All events and clinics will be offered to Winning Spirits members ($25 a year) at a discount. Clinics entries will be offered at $30 for members, $45 non members. Event entries are $55 for members, $65 non members.
Tuesday April 26, Dressage Clinic w/Mary Gray —This first clinic of the season will be devoted to flat work. Getting horses out for the first time, we will work on basic dressage movements and their requirements at each level.
Sat May 7th, Dressage Drive Critique Drive—Each driver will be able to drive the test of their choice, have a critique from the judge, and drive the test again. Time permitting drivers may drive more than one test. This is a great way to get ready for the upcoming season, or try that next test.
Tuesday May 10th, Hazard Clinic w/Mary Gray—We will cover walking the hazard, choosing your route, and driving a hazard different ways to determine the best way for you and you horse.
Sat June 4th, Arena Driving Trial #1 —The first in a two part ADT series.We will be using the one hitch format, you do your dressage test, then two hazards, then finish with cones. VSE drivers will be allowed a navigator to stand at the hazards to verbally assist. Divisions for VSE, Ponies, Horses, and Multiples. Training, Preminary, and Intermediate.
Tuesday June 21st, Cones Clinic w/Mary Gray—Several cones courses will be setup. We will start at 10 am with a group course walk, then proceed to drive the first cones course, have a critique, then drive it again. We will then move to the next course and follow the same format. Approximate times will be given out once we know who is coming in each division, VSE, Ponies, Horses, and Multiples welcome. Great clinic for new or inexperienced drivers.
Sat July 2nd, Driving Derby #1—This year we are offering three Driving Derbies , July 2nd, Sept 17th, with a Championship being offered Oct 1st. Join us for one or all the events. Ribbons will be offered in VSE, Ponies, Horses, and Multiples, in Training, Preliminary, and Intermediate.
Sunday July 17th, Waldingfield HDT, Plan to Attend!
Sat, August 13th, Arena Driving Trial #2 —We will be using the one hitch format where you start at Dressage, move to Hazards and then on to Cones. Divisions for VSE, Ponies, Horses, Multiples in Training, Preliminary, and Intermediate. Dressage tests for each division will be the same as those used at GMHA CDE that you can practice before the event.
Tuesday Sept 6th, Pleasure Show Clinic w/Mary Gray—We will cover the requirements of various Pleasure Show classes for those interested in the Fall Pleasure Shows.
Sat Sept 17th, Driving Deby #2
Sat Oct 1st —Driving Derby Championship!
Sat. Nov 6th—End of Season Fun Day bad weather day Nov 7th—A fun Day of driving activities for all. Free to anyone having attended two or more events this season or who is a Winning Spirits member. Non members are welcome at a cost of $35.
Board of Directors Andrea Pianka welcomes new, soon to be driving partner, Reba, a 14.2 hand 9 year old Morgan mare. Andrea currently has Reba in training with Dottie Brittingham-Foreman at Independence Stables where the sweet mare has taken to carriage driving easily. Reba has proven to be so good that Andrea is able to lead her and even ground drive with assistance.
Andrea Pianka-I am very excited for what the future holds for us!
We need your old shoes! On Saturday November 7th, 2015 MG Driving Center will be holding an End of the Season Fun Day at Groton Fairgrounds in Groton, MA. There, drivers and navigators will be competing in a Driving Derby and Country Cones Course. Friends and spectators are welcome and any and all are encouraged to bring used shoes to donate to our Shoe Box Recycling fundraiser.
Winning Spirits was the lucky recipient of Massachusetts Morgan Horse Association’s annual silent auction. We are so grateful to have wonderful driving organizations like these who are willing to fund raise and donate the proceeds to our cause! We want to send a BIG thank you to Judy Candage and the whole Mass Morgan crowd for all your efforts.
“We’re not talking about great grandma’s Sunday drive!”
Winning Spirits’ first act will be to fulfill a need our disabled drivers have expressed. Some of our drivers are unable to afford the cost of a golf cart or don’t have the means of transporting one in order for them to be able to view event courses. As any fellow competitor knows, this leaves them at a distinct disadvantage. To meet this need, we will be raising money for a golf cart and trailer that will be retrofitted to safely allow those with disabilities or temporary injuries to view courses at New England events. It is our goal to have this cart be made available to any individual needing it.
We want to send a big congratulations to Vermont driver Sara St. Peter on the purchase of her new driving horse. Elor, a five year old Sachsen warmblood came all the way from the Pohlers farm in Eastern Germany with the help of Frank and Marlies Luetz of the Art of Driving in Templeton, CA. We will be looking for Sara and Elor at next year’s New England driving events.
We did it! Winning Spirits would like to thank you for all of your support. Less than a year ago our organization set out to decide what we could do to make competition for those with permanent and temporary physical disabilities more accessible. After listening to both able drivers and drivers with disabilities, it was decided that a golf cart, retrofitted to accommodate all, and made available to New England Events, would have the biggest impact.
Thanks to your support and the proceeds from the Carriage Connection we have already been able to purchase a retrofitted a golf cart. Now (as I’m sure you’ve already guessed) we are hoping to call on you for your help in raising the funds to purchase a trailer and insurance to make this vehicle available at any of New England’s events.
Thanks to all your help Winning Spirits has finally received our tax exempt status. All past donations will be honored, as will any future. Now we just need your help to build our scholarship program so we can help assist drivers with disabilities to compete in New England!
Board of Directors Andrea Pianka welcomes new, soon to be driving partner, Reba, a 14.2 hand 9 year old Morgan mare. Andrea currently has Reba in training with Dottie Brittingham-Foreman at Independence Stables where the sweet mare has taken to carriage driving easily. Reba has proven to be so good that Andrea is able to lead her and even ground drive with assistance.
We did it! Winning Spirits would like to thank you for all of your support. Less than a year ago our organization set out to decide what we could do to make competition for those with permanent and temporary physical disabilities more accessible. After listening to both able drivers and drivers with disabilities, it was decided that a golf cart, retrofitted to accommodate all, and made available to New England Events, would have the biggest impact.