Upcoming Coaching Event

Celebrate Mother’s Day at Stratford Hall… Experience history and so much more!

"Coach and Four"

In eighteenth- and nineteenth-century America and England, the only scheduled overland transportation was via public road coach. The Lees would have owned their own coaches and had many guests arrive in coaches in front of the Great House. The advent of the automobile and railroad virtually ended this form of transportation, and so the sport of coaching was born. Today, only a handful of people preserve the unique art of handling a coach drawn by a team of horses. This year’s event will feature traditional 4-in-hand coaches as well as various other types of horse-drawn carriages.

Stratford Hall’s coaching event is among the most established in America. The event runs through the weekend, with activities on May 6 & 7 for those participating at the Sponsor and Benefactor levels. General Admission is on May 8.

• 10 am Coaching event begins. Visit the tented vendor market, artisan crafts people, heritage breed animals, tailgate competition, antique car show & exhibitions on The Oval
• 10:45 am Sheep herding demonstration I
• 11 am Tailgate competition judging
• 11:30 am Tight-wire performance by Sarah Schwarz
• 12 noon Mint Julep Luncheon under the tent on The Oval
• 1 pm Concert by Matt Jones and grammy-nominated Adrienne Young-Ramsey
• 2:30 pm Trumpet call from the chimney stacks and Parade of Coaches
• 3:45 pm Sheep Herding Demonstration II

*Schedule subject to change

Visitors will also have a chance to tour the Great House and other historic areas, sample different foods and shop our tented vendor area. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative tailgate displays and picnics. Be sure to visit the gift shop tent to meet Virginia Johnson and Barbara Crookshanks, authors of Virginia Horse Racing: Triumphs of the Turf.

If you would like to be a part of Stratford Hall's inaugural antique car show, sponsored by the Rosner Automotive Group, please print and mail the registration form.

Coaching Weekend is Stratford Hall’s signature event and generates funds needed to preserve one of America’s finest 18th-century buildings and to operate the educational programs that attract thousands of school children to Stratford Hall each year. This is a chance for you and your family to experience history and all the event has to offer, while supporting our mission of preservation and education.

Buy your tickets today!

General Admission
Admission for one on Sunday, May 8. Children under 12 are free.
$15.00 at the gate

TAILGATE
Preferred parking for one vehicle and four guests for Sunday Coaching Events
$75/vehicle
Additional guest passes: $15.00 at gate
Tailgate Competition with prizes awarded

PATRON
Attendance for one (1) at Sunday afternoon Event
$150/attendee
Special luncheon and Coaching viewing under Directors’ tent on Sunday ($70 contribution)

SPONSOR
Attendance for two (2) at Saturday and Sunday Events
$1500/2 attendees
Saturday accommodations for 2 at Stratford Hall($1,200 contribution)
Cocktails, dinner and entertainment with Directors on Saturday
Sunday buffet breakfast
Special luncheon and Coaching viewing under Directors’ tent on Sunday

BENEFACTOR
Attendance for two (2) at Friday, Saturday and Sunday Events
$3,000/2 attendees
Friday and Saturday accommodations for 2 at Stratford Hall($2,250 contribution)
Saturday and Sunday buffet breakfast
Saturday afternoon luncheon and activities with Coachers
Cocktails, dinner and entertainment with Directors Friday & Saturday
Special luncheon and Coaching viewing under Directors’ tent on Sunday

Overnight accommodations are extremely limited and assigned on a first come, first served basis. Contribution amount noted in parenthesis is amount deductible according to IRS regulations. Please reply by April 15,2011. Coaching is held rain or shine. All tickets are non-refundable.

Tailgating in the Poplars

For more information, please contact Stratford Hall's Development Office.