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To Encourage and Assist those interested in Equine Driving
Patron: H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh K.G. K.T.

Welcome to the world of
CARRIAGE DRIVING

Whatever your interest - pleasure driving or competing, singles, pairs or multiples - The British Driving Society is here to help and encourage you. Local Area Commissioners are on hand to give you guidance and the BDS has a panel of qualified instructors throughout the country and we run a proficiency test programme, which is respected world-wide as a basis for safe driving.Look at your local area website, below, for further details.

2010 AGM Date and Venue change
The date for the next AGM has been booked for October 30th 2010 and the venue will be in Warwick, final details will be released as soon as available. [there will not be an AGM in April]

Area websites	Many BDS Areas have their own websites. Click the links below to see them. The BDS operates a scheme to assist Areas with setting up their own websites. to find out more.
Beds, Bucks & Herts Berkshire Cambridgeshire Cornwall Derbys & Staffs Devon Dorset Essex [new] Gloucestershire Hampshire Herefordshire Huntingdon Isle of Wight Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Mid & S. Glamorgan	Norfolk North East Wales North London [new] Notts & S. Yorks Oxfordshire Scotland Shropshire Somerset South Powys [new] Suffolk Surrey Sussex East [new] Sussex West Wales West Glamorgan Wiltshire Worcestershire Yorks & Cleveland

Information

WHAT DOES THE BDS DO FOR ME ?
This section on our website has documents explaining the BDS involvement in government consultations about carriage driving.

WATO
Welfare in Animal (Transport) Order 2006. Information and documents.Certificate of competence syllabus and application forms

BDS Proficiency Exams
2010 dates

Long Distance Driving
Information on organising and taking part, inc. full rule book

BDS Affiliated Shows in 2010
Check out the diary dates for this year

BDS Area Events in 2010

BDS TRECs in 2010
sponsored by NFU Mutual

Driving Towerlands
full results
You can order a video of your Class from the link below

Stolen Items Register
New item added 23/10/2009

Website updated on Saturday 06 March 2010

University College Foundation Certificate in Professional Harness Horse Driving.

The first Course will be 7th & 8th April 2010, and that all applications for registration for this first course close on 24th March 2010. Applications received in the BDS Office after 24th March will be allocated a later start date for the Course

The first ever funded training course for Professional Harness Horse Drivers will be offered in a joint venture between the British Driving Society and Plumpton College, Sussex starting in March 2010. We have secured funding from ReedNet Funding for 50% of training course fees; this funding will be available from March 2010 until September 2011. The final Assessment Fee is fully-funded through the BDS. For complete information

Clinics & Classes
Last year the BDS Clinics and Classes were well supported and to continue the training opportunities a program for 2010 is being constructed. Confirmed dates have been finalised and are available in the training pages.

Road Driving Tests

The Salisbury Bursary Fund which sponsors the Road Driving Test is nearing it's end. Those intending to take or wishing to take their road driving assessment must have these completed by the first week in April in order to be entitled to the sponsorship. After this time all Road Driving Tests will revert to the original fee of £30 per tests as opposed to the sponsored price of £5 at present.

We can not do any testing after this date at the sponsorship price.

VOSA
from John Parker, BDS Chairman
Updated June 11th

Please read the latest letter from Mr John Parker and watch this website for further details and Information.

To read the letter click here

PDF File version

We would ask you all to continue to lobby your MP regarding VOSA's interpretation of the driving regulations. Please use the latest sample letter -

For further information please read the article on page 4 of the Horse and Hound 2nd April 2009 edition or go on their web site www.horseandhound.co.uk.

If you have been stopped by a VOSA inspector the BDS and Horse & Hound would like to hear about it. Email abigail_butcher@ipcmedia.com and email@britishdrivingsociety.co.uk with brief details of the incident.

BDS Newsletters now on-line

You can view the latest issue of the official BDS Newsletter on this website.

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© British Driving Society 2010
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