A Weekend of Coaching
August 16 - 19, 2012
Authentic
19th century coaches drawn by matched and highly-trained teams of
horses will return to Newport this summer in the triennial renewal of a
Weekend of Coaching, hosted by The Preservation Society of Newport
County. The public will enjoy free viewing of the colorful and historic
coaches every day, as they drive through the streets of Newport and the
grounds of the Newport Mansions, celebrating and preserving a
century-old sporting tradition. Approximately a dozen coaching teams
will come to Newport from around the country The routes of the daily drives will be published in the local press and the Preservation Society's website in early August. In addition, there will be a free-to-the-public driving exhibition on the grounds of The Elms starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, August 18.
The weekend will culminate with a formal Coaching Weekend Dinner Dance at The Breakers on Saturday evening. Learn more about the dinner dance and how to make reservations.
The
tradition of coaching grew out of the 18th and 19th century mail runs
in England, which later made their way across the Atlantic to the United
States. The horse-drawn mail coaches were eventually replaced by
railroads, but nostalgia led to the development of coaching as a sport.
The Coaching Club of New York was formed in the latter part of the 19th
century, eventually becoming part of the social fabric of Newport in the
summer. The Wetmores, the Bells, the Vanderbilts and the Belmonts were
all active members, bringing their coaches together to go to the races,
the polo games, and the Casino. The two types of open-air vehicles used in the sport of coaching—a Road Coach and the slightly smaller Park Drag—employ a team of four horses. All seating is outside, with the driver, known as a "whip," sitting in the slightly elevated right front seat, and the whip’s wife or female relative taking up the “box seat” on the left. The rear bench of the coach holds at least two specialized footmen called grooms. Two center benches can hold up to 10 passengers.
