August 2009 - August Try Driving
The Bennington Team, fresh back from their successes at the World Carriage Driving Championships in Greven, have just held another successful and fully booked Try Driving weekend.
The weekend, designed to encourage newcomers of all ages to the sport, saw the Bennington Team plus Amanda Saville and her Chariots of Fire driving team host the event at Bennington's purpose built facility. Great weather was thankfully in abundance and this added to the enjoyment of the day - especially for Elvis, a 7 week old duck who accompanied the Chariots of Fire team and spent most of the day exploring and eating grass. Great carriage driving was also in abundance and Robert Hay produced the quickest times in the cones section. The water splash section proved particularly popular - providing a welcome splash for each driver! Check out our Try Driving Gallery too...
Spaces for Bennington's next Try Driving events are becoming limited - so if you wish to book or would like to know more, please contact Sue Mart at Bennington Carriages on 01400 281280.
Try Driving - July 2009
The fourth Try Driving event of 2009 was without doubt our most rewarding event of the year so far. Our experienced team were in attendance - our expert trainers Amanda Saville and John Nisbit - plus the Bennington folks who were busy keep things running smoothly. We were also very lucky to be joined by a group of first time drivers from the Red Oaks Care Home, based at Rainworth, plus their helpers.
The group, all with special needs, enjoyed the day tremendously. Using a specially adapted Bennington Fun Bug allowed those individuals who are wheelchair bound to experience driving for the first time and get behind the reins - all under Amanda and John's supervision. Members of the group who were more mobile were able to take the reins and set some fantastic times around the cones course as well as enjoying the beautiful scenery around Bennington's 10 acre site.
Later in the day a number of additional drivers arrived with their own ponies for extra tuition and Amanda was in her element, identifying areas for improvement and using her unique blend of encouragement and praise to make real improvements to driving skills.
Many of you may know Amanda's dog Penny who is always in attendance and is a regular passenger in the Fun Bug. However, Amanda's newest member of her menagerie was also in attendance. Oz, a rather wonderful duck, spent most of the day wandering around the Bennington site and enjoying the fun. Don't believe us? Check out the picture gallery....
Spaces for Bennington's next Try Driving events on 22nd and 23rd August are becoming limited - so if you wish to book or would like to know more, please contact Sue Mart at Bennington Carriages on 01400 281280.
Try Driving - May 2009
The third Try Driving event of 2009 was yet another success! The weekend, supported by Amanda Saville and John Nisbit - plus their wonderful driving ponies and fantastic assistants Carolyn and Alicia was held at Bennington Carriages superb facilities and attracted all ages of driver. Many families were in attendance also, with much competition between parents and siblings!
The Bennington Cones Challenge was a tightly fought contest, with the eventual winner being Anna Viller (aged 9) - just beating her sister Emily and Mum Caroline. Many drivers are rapidly expanding their driving skills and techniques - with many expressing an interest to become budding British Horse Driving Trials members in the future. Even the occasional shower was unable to dampen enthusiasm!
The weekend also saw the official launch of the new Bennington Carriages designed specifically for miniature horses. The launch was held in conjunction with Alison Johnston of the European Miniature Horse Association and attracted a wide audience from as far afield as Ireland. First to drive the new Bennington Magnum Carriage was Stephen Johnston with the magnificent horse "Scott Creek Mystical Magnum", an American 32inch miniature. In addition, the weekend saw long reining demonstrations, a tutorial on horse discipline and new "harnessing up" competitions against the clock - thankfully held out of the rain in Bennington's spacious new showroom.
Spaces for Bennington's next Try Driving events on Saturday 6th & 7th June and Sunday 20th & Monday 21st June are becoming limited - so if you wish to book or would like to know more, please contact Sue Mart at Bennington Carriages on 01400 281280.
Try Driving - April 2009
The second of Bennington's 2009 Try Driving events was successfully held over the weekend of 25th / 26th April. Newcomers, previous attendees and more experienced drivers, with their own carriages, were welcomed to Bennington with fantastic weather and of course, a smiling group of Bennington staff, instructors and assistants.
Of particular note was an increasingly competitive set of entrants to the Bennington Cones Course - personal bests were beaten, more clear rounds were achieved and a special mention should go to young sisters Emily and Anna - who both posted identical times. Overall winners were Hilary Mellows on Saturday and Pat Fielding on Sunday - also posting exactly the same times!
The new Bennington showroom, whilst still under construction, provided an ideal opportunity to talk to the attendees. Many people were attending for the first time but an increasing number of individuals were returning for their second or third session - becoming hooked on the thrill and adrenaline rush of carriage driving. A number of attendees had also received the Try Driving day as a gift and commented on how it was the perfect tonic after a stressful week in the office.
Members of the local Pony club also attended and were thrilled to experience carriage driving - as ever under the expert tuition of Amanda and John.
Spaces for Bennington's next Try Driving event on May 16th are becoming limited - so if you wish to book or would like to know more, please contact Sue Mart at Bennington Carriages on 01400 281280.
