Highlights Archives
Villa Louis Carriage Classic September 8 & 9
In an event recalling a chapter in its own colorful history, the historic Villa Louis country estate in Prairie du Chien will host the annual Villa Louis Carriage Classic, one of the Midwest's largest and most stylish pleasure driving competitions. More than 130 turnouts — the term includes the driver, carriage, animals, and their manner of presentation — will congregate at Villa Louis to compete in several classes of obstacle courses, cross-country rides, and arena shows. The convergence of so many superb horse-drawn vehicles, their nattily dressed drivers, and splendid steeds on the Villa Louis' spacious lawns creates a panoramic vista reminiscent of a 19th-century equine festival. Indeed, it hearkens back to the Villa Louis' own history and its brief heyday as the Artesian Stock Farm for breeding and raising Standardbred trotting horses.
In the competitive classes, which include Cones, Reinsmanship, Cross Country, Gambler's Choice, and Working Pleasure, drivers, or whips, go head to head in a series of divisions that take into account such distinguishing characteristics as single-horse versus multiple-horse hitches, juniors, novice drivers, and large and small horses and ponies. Judges rank competitors based on such factors as elapsed times, difficulty of obstacles, reinsmanship skill of the driver, and the performance and manner of the horses.
 A nattily dressed couple takes part in the crowd-pleasing Picnic Class event Two crowd-pleasing competition classes include the Picnic Class and the Concours d'Elegance. In the Picnic Class, held at noon Saturday, entrants prepare an elegant picnic lunch, then proceed from the arena to a designated picnic site on the Villa Louis lawn. Judges rate the entries based on the performance of their turnouts; the condition, fit and appropriateness of the harness and vehicle; and the overall impression they make with the presentation of their picnic. The Concours d'Elegance, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, marks the grand finale of the Carriage Classic as the most crowd-pleasing turnouts parade around the grounds, with judges awarding points to those turnouts that present the most elegant effect with their vehicle, harness, appointments, horses, driver, passengers and groomsmen.
If you make the excursion to Prairie du Chein for the Villa Louis Carriage Classic, you'll want to include time for a tour of the restored rooms of the Villa Louis mansion and the Dousman office building. Mansion tours are included in the cost of admission, so treat yourself to a peek inside one of the most authentically furnished Victorian country houses in all of America.
For complete details on admission, hours, a map, distances from various cities, and other information, see Villa Louis' visitor information page. For a complete rundown of competitors, competition classes, divisions, registration details and other information, visit the home page of Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Inc., which sponsors the annual event.
:: Posted September 5, 2007
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