From a distance, they looked like horse-drawn carriages, but upon closer inspection it was clear to see that these lustrous vehicles, drawn by teams of four equally gleaming horses, were far more special than that. By the end of the National Sporting Library's October 23rd event, we knew them to be Road Coaches and Park Drags.

The last time these antique vehicles were gathered together in such numbers was over a century ago and across an ocean. To call the NSL's 50th Anniversary Drive a "once in a lifetime" event may be a bit of an understatement.

NSL board members and coaching enthusiasts Jacquelyn Ohrstrom and George Weymouth organized the event, which culminated in the show held at the Upperville Show Grounds.

"Enthusiasts" may be yet another understatement, since the pursuit of this sport is more akin to a self-described obsession by those involved. After all, one does not come by owning an antique coach noroutfit it with a team of four well-trained horses (this really being just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the compendium of skills and accoutrements needed to participate fully) without a certain, shall we say, drive.

All told, more than30 road coaches and park drags arrived by truck and trailer from across the country in order to participate. The award for farthest traveled went to a team from Boulder, Colorado. But a look at the roster of attendees gives evidence of representatives from all the horse-centric areas of our country: Ocala, Louisville, Aiken, Southern Pines, Gladstone and, of course, Middleburg and Upperville.

Most attendees arrived earlier in the week and enjoyed daily drives on specially selected routes in the Upperville and Middleburg area. According to Mrs. Ohrstrom, the vehicles are heavy and cumbersome, so special care was taken to choose routes safe for horse and coach. She noted with pride that no accidents occurred during the course of the event.

On Saturday morning all coaches and park drags were gathered at the Show Grounds, under the oaks, for a full display for all interested parties to watch and learn about these vehicles.

The road coach and the park drag are clearly differentiated. The road coach, developed from the English stagecoach, has a coach body with a box at the front and a boot at the rear. They are mostly black, with quarter panels painted in bright colors, and named after the towns the coach passed through. The road coaches had a utilitarian nature, having been used for mail delivery and public transportation in England.

When road coaches were phased out with the introduction of steam trains, coaching became more a gentleman's pursuit. The park drags were manufactured specifically for this purpose. These were lighter vehicles, also mostly black but decorated by subdued tones of hunter green, maroon and navy.

Coaching came to America in the late 19th century and attracted the families of the New York Social Register. Many of the coaches (and coachmen for that matter) came from England and France, but soon American manufacturers joined them in producing fine examples of park drags.

With the advent of the motorcar, coaching pursuits fell by the wayside. Not until the 1950s, when historically minded collectors began to restore and refurbish the original coaches, did the sport come into vogue again.

Today, members of the Four-in-Hand Club and the Coaching Club are pleased to regale an interested party with the intimate history of their coaches. Harry Tucci, who participated in the NSL Drive with his two coaches, was happy to fill in the backstory on his prized possessions. Neither of his vehicles, both lovingly restored museum-quality pieces, had been taken out on a road in over 20 years. "For an occasion such as this, though," commented Mr. Tucci, "they have to come out."

There they all were, like the celebrities of a more refined time– the Tantivy, the Outlaw, the Nimrod and the Old Times. Dick Stanford of Pennsylvania narrated a full history and pedigree, if you will, of the coaches as each team drove through.

This one was built in Paris by the famed Million & Guigot in 1876. That one was used in Ireland in the 19th century, then transported to the US, where it currently resides with its owner in New Jersey. This one makes a regular appearance at Devon, while that one can proudly claim as passengers President Nixon, Pavoroti and Nureyev.

The horses were equally alluring. Teams of matching Cleveland Bays, Welsh ponies, Shires, Gerderlanders, hackneys, and of course the ever crowd-pleasing Friesians drew applause and admiration from spectators.

Finally, the spectacle of coachmen, and whips, and passengers all dressed to the nines, top hats and furs, of course hats for all the ladies, matching throws, every last detail appropriate to the level of splendor of the horses and coaches themselves.

Overall, spectators, participants, organizers and the legions of volunteers necessary to run such an event all agreed it was a memorable one, and an absolute success.