Here is Jill’s report on today’s events at Walnut Hill (it’s just barely still Friday as I type this):

Today was beautiful: picture perfect, sunny with a cool breeze. Although it did get a little hotter in the afternoon, everyone was in a gread mood, enjoying the stunning turnouts, class after class.

The Juniors Division was held today, with sixteen young people in various types of turnouts, all vying for a good ribbon.

The Coaching Performance and Obstacle classes were this afternoon. There were five coaches in all: three horse teams and three pony teams, so they were split into two sections. After the Performance class (won by Harvey Waller of Massachusetts), the Cones class was held, and as the coaches each completed the cones course, they were sent out on a drive down the road to Toddy Hunter’s nearby farm.

The evening performance then began with the return of the coaches into the arena and the presentation of the Tom Ryder Trophy (Best Road Team) by Elizabeth Ryder Ashbridge, visiting from England, to Toddy Hunter. The Jack Pemberton Trophy (Best Park Team) was presented (by Elizabeth again) to John White of New Jersey.

The always-popular evening performance (the only one of the entire show) then continued, with an emotional tribute to Bill Remley, after which Peter Doubleday announced, “In the words of Bill himself, the show must go on!”

Next into the ring was the Carriage Dog class, followed by the always-entertaining Costume class, the Trade class, and the Evening Bonneted Phaeton class.