The sport of pleasure carriage driving involves maneuvering
horses and carriages around a set of objects in precision courses. It is ideal
for horses trained as harness-racing trotters, as well as former
high-stepping show horses.
A full carriage combined competition is an elegant event that is timed and requires horses and carriages to negotiate an obstacle course. The "tests" include maneuvering through or around objects likely to have been encountered on a carriage drive from the past. In the marathon pace event, competitors try to complete a 3-kilometer course in an exact time - not faster or slower. Contestants are penalized for every second over or under the time limit.
Years past, Prowse Farm has been the location previously chosen by the South Shore Carriage Club which held its first pleasure driving show at the farm in 1998. More recently the members of the Rhode Island Driving Club also hosted their own carriage driving event. Many of whom were former members of the South Shore Carriage Club, which no longer exists. Below are photos from carriage driving events held at Prowse Farm.
