Take a Ride with the Belgians

Mark Woodworth of Lamplit Farm is shown guiding his Belgian mare, Peg, along Albany Street in Cazenovia for a wedding. The Woodworth’s pair of Belgian mares will be used to provide free wagon rides between the Lorenzo State Historic Site and the village of Cazenovia on July 17. (Photo provided by Lamplit Farm)

Lorenzo Driving Competition comes to the village of Cazenovia

(Cazenovia, NY) For the first time in its 34 years of existence, spectators attending the annual Lorenzo Driving Competition will have the opportunity to participate in complementary horse drawn wagon rides on Saturday July 17 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The destination will be the nearby village of Cazenovia.

This opportunity will enable spectators to expand their visits to this historic area. Not only will the show attendees be able to watch the driving competition, but they can also stroll through the historic business district without having to move their cars from the free parking provided at the Lorenzo State Historic site located at the foot of Cazenovia Lake on Route 20.

Mark and Jan Woodworth, of Lamplit Farm in Cazenovia, own and drive the team of Belgian draft horses that will be providing the Lorenzo to village rides. The Woodworths are very involved with horse drawn activities and may be found with their team of horses at numerous public events such as the Lorenzo “Community Day “ held each September, “Christmas at Lorenzo,” Cazenovia College Parents’ weekend, the Fayetteville Christmas tree lighting and fall/winter activities at Critz Farm.

Always a popular summer event, the Lorenzo Driving competition draws competitors from across the country. Since the competition is not a breed-specific show, spectators can expect to see horses and ponies of all sizes and colors as well as carriages of all makes. Competitors are judged on their ability to correctly and safely drive their horses in both pleasure and obstacle classes. The marathon class, held first thing on Saturday morning, is a very popular class among competitors as it includes approximately five miles of trails that span the area around the Lorenzo setting. The water crossing, known as “Clark’s Crossing,” located just off Burlingame Road, is the most popular location for spectators to watch the marathon.

The performance classes are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday July 17 and at 9 a.m. on Sunday, July 18. Exhibitors will be competing in a variety of classes that test their driving skills and their overall presentation.

Special features that spectators won’t want to miss include: Daily performances by the Kateland Farms Miniature Horse Drill team, new Carriage Dog class to be held on July 18 following the lunch break; competitors will include their canine companions in their carriages and audience participation for judging is utilized, silent auction to benefit Sunshine Horses, Inc. will be held on both Saturday and Sunday and Market Lane vendors will offer a variety of items and specialty foods to delight show goers.

The entire event, including parking and the horse drawn wagon rides to the Village of Cazenovia, is free and open to the public. Parking may be accessed from the Lorenzo driveway located off Route 13, south. For further information, please view the website: www.lorenzodriving.com.

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Take a Ride with the Belgians

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