British Driving Society Show 2024

Could there be a more perfect way to spend a day than enjoying a Champagne picnic while watching the cream of Britain’s coach and horses being driven around three show rings at Windsor Great Park?

First to arrive was Junior Warden Mark Broadbent, who had just returned from driving in the procession at Royal Ascot and had stabled his horses at Windsor Castle at the invitation of HM The King.

The Coachmakers attends this event each year, with members enjoying ring-side car parking and a day of traditional carriage driving. This is the British Driving Society’s ‘jewel in the crown’ event with many members traveling far and wide to enter classes including private driving, exercise, and pleasure driving. The young drivers’ category, developing our coachmen for the next decade, was once again supported by a member of the Company, Fenix Training Trust.

Coachmakers who competed included Carl Isaac looking magnificent driving Wayne Isaac’s hunting phaeton with two Irish Draught greys named Cordobra and Corona, in the Concours d’Elegance. Another competitor was James “Jimmy” Jeffries who drove the Marsden of Birmingham Charabanc with lead horse Honey with her two young offspring, Charm and Bertie behind. Honey showed the way around Windsor Great Park pulling 11 passengers.

On display was the largest collection of carriages dating back from the early 1800s. The tradesmen of yesteryear were ably represented showing how our goods would once have been delivered. Immaculate vehicles which would have been driven by bakers, butchers, milkmen etc, pulled by traditional horses and ponies, gave us a glimpse into the past.

The Coachmakers’ coaching award for 2024 was presented by the Master Bettine Evans to John Peacock, who has been working with carriage horses since 1967 – an illustrious career spanning 50 decades. His career began as a driver for Mann Crossman & Paulin, and he now sits on many panels as a member and judge. His role as a judge has taken him as far afield as Australia, America and Canada to name a few, and he has also been involved with competition ploughing. He plays a leading role in our Lord Mayor’s Show parade each year.

The Master presents the coaching award to John Peacock

The day was filled with some wonderful competitions in the three rings, and also a Concours d’Elegance class which is a drive around Windsor Great Park, by kind permission of HM The King. The worthy winners this year were T Cribb & Sons for Best Unicorn and the Concours Class was won by another member of the Cribb family, Jack Harris with his pair of greys.

The day always ends with the delight for every competitor to parade past the Royal Box at Guards Club where we were privileged to watch HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh take the salute, and who kindly presented the sashes to the champions of the day.