American Driving Society Inc.

10/27/2026

We have been in touch with Hardy Zantke's family, who will be hosting an in-person Celebration of Life in Rolling Hills Estates, CA on November 21.

For those who are unable to join that in-person event, members of his family will join us at Galway Downs in Temecula, CA at 1pm Pacific (at the conclusion of the Board Meeting) on Sunday, November 22 to help memorialize him and his vast contributions to driving. All ADS members are welcome to join us on Zoom for the Board Meeting and Hardy's ADS memorial that follows directly after. Please note that though we endeavor to create a good audio/visual experience for our members on Zoom, we are often at the mercy of the technology gods (who are quite fickle).

Register for the Board Meeting Zoom on our website at www.americandrivingsociety.org/AMMBOD26 (you MUST be logged in to register).

Here are the details for the in-person Celebration of Life hosted by Hardy's family:

Saturday Nov. 21
12:00-4:00 p.m.
Banquet Room at the Original Red Onion Restaurant
736 Bart Earle Way
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

RSVP requested by Nov. 14
Via email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Via text: Tina at 310-770-4462

10/23/2026

Cheer on your friends at Windsor Trace this weekend!

Windsor Trace CDE and CDE starts this week! Share this post and invite your friends to come cheer! 👏
American Driving Society Inc.

10/23/2026

Celebration of Life for Hardy Zantke:

November 21st, Torrance, California. Please reach out via email to Jutta at [email protected] for event details

09/24/2026

“Hey Acadia participants—-Let’s give a huge shout out to this incredibly amazing President of our club, Anna Bigelow. Acadia is a special place where so many friends gather to ride and drive. I have camped there for nearly 20 years, and I have never had a trip as magical as this one. Anna had everything beautifully organized with gift bags, social events, volunteer hosted dinners, commercial carriage rides, popover reservations, and more. She brought a wonderful group of people together in the best way possible. Thank you Anna! If you missed Acadia and want to join the fun—- come to NERD October 9-12 with or without a horse ❤️”

Hey Acadia participants—-Let’s give a huge shout out to this incredibly amazing President of our club, Anna Bigelow. Acadia is a special place where so many friends gather to ride and drive. I have camped there for nearly 20 years, and I have never had a trip as magical as this one. Anna had everything beautifully organized with gift bags, social events, volunteer hosted dinners, commercial carriage rides, popover reservations, and more. She brought a wonderful group of people together in the best way possible. Thank you Anna! If you missed Acadia and want to join the fun—- come to NERD October 9-12 with or without a horse ❤️

09/22/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Eberhard (Hardy) Zantke.

Hardy passed away with his loving wife at his side on September 21st, 2026 after a brief illness.

Hardy’s involvement with horses, and carriage driving in particular, reaches back to his earliest days. He learned to drive horses as a youngster with draft-teams at his grandfather’s drayage company in East Germany. He later had a formal riding education in the West German army. After immigrating to the U.S. with his wife Jutta and settling in Torrance, CA they became one of the top competitors in Combined Driving in the USA in the 80′s and 90′s with their pairs of 17 hand bay Holsteiner geldings.

Hardy and Jutta competed regularly throughout the entire U.S. and Canada and were first alternate of the U.S. team at the 1993 World Pair Driving Championship. As skilled as he was as a driver, he was equally talented in training his horses. He and Jutta brought up two pairs from importing them as three year olds to being long-listed with the US Equestrian Team. They also competed with a four-in-hand and were named to the USET List of Developing Drivers with that turnout.

Hardy remained active in combined driving even after he and Jutta retired from competition. Together, they co-organized the California Classic CDE from 1990 - 2000. With his background as competitor, organizer and judge, he was highly qualified in his role as Chef d’Equipe from 1996 to 2006 for thirteen U.S. Teams at the World Championships, bringing home five medals.

Hardy was retired from his role as an executive in the transportation industry; for many years he also represented a German carriage manufacturer. He was in demand as a clinician and was known for his kind, direct and effective teaching style.

Hardy was also a highly qualified combined driving judge. In addition to being a licensed FEI 3* Driving and Para Equestrian Driving judge, Hardy was a Senior judge with the American Driving Society and a qualified driving judge with the US Equestrian Federation. Hardy was part of the ground jury at events throughout North America and abroad and was actively officiating at combined driving events right up to a few weeks prior to his passing.

Hardy wrote interesting and informative columns for many driving publications around the world, and his regular contribution “From Between my Blinders” for the ADS publication The Whip was a favorite of readers. He was an Honorary Director of the American Driving Society, the recipient of the 2000 ADS President’s Award for his ongoing contributions to driving, and in 2014 was honored as one of the 40 most outstanding ADS members.

His contributions to driving were innumerable; he will be very much missed.

Hardy leaves behind his wife Jutta, his children Tina, Julie and Ziggy and his grandchildren Finn, Otto, Marta, Knut and Gustav.

(Elisa Marocchi)

09/13/2026

Two ADS members, Karen Marlin and Judy Chamberlain (ADS Secretary), meet a Shetland pony in the Shetland Islands while sporting their ADS attire. Buy your cool weather layers at www.americandrivingsociety.org.

09/12/2026

Dave Remley sounds the ADS Coaching Call at ADS University at Fair Hill in Elkton, MD (9.11.26).

09/11/2026

ADS University at MARD is in full swing at Fair Hill in Elkton, MD! We’ve got a fantastic lineup all weekend for educational opportunities and driving activities. Fair Hill International

09/08/2026

If you’re headed to Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Inc. this weekend, don’t miss the stable tour!

🐴 There’s More to the VLCC Than the Competition!

There’s plenty of action in the arenas at the Villa Louis Carriage Classic — but some of the best experiences happen behind the scenes!

One we especially encourage you not to miss is our Stable Tour, led by our longtime guides, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Foxworthy.

The Foxworthys will take you into the stable area for a closer look at the horses, ponies, carriages, and equipment that make up the Villa Louis Carriage Classic. It’s a chance to meet competitors, see the turnouts up close, ask questions, and learn a little more about the traditions of carriage driving — whether this is your first carriage show or your twentieth.

Stable Tours are free and open to our visitors:
Friday — 10:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.
Saturday — 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Tours meet at the Welcome Tent.

And while you’re here, make a day of it! Shop our Vendor Tent featuring 11 vendors this year, grab some food and a cold drink, browse and bid in the Silent Auction, meet competitors, and explore the showgrounds.

There’s competition happening beyond the Main Arena, too — including Timed Obstacles, Gambler’s Choice, and Cross Country–Pace Obstacles, with the water crossing being a particularly fun place to watch.

Come for the competition. Stay for everything else.

🐴 Villa Louis Carriage Classic
📅 September 11–13, 2026
📍 Saint Feriole Island • Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

And if you’ve never taken a Stable Tour with Mr. and Mrs. Foxworthy, this is the year to do it!

📸 Photo credit: Brooke Ballenger, Nashoba Carriage Classic, 2025

09/08/2026

Entries are open for the 2026 Windsor Trace CDE! Enter at windsortracecde.org

Today is the Day! Entries are now open for the Windsor Trace CT & CDE. Go to the website to enter windsortracecde.org

https://wix.to/tUmqRI5