Membership Requirements
All competitors are required to have an active 2026 membership in one of the listed organizations to attend The Great Lakes Carriage Classic.
Choice of Organizations for membership
- American Driving Society (ADS) Membership
- Equine Canada (EC) Membership (At least Bronze Level)
OR you may choose to pay through the GLCC registration form: - $30 USD or $45 CAD Non-ADS Member Fee that may be used towards an ADS membership in the same year as paid.
To participate in any of the ADS Awards Programs, example, Centennial Club or ADS Driven Dressage Awards, drivers must be an Active ADS member in the year they compete. Details regarding these Championship and Award Programs found at: www.americandrivingsociety.org/championshipandawards
EQUINE CANADA (EC)
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Full details of Equine Canada and membership may be found on their website www.equestrian.ca). A provincial membership, example – Ontario Equestrian (OE) is required before obtaining an EC membership. An EC bronze sport licence is sufficient to participate at The GLCC, some of the benefits:
- Can be nominated or nominate a fellow EC sport licence holder for an EC National Award
- Collect points toward any existing regional or zone awards within a discipline or breed sport
- Participate as athlete, owner or lessee at all Bronze EC sanctioned competitions
- Manage Bronze level EC sanctioned competitions
- Apply the cost of bronze sport licence toward an upgrade to Silver or Gold Sport licence
- To obtain or maintain EC Coach Status Membership at www.equestrian.ca
AMERICAN DRIVING SOCIETY
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Why Support the ADS?
The ADS is a 501c3 dedicated to the future of carriage driving and carriage driving competition. Help to preserve that future by supporting the ADS. You can do that best as a member of the organization which built and keeps the sport, maintains the Rulebook, creates and updates driven dressage tests, trains and licenses officials for driving events, supports regions and driving clubs, and forms the entire basis of the driving sport.
The ADS is ~
Since 1974 the ADS has operated primarily through its member volunteers— members helping members. The ADS has a 25-member Board of Directors and twelve committees that underpin the society: Combined Driving, Pleasure Driving, Recreational Driving, Education, Rulebook, Event Standards, Development, Dressage, Affiliate Relations, Licensed Officials, Executive, and Governance & Bylaws. 11 Honorary Directors who have a long history of service to the ADS act in an advisory role to the Board. Two staff members support the organization.
Share your ideas, meet new friends and benefit from what we can all give to each other. Come drive with us and have FUN driving your equines!
A subscription to our glossy quarterly magazine, The Whip, featuring all the latest news and feature articles for the sport of carriage driving
- News from the carriage driving world delivered right to your inbox via ADS email blasts.
- Our digital newsletter, The Wheelhorse, sent to your inbox eight times per year.
- Online access to the ADS Trail Guide, a state-by-state guide of carriage-accessible trails in the United States.
- Online and print access to The Omnibus, our comprehensive guide to upcoming carriage competitions.
- Automatic Accident and Excess Medical Insurance (for US Members only)
- Optional $1,000,000 Excess Liability Insurance through Equisure for US Members
- You will be eligible for our expansive recognition programs, including the ADS Youth Championships, Hours to Drive and Driving Buddies, the North American Intermediate and Preliminary Championships, the Intermediate and Preliminary Calculated Championships, and the ADS Driven Dressage Awards.
- Online access to the membership directory and ADS’ NEW Online Educational Collection.
- Member-only access to the NEW ADS Lettered Dressage Tests, Driver’s View.
- Access to the Driven Dressage Handbook, a learning aid for ADS Dressage Tests.
- Retail discounts from a variety of vendors
