Saturday’s competition will begin at 8 a.m. and will include classes in both the Main Ring and the Obstacle Ring.
The final classes before the noon break are two fan favorites. First on the schedule is the Carriage Dog class, which can be judged by the “people’s choice” and is based primarily on the suitability of the dog to serve as a companion to the driver. In the Drive & Ride class, the horses are hitched and driven in the first portion of the event and then, after lunch, ridden and judged under saddle.
Another highlight of the day is a noon Educational Showcase demonstration focused on the history and sounding of the coach horn. The talk will be presented by David Remley, organizer of the former Walnut Hill Farm Driving Competition in Pittsford, New York.
The historic Oakman Carriage Collection will also be on display in the Collection Barn from 1 to 3 p.m.
Sunday
The final day of competition will commence at 8 a.m. with the Pleasure Drive-Pace. Competitors will drive their horses or ponies along an approximately five-mile 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.
Sunday’s obstacle classes will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m., and the Main Ring classes will begin at 1 p.m.
The noontime Educational Showcase will feature demonstrations by local Interscholastic Equestrian Association teams hosted by Spruce Valley Stables/Certainty Sales of Erieville and Hoyt’s Training and Showing of Manlius.
Other highlights
Throughout the three-day event, food will be available for purchase and a variety of vendors will be set up in Market Lane to sell items such as hats and other riding and driving apparel, jewelry, custom porcelain pieces, equestrian portraits, equestrian clothing and items for youths, and gifts for people of all ages.
The Kids’ Korral will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be hosted by Whispering Winds Equestrian Center on Saturday and by the Limestone Creek Pony Club on Sunday.
LDC history
Located at 17 Rippleton Rd., Lorenzo is the 1807 Federal-style home of John Lincklaen, agent of the Holland Land Company and Cazenovia’s founder. The Lincklaen/Ledyard family continually occupied Lorenzo until the property and its 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 site manager at the time, 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.
“Over the years, the competition has included draft horses and hitches of four-in-hands, but today’s competitors include mostly singles or pairs, and miniature horses have become very popular competition partners,” said Buckhout. “While driving horses may look easy, it takes great communication between driver and equine partner(s) through the lines, voice, and whip — the latter which replaces one’s leg when riding astride. Carriage driving is a modern equestrian sport, yet watching beautifully turned-out horses and carriages takes us back to our roots when horse and carriage were the only form of transportation.”
Since its founding, the LDC has been canceled on only two occasions. The first 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, and the second cancellation was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LDC admission and parking are free. For more information on the event, visit lorenzodriving.org.
To learn more about Lorenzo, call 315-655-3200, visit parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/lorenzo/, friendsoflorenzo.org, or follow the site and FOL on Facebook and Instagram.
