Upcoming Events

Nashoba Carriage Classic
and Arena Driving Trial
October 28-30, 2011

Germantown Charity Horse Show Grounds
7745 Poplar Pike
Germantown, TN 38138

The Nashoba Carriage Association was founded in 1997 by a group of Memphis, Germantown, and Collierville horse enthusiasts who wanted to take their sport a step further into carriage driving. Several of the founders, including Lib Whitmore, Melissa Jones, Sonny and Mary Liz Foster, George and Jean Holmes, and Imo Erb had already hitched up and were enjoying driving for pleasure, but they wanted to start a group and get into the more competitive aspects of driving.

After visiting and competing in several pleasure driving shows, the group decided to host its own show. The first Nashoba Carriage Classic appeared on the American Driving Society (ADS) calendar in the fall of 1999. The show was sanctioned by the ADS and drew competitors from five surrounding states. It has continued to grow and has become a favorite in the Southeast not only for its competition, but also for its hospitality.

The first shows were held at the historic Schilling Farms in Collierville. In 2003, the Nashoba Carriage Classic was moved to the Germantown Charity Horse Show Grounds, a landmark of Germantown’s equestrian past and future. Held in September, the three-day show begins on a Friday with cones classes and ends on Sunday with the Magnolia Drive, held in the lovely McFadden Woods adjacent to the show grounds. Spectators are always welcome and encouraged to come out and enjoy our sport! Friday evening hosts our "Thrill on the Hill," when Arena Driving Trial participants show off their speed and dexterity through a course of hazards.

Carriage shows are a small part of the Nashoba Carriage Association. The group meets once a month in someone’s home for a potluck dinner, socializing, and a business meeting. Activities include pleasure drives at various locations on property of members and friends. Locations include Saulsbury and Rossville in Tennessee, and Batesville, Holly Springs, and Sumner in Mississippi. A club outing to Sumner featured a drive around the square, through the cotton fields, and back to dinner in the formal gardens of the plantation home. Our Easter drive in Saulsbury included an Easter egg hunt for the children and a wonderful lunch on the porch of a century-old log cabin. Shelby Farms also welcomes carriages and is a convenient place to exercise horses.

Competitions in the Southeast are popular for many of the Nashoba members. A contingent of the club travels to Pinehurst, North Carolina in May for the Classic in the Pines. Members also travel to Georgetown, Kentucky, for the Kentucky Gala and The National Drive. Others travel to Black Prong Equestrian Center in Florida for clinics and shows. A few of our members also have participated in Combined Driving Events (CDE’s) in Knoxville and Georgia. CDE’s include timed cross-country events that encourage a higher level of fitness.

Nashoba Carriage Club includes beginners as well as those with competition experience. We have regular clinics with trainers who are skilled at teaching at any level. We always are looking for people to motivate and educate us in the sport of driving.

You don’t have to have a horse and carriage to join! We have many members who are observing and learning before they decide to take the plunge into horse, vehicle, harness, and trailer. Join us for a meeting or a clinic. But watch out...you will get the carriage driving bug!