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Immaculate horses will pull beautiful carriages this Sunday in Hook Norton
26/07/2023
At least nine carriages are expected at the road drive
The sight of immaculate horses pulling beautiful carriages will greet people in Hook Norton this Sunday morning. For the second year the Hook Norton Brewery is hosting a road drive for the British Driving Society.
The charity event will feature at least nine carriages pulled by light horses and the brewery’s heavy horse shires should also make an appearance.
The carriages will be following a 9 mile circular route out to the Sibfords and back. The best views of the procession will be as they leave the brewery at 11am and then return a couple of hours later.
Those taking part come mainly from the local area, but a couple of visitors from Essex will be joining them.
Preparing the horses for the events such as this takes a lot of effort.
Nick Carter is the Brewery’s Head Coachman who looks after their shires. He said: “Horses are routinely bathed the day before the carriage drive. They’re tidied up again and platted in the morning.
“For us, we’ve got those silky white feet we have to wash, so they’re done and then again in the morning.
“Harness is always a two-man job and that’s roughly started three days before. If it’s a big show then we might have two to three weeks going at it to get the brass polished and the leather shining.”
The charity road drive is raising money for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
Those heading to watch the drive will also get a chance to meet a visiting Shire horse mare, Belle and her 11-week-old colt foal.
The brewery visitor centre and malthouse cafe will be open through the day.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam