Villa Louis Carriage Classic, Inc.

03/07/2026

🐴 VLCC Competitor Reminder – Equine Health Requirements

The 45th Annual Villa Louis Carriage Classic is September 11–13, 2026. Help us keep all horses safe and healthy by making sure your equine health paperwork is current.

Coggins (EIA):
✔ Must be within 12 months
✔ Acceptable for VLCC: Sept 11, 2025 or later

ADS Vaccinations:
Equine Influenza & EHV required within 6 months
⚠ For VLCC: March 10, 2026 or later (don’t vaccinate early!)

CVI (Health Certificate):
• WI horses: not required
• MN horses: not required if

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Villa Louis Carriage Classic! ❤️🐴

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
We’re totally hitched…
And driven by YOU!

Hope your day is full of love, a little horsepower, and someone who makes your heart canter! 💘

01/23/2026

They say there’s no such thing as bad weather — only bad clothing.

At –40, Fahrenheit and Celsius finally agree… and so do we: it’s cold.

Stay warm and safe!!

❄️🥶

12/25/2025

Thanks for keeping us hitched, rolling, and trotting into 2026 — Merry Christmas from the Villa Louis Carriage Classic Foundation, Inc.! 🎄🐴

12/14/2025

🕎✨ Happy Hanukkah! ✨🕎

From our carriage family to yours, we send best wishes for a meaningful and light-filled Hanukkah. We are grateful for the tradition, dedication, and fellowship that connect our community—on the show grounds and beyond.

09/28/2025

✨ Questions Revealed During the Post-Event Survey ✨

Q: I mailed my entry before the deadline, but didn’t get a “Golden Ticket.” How do I earn the skip-the-line pass at check-in?

A: The Golden Ticket isn’t about mailing early — it’s about mailing a completed entry ✅.

To qualify, your entry (sent in before the deadline) must include:

🖊 Driver’s signature on the ADS Waiver

💵 Payment

📄 Negative Coggins (EIA) within 365 days (WI law)

💉 Proof of vaccination for Rhino & Influenza within 6 months (or temp records if exempt)

📏 Measurement cards for ponies & VSEs

👉 CVI Reminder: If your horse is coming from outside WI or MN, a CVI within 30 days is required, but we don’t expect that with your entry form — just bring it to the showgrounds.

🎟 Why does this matter? Completed entries are MUCH faster to process. Think of it like the “10 items or less” express lane at the supermarket:

🟢 Completed = Express Lane = Golden Ticket

🔴 Incomplete = Regular Line = waiting with everyone else

✨ Mail early + mail complete = skip the line magic!

09/27/2025

💰 Today’s theme: “Spare Change” 💰

Q: Why can’t you just switch my horse the same day as the class?

A: While “spare change” may be handy in your pocket, it’s not so simple in the show office! Each turnout is made of three parts — driver, vehicle, and equine(s). A change in any of these means a brand-new entry number.

With nearly 1,000 separate class entries and reports printed the night before for announcers, judges, and stewards, making changes on the fly could cause confusion and potential scoring errors.

👉 That’s why we don’t allow day-of changes — keeping things fair, accurate, and running smoothly for all.

09/24/2025

Another great question from our post-event survey!

Q: I was confused by the selections in the Concours d’Elegance. Some of the individuals chosen did not place in their respective turnout classes. Why is that?

A: The Concours d’Elegance class at the Villa Louis Carriage Classic is an invitational class that highlights the most elegant turnouts — whether absolutely correctly turned out or not.

Turnout classes, on the other hand, are judged on correctness: cleanliness, appropriateness of vehicle and harness, and proper presentation. Contrary to popular belief, the most formal vehicle does not automatically equal the best turnout. A country turnout may be perfectly correct and win its class, even if it is not especially elegant.

On the other hand, a very elegant turnout may have had a few details that the judges deemed incorrect, and thus not placed in its turnout class, but still be considered elegant and be invited into the Concours d'Elegance.

✨ In short: Turnout classes reward correctness, while the Concours d’Elegance celebrates elegance.

Photo credit: Bob Mischka Photography.

09/23/2025

Post-event survey spotlight: you asked great questions—thank you! 🙌

Q: Why do some classes have six ribbons and others only five?

A: In our arena classes, placings are awarded through fifth place. When exactly six entries come forward for the award presentation, we offer a courtesy sixth-place ribbon so the sixth recipient isn’t left alone in the arena with the winner at the end.

👉 The sixth-place ribbon is honorary only—no points are awarded.

If seven or more entries come forward, the class is placed first through fifth only (no courtesy sixth).

Some might say that the sixth-place ribbon is more elusive than a blue ribbon. 🤣🤣

09/22/2025

✨ We want your feedback! ✨

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2025 Villa Louis Carriage Classic. Your support, enthusiasm, and love for carriage driving make this event so special each year. 🐴🎩🚘

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this year’s show so we can continue to improve and grow. Please take just a few minutes to complete our short survey. Your input helps us make next year’s Classic even better!

👉 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VJRPZB3

Thank you for helping keep the tradition alive—we couldn’t do it without you! 💛

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.