Pleasure Driving — Lessons, Training & Show Preparation

Grace's Irish Lass, "Iris" a haflinger owned by Stephanie Wilson, trained and shown by Michelle Blackler to the Championship at Columbus Carriage Classic in WI. This photo, by the iconic Bob Mischka, won the pair the Haflinger Class at the Royal Windsor Virtual Show in 2020. Judge Nigel Hollings noted her versatility and athleticism for pinning her out of 42 entries.

Traditional pleasure driving is one of the most complete equestrian disciplines there is: horse, vehicle, harness, appointments, and driver are judged together as a unified presentation. Done well, it is also one of the most beautiful things in the sport. Michelle Blackler has been training pleasure driving clients to championship level for over twenty-five years — from their first lesson to the winner’s pass at some of the most prestigious carriage driving shows in the country.

What Is Pleasure Driving?
A pleasure driving division typically comprises six classes, each testing a different aspect of the horse-and-driver combination:

• Reinsmanship — the driver is judged on position, use of aids, and accuracy of control
• Working Pleasure — the horse is judged on the quality of movement, manners, and way of going
• Turnout — the complete ensemble is judged: horse, harness, vehicle, and appointments in harmony
• Cones — a timed precision class navigating a set course
• Obstacle Driving — a timed class requiring control and accuracy through varied obstacles

Cross Country Drive — a pleasure drive through varied terrain, judged on time, presentation, and manners

Divisions are structured by vehicle type and equine — open pony, novice pony, open horse, novice horse, novice driver, multiples, and more. Choosing the right division for your horse, your vehicle, and your competitive goals is itself a skill. Michelle works with each client to develop the best strategy for their situation before they ever enter a ring.

Lessons & Training
Michelle accepts clients at all levels of experience, from those who have never held reins to competitors preparing for open championships. Clients are welcome to bring their own horses or to work on Michelle’s horses while developing their skills.
Before competing under Michelle’s banner, clients complete a minimum of three months of weekly lessons and demonstrate the ability to drive safely in company in an arena. Pleasure driving in a class with other turnouts demands confidence, control, and ring awareness — skills that are built systematically, not assumed.

The Immersion Clinic
For clients who want an intensive introduction to the sport or specific performance goals, Michelle offers a private three-day driving immersion clinic. The clinic combines driving lessons with your own horse, theory & implementation sessions, arena walkthroughs, and time learning with Michelle’s horses — giving you a complete foundation in one focused experience.
Day one opens with a lesson on your horse, followed by a theory session covering the principles of correct driving. Days two and three include deep dives and review into theory, implementation, arena presence, and mastery, practical time driving Michelle’s horses, and a closing lesson on your own horse to consolidate everything you’ve learned.

The immersion clinic is private, intensive, and tailored entirely to you and your horse. It is the fastest way to find out whether pleasure driving is the right discipline for both of you and gain more sophisticated driving skills..

The Rozeboom entry at 2017 Villa Louis Carriage Classic takes the Concours d'Elegance Trophy. With Michelle's guidance, the Rozeboom's are no strangers to the Concours and have taken the top honor in shows throughout the country. Friesian, Melchior, is put to a Chrétien Schlegel T Cart, c 1890.

Concours d’Élégance
At traditional pleasure driving shows, the Concours d’Élégance is the highest single award of the event — the Best in Show of the carriage world. Every detail of the turnout is examined: the condition and fit of the harness, the appointments of the vehicle, the horse’s presentation, the driver’s dress and deportment. At Villa Louis Carriage Classic, where the entry list regularly exceeds 140 turnouts, winning the Concours nod is among the most coveted distinctions in American pleasure driving.
Michelle’s clients have won the VLCC Concours d'Élégance twice. In most years, Michelle or a client has been among those invited to the class — only twice has neither been invited. In 2025, both entered clients received invitations.

Concours d'Attelage de Tradition
Traditional driving competition is a growing discipline in Europe with deep historical roots — and Villa Louis Carriage Classic brings it to the American Midwest. The day before the pleasure show, VLCC conducts a Concours d'Attelage de Tradition: a judged traditional driving competition that rewards historical accuracy, horse quality, and the elegance of the complete turnout. Michelle encourages her clients to enter. It is fun, challenging, and the ideal dress rehearsal for the competition that follows.
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Best in Show Joy. People often ask why everyone on the carriage wears gloves. Michelle quips, "To hide our blackened fingernails from polishing leather and brass for four days!"

A Client Story — Dr. Jerry Rozeboom & Family

Jerry Rozeboom found Michelle’s work the way the best clients do — by recognizing quality when he saw it. A photograph of Michelle driving one of her Morgans in the coveted Driving Horse Calendar, taken at Villa Louis, caught his eye. In 2013, he imported a Friesian gelding from Germany and came to Michelle for both horse training and his own introduction to the sport.
He won his division championship at his first show. He also took the Concours d’Élégance.
His wife, LuEllyn, was initially uncertain about her role in the carriage. She asked Michelle what she was supposed to do when she took the passenger’s seat. Michelle told her: Adorn it. She beamed — and has never stopped. She also polishes the brass harness to a standard that blinds people at twenty paces.
Their daughter, Laine Boesenberg, has since taken up the reins on the box seat and is a keen and elegant competitor in her own right. The Rozebooms are, in every sense, what pleasure driving looks like when it is done with full commitment and genuine joy.

Shows & Championships
Michelle’s clients have won championships at:

• Villa Louis Carriage Classic — Prairie du Chien, WI
• Walnut Hill Farm Driving Competition — Pittsford, NY
• CAA Carriage Festival — Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY
• Kentucky Carriage Classic — Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY
• Columbus Carriage Classic, now Midwest Carriage Festival — Elkhorn, WI
• Wade House Carriage Classic — Greenbush, WI

Is Pleasure Driving Right for You?
Pleasure driving suits a wide range of horses and drivers — ponies and horses, beginners and experienced competitors, those who want to show seriously, and those who simply want to drive well. If you have a horse with good manners and a willingness to work, and you are curious about the sport, Michelle is the right person to call.
If you are starting from scratch, the immersion clinic is the ideal first step. If you have some experience and want to sharpen your competitive edge, lessons and show preparation are available year-round.
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Ready to find out what your horse can do in harness? Get in touch to discuss lessons, clinics, or show preparation.

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