Carriage Association of America, Inc.

10/05/2026

The CAA visit to Wisconsin concluded with some visits to wonderful private collections of CAA members in the area. Saturday morning we visited Howard Kietzke who, along with his Granddaughter Jordan, took us through his carriage house and discussed his many unique and interesting items. Howard also gave us a demonstration on how to maintain different types of wheels, what tools to use, what oil to use, and all the accumulated experience he has gained in maintaining his own vehicles. Mary Ruth Marks was also on hand to give rein board lessons on tandem driving.
Following our visit to Howard’s we headed to the lovely farm of Mallory Gorman who hosted the group for a delicious barbecue lunch. Mallory even sent us home with honey from her own farm!
Following lunch we headed to view the collection of Dan Bussey, whose collection of sleighs is unmatched. He has created a new building to house his ever-growing collection, and a marvelous rack system of his own design allowing them to be seen. In addition to sleighs and all their various appointments, Dan collects lamps, funeral vehicles, tools, and a wide variety of just the sort of ‘odds and ends’ that carriage enthusiasts love to see.

Although due to logistics we couldn’t include them on the official itinerary, on Sunday Karen Hankee and Mark and Betty Thoreson opened their collections for ‘open houses’ for the group members who were up for a drive. Karen provided a wonderful Norwegian smorgasbord for lunch while we viewed her unique and interesting items. That afternoon folks also headed further north to Minnesota to see the collection of Mark and Betty Thoreson. They have been collecting truly wonderful and unique carriages and have been conserving and restoring them in a conscientious way. Their carriage house feels as close as we will get today to being in a Brewster & Company showroom in Manhattan with their wonderful collection on display.

We owe a debt of thanks to our wonderful hosts this past weekend, they have made the CAA’s visit to Wisconsin very special indeed!

10/03/2026

Thank you to the wonderful team at Wade House Historic Site for providing us a great day of carriages and history yesterday! We enjoyed not only the Wesley W. Jung Carriage Collection with an in depth tour by curator Jim Willaert but also the historic exhibits at the site... and felt how thoroughbrace suspension rides in a reproduction Stagecoach!

10/02/2026

Circus World Museum in Baraboo was the first destination for the CAA's visit to Wisconsin today. We are very grateful the museum opened just for us to enjoy despite being closed for the season. Curator Pete Shrake gave us a wonderful tour of the fantastical circus wagons and their fascinating history!

09/25/2026

Happy Dolly Parton Day from the CAA!

09/22/2026

We are very sad to learn of the passing of Hardy Zantke. Our condolences go out to his family and many, many friends around the world.

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)

09/17/2026

New in the CAA Bookshop!

Collector Ernie Thackeray has compiled this well researched book "Stepping Through Time" about his personal passion: carriage steps. As his collection grew, he decided to produce a book of the unique and interesting items in his collection, along with his research on each piece. "Besides a photo of the step, i've added a photo of a vehicle when possible. I've also tried to include a little information about the company that was related to the name or design on each step."

The only book of its kind anywhere. Get it from the CAA!

Collector Ernie Thackeray has compiled this well researched book about his personal passion: carriage steps. As his collection grew, he decided to produce a book of the unique and interesting items in his collection, along with his research on each piece. "Besides a photo of the step, i've added a p...

09/12/2026

A beautiful Antique Vehicle class at the Villa Louis Carriage Classic this morning in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

09/11/2026

The show is underway here at the Villa Louis Carriage Classic, in Prairie du Chien Wisconsin!

We asked Show Manager, Mike Rider, for a few figures to describe the 2026 show, which is now the largest pleasure driving competition in the country:

120 Entries
120 Stalls Erected on Site
22 Entries in the Concours d'Attelage de Tradition on Friday
4 Judges
176 Rubber ducks in the water obstacle
421 Tickets Sold for Friday's Fish Fry
512 Tickets Sold for Saturday's Prime Rib Dinner
64,821,462 blades of grass in the main arena (give or take a blade)

Stop by the CAA Booth for a large selection of educational books, gifts, traditional Holly Whips made by Richard Nicoll, and some show specials on sale!

09/08/2026

Since 1953, Ketchum, Idaho has hosted its Wagon Days festival. The highlight of the weekend is the Big Hitch parade, led by this turnout of six enormous authentic ore wagons, drawn by 20 horses.

Learn more about what it takes to keep this tradition alive and on the road each year from the Idaho Mountain Express:

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/special_sections/the-work-behind-the-wagons/article_57e67770-a955-48a0-90bf-bd84aa5b40d6.html

09/08/2026

The countdown begins! The Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Inc. starts this Friday in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

Will we see you there??

Stop by the CAA Booth! We will have show specials on our selection of educational books and materials, gifts, and more! Upgrade your turnout with a selection of silk carriage scarves, or a beautiful traditional holly whip made by Richard Nicoll. Grab a copy of The Carriage Journal, or just say hi!