News
Amendment to CDE Rules
20 October 2021
Applies to:
Rules for Australian Carriage Driving Society COMBINED DRIVING EVENTS
3rd Edition effective: 15 October 2020
Amended Rule 939.1
Old Rule; Pneumatic tyred carriages, with a minimum 125cm wheel width, may be used in their own class at Levels 3 & 4 events. They are not eligible for grading points.
Amendment; Pneumatic tyred carriages, with a minimum 125cm wheel width, may be used in their own class at Levels 2, 3 & 4 events. They are not eligible for grading points.
Exemption is given for the use of pneumatic tyred vehicles for VSE at Level 2, 3, and 4 events for a period of time ending on the 31 July 2022. This is to allow time for all vehicles to meet compliance. The type of wheels that are excluded from this exemption are Pushbike, BMX and Trotting type wheels.
Amended Rule 986.3
Old Rule All Technical Delegates and the President of the Ground Jury must be members of the ACDS. For other Dressage Judges, Cones Judges and other members of the Ground Jury, Associate or Officials Membership is allowed.
Amendment; All Technical Delegates, President of the Ground Jury, Dressage Judges, Cones Judges and other members of the Ground Jury, must be Family, Single, Active (Non-Driving) or Honorary Life members of the ACDS.
Peter Harkness
Federal CDE Convenor
Junior Drivers Bursary 2021-2022
Now open for applications
Each year the ACDS provide financial support to a number of Junior Drivers through the Junior Driver Bursary. It is available to juniors from any discipline looking to develop their skill set.
Previously the bursary program has supported a variety of ACDS junior members including active drivers, beginner drivers, juniors wanting to become a judge and even those who have a passion for restoration.
If you’re a an ACDS member who may want help with some lessons with a local instructor or an Overseas hero, help getting to national events, help to attend schools to become a judge or some support or assistance to reach your carriage driving dreams than applying for the ACDS Junior Driver Bursary is the next step for you.
New Dressage Tests
Updated Dressage Tests ranging from Prelminary to Advanced are now available on the Driven Dressage Test Page.
New Policies added
We have added 2 new policies, they can be found on the home page under Key Policies and also in the Member Resources Section
Gary Docking (Mr Private Driving)
Will be joining members at a Zoom presentation on Tuesday 24 August at 8pm AEST, 7.30 pm SA, 6pm WA. 
There is no need to register; the link to join the presentation can be found under the Member Resources tab.
2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ARRANGEMENTS
Australian Carriage Driving Society
ABN: 28 794 114 302 – Incorporation No: AO1028
3 August 2021
2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
4 AUGUST 2021
ARRANGEMENTS
All members have been sent either emails or a paper invitation from Vero Voting (Vero) inviting them to attend the 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is being live streamed.
If you have not accepted the invitation and wish to attend, please use the link in the email from Vero to register to attend the AGM. When registering, you can pre-vote or appoint a proxy to attend on your behalf.
If you have registered, you will receive a further email from Vero approximately 1 hour before the meeting and if you click on the link, it will take you directly into the meeting.
If you wish to ask a question, use the Q&A button on the screen during the meeting. As the AGM is being live streamed, this is the only method to ask questions. You can also ask questions prior to the meeting using the same button on the screen within the Vero portal.
When the voting commences, the resolution will be read to the meeting and then you will be asked to vote. If you have already pre-voted or appointed a proxy, you do not need to take any action. If you have not voted, click on the tab at the top of your screen that says “vote” and you will be able to vote on the resolution. Once the resolution is read, you will be able to vote for 2 minutes and then the result will be announced. The meeting will then move to the next resolution. This process will be used for all resolutions.
As there were no nominations as at 15 April 2021, there is an election for the position of Federal Treasurer. Since 15 April 2021, we have received two nominations however in accordance with the ACDS Rules, nominations will be taken at the meeting. If you wish to nominate, it will assist the running of the meeting if you would advise the federal secretary as soon as possible and forward a resume of no more than 300 words to him. The resumes of the two nominations already received and any additional nominations will be read to the meeting when that resolution is ready to be put to the meeting.
The AGM will be recorded and posted on the ACDS Federal website in a few days’ time.
Yours sincerely
PETER LEE
Federal President
50th Anniversary Celebrations
28 July 2021
Dear Members
50th Anniversary Celebrations
Federal Council has recently been advised by Longwood Carriage Driving Club that they have
cancelled all arrangements to host the ACDS 50th Festival of Carriage Driving at Longwood.
As a result, Federal Council considered the ongoing Covid situation which has seen lockdowns in
four States of Australia over the past few weeks some of which are ongoing without an end date
in sight. The lockdowns have resulted in border closures in almost every State of Australia. All
members will be aware that there is a major push for Covid vaccines around Australia and there
is the suggestion that Covid will continue to have an effect on the population until at least the
majority of Australian’s are vaccinated.
It has been Federal Council’s position all along that championships should not be held unless all
members in Australia are able to attend, whether they wish to or not. The 50th celebrations fall
into this category.
Council also discussed whether any other State was able to step in to hold the 50th celebrations
and Council understands that it would be difficult for another State to step in given the short
timetable and ongoing uncertainty around Covid.
Regrettably and as a result of the above, Federal Council has reached the difficult decision to
cancel the celebrations.
Federal Council is working on alternative ways to acknowledge and celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the ACDS.
Yours sincerely
PETER LEE
Federal President
Revised Date For 2021 Annual General Meeting
30 June 2021
Dear Members
Revised Date For 2021 Annual General Meeting
Federal Council wishes to advise that the revised date for the 2021 annual general meeting
is Wednesday 4 August 2021 at 7.30pm and will be conducted online.
There will be no change to the other arrangements previously notified to members in regard
to the pre-registration, voting, proxy appointments and questions and answers.
For those members that have already indicated that they will attend the annual
general meeting, or who have already appointed a proxy, or who have already voted,
you do not need to complete these actions a second time. Your attendance,
appointments or votes already count.
Members have asked about the reasons for the postponement of the original date of the
meeting. There are several reasons including conflicting advise from Access Canberra, and
the audited financial statements were not complete at the earlier date as the accounting
system corrupted and it took some time for the proprietary licence holders to rectify the
problem and then for the Federal Treasurer to verify the financial records prior to audit.
PETER LEE
Federal President
Postponement of 2021 Annual General Meeting
24 June 2021
Postponement of 2021 Annual General Meeting
Federal Council wishes to advise the postponement of 2021 annual general meeting
which was scheduled to be held on 27 June 2021.
A revised date for the meeting will be advised shortly.
PETER LEE
Federal President
2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING NOTICE TO MEMBERS
18 June 2021
Dear Members
THIS IS IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.
The 2021 AGM will be an online meeting which will be held on Sunday 27 June 2021 at 11am EST.
Federal Council has appointed Vero Voting to assist with running the annual general meeting this year and to control the voting process.
You will have received correspondence from Vero Voting shortly, either by email or in the mail. For family memberships, each member will receive separate correspondence. If we only have one email address for a family membership, both sets of correspondence will go to that email address.
The correspondence will outline how you log into the Vero Voting platform so that you can advise whether you will attend the AGM online or not.
It is important that you register your intention to attend the AGM.
The platform will give you the ability to vote prior to the meeting or how you appoint a proxy if you are unable to attend.
For those who attend the online meeting, voting will continue throughout the meeting on a resolution by resolution basis.
The Vero Voting platform is now open for you to vote.
The same platform will enable you to ask questions and receive answers.
All documentation for the meeting will be available on this platform as well as on the Federal website.
PETER LEE
Federal President
