Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Free Horse Driving Clinic to Public at Rollingwoods Farm in Olive Branch, MS

Rollingwoods Farm and the Nashoba Carriage Society offer open clinic to public
By: Lauren Pigford

OLIVE BRANCH, Miss.- Each year the Wilburn sisters of Rollingwoods Farm team up with their close friends of the Nashoba Carriage Society and host the Introduction to Carriage Driving Clinic.

This year the clinic will be held Saturday, March 7, at 10368 Goodman Rd. Olive Branch, Miss (property of Olive Branch Animal Clinic). It will start at 9 a.m. and will end at noon. The clinic is free and open to the public to help promote carriage driving.

Joanna Wilburn and sister Sally Ross Davis will instruct the clinic. Wilburn, who specializes in training people how to drive and Davis, who specializes in breaking ponies and horses how to drive, will focus on how to harness a pony and horse properly, specific types of carriages and will instruct and supervise drivers.

Members of the Nashoba Carriage Society volunteer their time, ponies, horses and equipment for this yearly event. Nora Land, one of Nashoba’s most talented young, junior drivers volunteers and participates each year in the Introduction to Carriage Driving Clinic.

“It is very fun and educational. I learn something new every year,” Land said.

Land is 14 years old and has been competitively driving for five years now. Besides helping out at the Introductory Clinic she is also a Camp Counselor at one of the only junior driving camps in the nation, Drive My Buggy Carriage Camp, held yearly at Kimberlin Farms. Land is also the winner of the Libby Whitmore Memorial Award, Nashoba’s highest honor for one of it’s members earning the highest points in championship classes at their yearly show held in September.

Land is instructed by Wilburn and Davis in several clinics, “Jo Jo and Sally Ross are hilarious. Their clinics are so much fun,” said Land while laughing in memory.

Everyone is welcome to attend the clinic, even those who have never driving before. This is a clinic to help the growth of carriage driving in the area. There will be refreshments such as Coffee and Hot Cocoa available along with some snacks.

Volunteers will have their ponies and horses available to those who wish to ride or drive in the carriages.

“My favorite part of the clinic is driving people around,” Land said.

Joanna Wilburn and Sally Ross Davis along with sister Ruth Wilburn DVM and Stacy West own Rollingwoods Farm. They produce top quality Welch ponies and are known for their National Driving Champions as well as their Champions in open driving competitions. The Wilburn sisters have an ideal location for driving clinics. Their indoor arena is perfect for any type of weather, rain or shine.

The Wilburn sisters along with Nashoba Carriage Members will be onsite to answer any questions about taking carriage driving lessons, purchasing or breaking a carriage driving pony or horse and or joining the Nashoba Carriage Society.

Come and have fun at this topnotch facility and learn all you need to know about Carriage Driving. This is a growing sport in the area and more and more people are joining with enthusiasm.
Joanna Wilburn, clinician, and Nora Land, camp counselor, of Drive My Buggy Carriage Junior Camp instruct