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THE 20TH ANNUAL C.C.H.A SLEIGH RALLY
by Beth Maxwell Boyle
The Chautauqua Institution will once
more be the site for the Chautauqua Country
Horseman's Assn. Sleigh Rally. The horsemen
have planned a special celebration in
honor of the twentieth continuous year of
the event in Chautauqua County. The 20th
Annual CCHA Sleigh Rally will be held Feb.7th
in 1999. The 20th Annual CCHA
Sleigh Rally will be a gala event for horsemen
and spectators alike! The last two years
have been very well attended as the weather
has been mild and enough snow cover for the
sleighs hung on through the day. With
over 50 horses entered each of the last two rallies
we believe there will be a good turn out of
horses and drivers again in 1999!
The first Annual CCHA Sleigh Rally was held in Randolph , New York
in 1979 and
a blizzard trapped the participants
with their horses overnight in Randolph. Despite the
rough start the rally was held again the next
year. Latter the rally moved to Cocaine ski
resort and then to its current location in
historic Chautauqua Institution.
Chautauqua
has been a wonderful place for the rally with its snow covered streets
and beautiful Victorian setting. Photographers
delight in positioning themselves along
the shady streets and by the lakefront to
snap photos of the horses and sleighs against the
back drop of gingerbread houses and grand
hotels!
The Rally will start at 10:30 in the morning on the Jamestown side of the
Chautauqua Diner and the Fire House.
The classes for draft horses will run first to free
the teamsters to give rides to the public
for the rest of the day. The Stateline Drafthorse
Club charges a small fee to people who would
like a hay ride on the bob sleighs through
the grounds of Chautauqua. This
is a favorite activity for the people who turn out to
enjoy the day! Both local and out of
town folk delight in the winter spectacle in old
Chautauqua.
At around
noon when the draft horse classes are finished the contestants and their
sleighs will line up to parade through Chautauqua
in the class known as the Currier and
Ives Drive. This year in celebration
of the 20th year of the Rally, Chautauqua County
Executive, Mr. Mark Thomas will be master
of the the Currier and Ives Drive! He will
parade at the beginning of the Currier and
Ives Class with the Saxtons and their Morgan
team from Ripley, NY. There are separate divisions
for light horse, pony, draft and team.
This class is the favorite of entrants
and spectators alike as it is the most beautiful and
traditional part of the day. It is a
splendid sight to see all the horses and sleighs going
down the streets lined with beautiful old
homes and shade trees. You can see dashing
Portland cutters, bob sleighs, and
graceful, swanlike Albany Cutters! You can see noble
black Percheron draft horses and tiny
ponies. Every year people admire the nimble
Morgan horses with arched necks prancing down
the snow covered avenues all the while
making music with their merry sleigh bells.
The Currier and Ives class is judged on the suitability of the horse to
the sleigh and
on the overall turnout of driver, horse, and
vehicle as well as the skill of the horse and
driver. The entrants drive back to the starting
point to hear the judge announce the winner
of each division of the Currier and Ives Drive.
Ribbons will be awarded in first through
fourth places.
There are classes
held after the Currier and Ives Drive in the arena next to the Fire
House. These classes are judged more on the
skills of horse and driver with some points
given for neatness of attire, suitability
of harness and vehicle etc. Ribbons will be given
for first through fourth place in each class.
The contestants may be asked to walk, trot,
stand or proceed at a working or extended
trot. Ponies, mules, donkeys, and light horses
all show in these classes which run for most
of the day. At the same time in a area close
to the main arena drivers can test their skill
in the timed trot and obstacle course. Another
class that is unusual and fun is the ride
and drive. The entrants are first judged driving
their horses, they unhook and saddle up and
are then judged on horseback. This class
mixes horses and ponies in the same class.
The CCHA will be raffling off a strap of solid brass sleigh bells by Smuckers
Harness Shop for one dollar a chance and beautiful
embroidered sweat shirts
commemorating the 20th Annual CCHA Sleigh
Rally will be for sale from now until the
day of the Rally. To be sure you get
the size you want order now by contacting Julie
Minor of Frewsburg, NY at 716-569-3842.
All proceeds from the raffle and sweatshirts
are to benefit the CCHA Sleigh Rally Fund.
Inexpensive food and drink will be available in the Fire Hall during the
Rally and
folks can warm up while they enjoy the homemade
treats made by the Chautauqua
Fireman's Auxiliary. We hope you can
come out and celebrate with us. Chautauqua
County is beautiful in the winter!
Come see the horses and join in the fun!
The CCHA Sleigh Rally is one of the few sleigh rallies in the country that
have
been held continuously for 20 years!
Mother nature has never let us down yet but should
there not be enough snow the event will go
on with carriages and carts. For more
information and local weather conditions
call Beth at 716-789-5802, or Julie Minor at
716-569-3842. |
