Dear Folks,

First, I’d like to introduce your new Driving Digest Advertising Director Dan Speese. He’s one of those forthright likeable guys with a background in banking and a lot of experience in the world of horses and driving. Currently he’s keeping company with a host of Haflingers for which he serves as chief navigator and groom. Dan can be reached at 419-929-6781 or email at Dan01@drivingdigest.com.

We also neglected to point out the arrival several months ago of Andi Boss, the Digest’s new circulation manager. She’s available at the same phone number or subscriptions@rrbiznet.com. In addition to her duties as the manager of your subscription, Andi owns and operates a ballet studio and presents two community recitals annually. She has two children (now grown up), a husband and two German Shepherds.

Which brings us back to a full staff again.

The summer heat is here (today it reached 97 in shady New London) and that means the National Drive isn’t far off. The Drive, held for the first time outside the Kentucky Horse Park will run from September 14 to September 19 and will be located at the Hoosier Horse Park near Edinburgh, Indiana. The facilities appear to be even better than the Kentucky park and the area available to drivers is stupendous.

There are plenty of motels in the immediate area and camping is generous. The park has a full time restaurant (with real food) unlike the Kentucky facility.

Since there are several parties and food oriented events such as free coffee and doughnuts (furnished every year by the Driving Digest) and the Mimosa Drive on Sunday sponsored by Andy Marcoux and Coachman’s Delight, it is important that everyone get their registrations in early so that meaningful planning can take place. All information is available on the website, www.nationaldrive.net.    Email for registration questions, details and the line is tnd2010@live.com. Early registration IS IMPORTANT.

All vendors will be inside this year allowing them to operate despite any rainy days.

Early indications are the National Drive will host as many if not more people than last year. It should be an exciting time. Come join us for the fun.

And finally, the World Equestrian Games are quickly approaching. Remember, this is the only time (so far) that America has hosted this important global activity and Kentucky has turned the place upside down to get ready for the expected 600,000 people who are predicted to show up for the event. We can be proud of what has happened at the Kentucky Horse Park already and there are yet a few innovations to get ready for the big day. Volunteers by the thousand have been incorporated into the overall scheme and now parking in the immediate area has been arranged and attendees will be shuttled from the parking areas (well marked) to the park itself and back to the lots.

It is easily the most ambitious project in the horse world, requiring even more facility and planning than the Olympics. And after WEG we should have the most modern equine park in the world. We expect that even more horse associations will be attracted to build headquarters in the park after the games are over, creating one true national equine center for all breeds and persuasions. Due to the early creation of the successful National Drive you can experience driving at its best as time passes.

The American Driving Society is planning an all-out commercial assault on those attending the games (at great cost) while the Carriage Association of America already has its headquarters inside the park itself along with the Carriage Museum of America. So the presence of the driving community will be felt along with the competition among those in the high performance division.

Sixty countries are expected to participate in the overall games with about 25 countries sending teams for the driving competition. The final count is yet unknown and some are predicting that the total will be somewhat fewer due to the global recession and political turbulence at present. Coming to America is a costly proposition for other countries and some, including Great Britain, have said they will not be sending teams this year (that means we will not be able to watch the wonderful George Bowman in action).

The American team has not officially been selected yet and we suspect there will be a bit of a surprise instead of the three we have sent year after year as our representatives. There’s a couple of newcomers to the hallowed ranks of the high performance league who have a better than even shot at making the team. Of course those who don’t can always come as individuals since we are not likely to fill the six individual slots accorded the host country.

Lot’s going on. Don’t miss it.

y’r obt. ser.

Thom Mezick
Publisher