On the weekend of May 13 – 15th, 2016, the historic Village of Pinehurst, NC comes alive with the magic and romance of an earlier era – a time when the Horse & Carriage were elevated from a simple means of personal conveyance to a portrait of their owner – a social commentary as to profession, personal taste, and character. It was the end of the 19th century – 1895 to be exact – The Gilded Age.
Pinehurst will recapture the essence and spirit of its beginnings harking back to 1895 with all its glory as the Moore County Driving Club hosts Classic in the Pines, A Carriage Driving Competition. This celebration of the art and sport of traditional carriage driving is held at the historic track facility located a breath away from the Village itself. This sport – yes! Horse carriage driving is an Olympic Sport! – includes three days of competition held at the track facility all day Friday and Saturday. Entry is free and open to the public. Bleachers are available, but spectators are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and blankets.
The weekend includes a picture perfect parade of horse carriages winding through the neighborhoods with a grand finale in the streets of the Village of Pinehurst. The pageantry and beauty of these exquisitely turned out carriages and drivers will instantly take spectators back in time. It isn’t often that one can see the pages of a history book come to life. The carriages should arrive in the downtown area around 10:00 am Sunday.
The Carriage Parade will also include an ole’ fashioned Chuck Wagon that will be picking up food items and donations for the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina.
Sit a spell on your porch as the carriages will travel down St. Andrews crossing into the Village on Ritter Road at Beulah Hill Rd. Join us on the porch of the Pine Crest Inn as the parade makes its way past this icon or on the sidewalks throughout the Village of Pinehurst for this lovely display of our history and heritage.
Over the course of the weekend spectators have the opportunity to view a wide variety of 19th century carriages compete at the Pinehurst Mile Track. Antique and sport carriages ranging from tiny pony carts to extravagant coaches with polished brass and silver harnesses will be participating in all phases of classical driving competition, including dressage, cones, obstacles classes and the elegant pleasure driving through town. The parade is a culmination of three days of carriage competition.