No snow could dash open-sleigh hopesBy Susan Bush
12:00AM / Wednesday, December 22, 2004
 | | A sleigh rider enjoys a moment gliding across the snow last winter. (photo courtesy of Lisa Cenis of South Hadley. Who plans to attend the Stockbridge Rally and many others) |
STOCKBRIDGE — Despite Monday’s arctic blast of cold and a taste of 3 to 6 inches of the white stuff throughout the region, skiers and snowmobile riders are not the only folks scanning the skies and weather reports for the promise of more snow.
The Colonial Carriage and Driving Society's horse-drawn "Winter Classic Sleigh Rally" is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 2, at Eden Hill Farm, but if the ground isn't covered in fluffy white flakes by then, organizers will have to pin their hopes on Jan. 16 to see anyone “dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh.”
While the organizers of many events must plan “snow dates” in case of inclement weather, the driving society actually hopes for snowstorms just before its rallies and posts “no-snow dates” for the events.
Local society members are desperately seeking snowfall in time for the daylong Jan. 2 sleigh-riding showcase, said chapter President Harvey Waller Tuesday.
"We got a little snow this morning [Dec. 20] but not enough,” Waller said. “This is why we post the 'no-snow' date."
Last year, a snow-shortage pushed the Dec. 29 sleigh rally to its January 2004 “no-snow” date, and when that day proved to be snow-deprived, the rally had to be cancelled.
"We can extend to a third date, but then we start running into vacations and such," Waller said. "Once you get on to the backside of January, it [scheduling] gets dicey."
In 2002, more than 700 attended the rally in Stockbridge, and the local chapter has cancelled only the one time, in 2003,since launching the event in 2000, Waller said. Even a gentle 6-to-8-inch snowfall just before the New Year could bode very well for the upcoming rally, he said.
A Parade of Sleighs is slated as the event opener, and Waller said that 25 to 30 entrants are expected to compete in 13 sleigh competition categories. Sleigh drivers will showcase their horsemanship during several competitions, while the horses will be judged on performance and conduct in other events.
But it's the Currier and Ives Driving Class that offers a nostalgic glimpse of the bygone glory days of sleigh rides in the snow, Waller said. Impressive sleighs, period-costumed drivers and passengers and horses with "jingle bells" on their harnesses captivate spectators during the drive, he said.
"The horsemen are in the traditional garb of 100 years ago, and the horses are decked out," he said. "Our site [on Eden Hill] is beautiful, and when you arrive, there's quite an atmosphere. The people really get an eyeful. When we do these sleigh rides around the holidays, it strikes a chord with people."
Some site preparation is required. Waller noted that in past centuries, horses pulled "rollers" over deep snow to tamp it down it before sleighs traveled, and that procedure hasn’t changed much in Stockbridge.
"We have an antique roller and we roll the snow to make ready for the sleighs," he said.
Scheduled events include a selection of winter sleigh songs performed bonfire-side by Berkshire Country Day School students at 12:30. Belgian horse-drawn sleigh rides will be offered beginning at 11 and concluding at 3, and hot beverages and food will be available on site. Admission is $5 per person. Children between ages 5 and 12 will be admitted for $3, and children under 5 will be admitted free.
Horse-drawn sleighs are a pivotal part of American history, especially in New England. Romantic images — couples snuggled under thick fur robes, feet toasted by hot, coal-filled, foot-warming boxes as a cutter-style sleigh skates along under the moonlight — were frequently the subject of Currier and Ives prints, but equally predominant in the collections are prints of draft horses pulling plain, functional sleighs driven by farmers and fast, furious sleigh races.
Modern culture often links the "jingle bells" with holiday merriment. The bells were actually required in many locales so that sleigh drivers could hear other sleighs as they approached.
Prior to train travel, sleighs were a prime winter transportation source for Northerners, and because cutter-sleigh runners were straight blades, turning a cutter could be a tricky maneuver. Popular cutter sleighs include the Portland cutter, also known as the Kimball cutter, which was first designed in Maine, and the more elaborate Albany cutter, with origins in Albany, N.Y. A "bob-sled" was outfitted with front runners that could move under the sled floor and aid with turns; those sleds were favored for hauling cargo or large groups of people.
Santa Claus' sleigh is most often linked to Clement Clarke Moore, who introduced a "miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer" when he penned the present day holiday classic "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Dec. 24, 1822. The verse was published in a New York City newspaper one year later under the title "An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas." But according to information available on numerous Internet Web sites, William Gilley, a New York printer, wrote a brief poem titled "Santeclaus" in 1821, which described "Sante" as being dressed in fur and commanding a sleigh pulled by a single reindeer.
In a revised "History of New York" written in 1812 by Washington Irving, St. Nicholas is described as "riding over the tops of the trees, in that selfsame waggon wherein he brings his yearly presents to children."
The difference between Santa's sleigh and the sleighs expected at the Stockbridge rally is that Santa doesn't have to depend on snow to go.
A 10-day extended weather forecast posted on The Weather Channel's Web site, weather.com, mentions a possibility of snow showers on Dec. 26. A 15-day forecast posted at AccuWeather.com disputes that claim and predicts cloudy skies for that day. However, AccuWeather does predict an unspecified amount of snowfall on Dec. 31.
Sleigh rallies are growing in popularity in the Northeast. The Waters Farm in Sutton has a rally scheduled for Jan. 30, with a no-snow date of Feb. 16. The Green Mountain Horsemen Association plans a Jan. 8 rally in South Woodstock, Vt.; the no-snow dates are Jan. 30, Feb. 12, Feb. 26 and March 12. The Stonewall Farm in Keene, N.H. has scheduled a sleigh rally for Jan. 29. Information about the events is available at www.shootthathorse.com. |
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