Lake County >> A tiny percentage of people will ever get to say that they were in attendance at a birthday celebration for the Queen of England. But Lake County horses drivers Dana DiRicco and Carol Biggs are soon to be two of those lucky few. They’ll be attending Her Majesty’s 90th birthday party at Windsor Castle in England next month.
DiRicco’s invitation came thanks to a trip to Canada back in 2004 after DiRicco learned that thousands of Percheron horses were being killed in the country. For years women were taking Premarin, an estrogen replacement which came from pregnant mare urine, when a health scare hit. It was believed that cancer was linked to the drug and many women ceased taking Premarin. As a result, the horses that had been raised for that specific purpose were put down.
DiRicco felt she had to do something. She made a trip north and adopted four Percheron draft horses. Though she had never owned driving horses before, the adoption inspired her to begin competing. As these things go, DiRicco now owns 12 Percheron horses, which reside on DiRicco’s land in Upper Lake, acquired specifically for them. Although she and her husband owned an expanse of property in Healdsburg, it was too hilly for her draft horses and they turned their attention to Lake County. “It was supposed to be a weekend ranch and we got up here and we never went back,” DiRicco said. “We like this quiet country rural life.”
Today, one of her Percheron horses is ranked first in the nation and second in the world. DiRicco also wrote a book about her trip to Canada, titled “And Then Came Hera.”
This extensive experience with Percheron draft horses — the queen’s favorite breed — culminated in an invitation to journey across the pond with Biggs. The Carriage Association of America helped to procure to tickets to the event. “I did not think that rescuing some horses from Canada back in 2004 would lead to an invitation to the queen’s 90th birthday celebration,” DiRicco said. “It’s quite an honor and it’s definitely out of the usual and it’s a trip of a lifetime and I think very few people will have ever had that opportunity.”
Come next month, in addition to the extravaganza for the queen’s birthday, DiRicco and Biggs will also be attending the Royal Horse Show. It’s the only time the public is allowed on the grounds. The Royal Family will be in attendance, in addition to the 700 horses and 1,500 performers from all over the world making appearances.
“It’s kind of like a fairytale opportunity. Everybody is fascinated with the queen,” said Biggs. “They [the English people] love their queen and how nice to be able to see her being honored like this.”
And after that excitement is over, Biggs and DiRicco get to head up to Norfolk for four days of driving lessons and horseback riding at a 16th century home.
Though Biggs is eagerly anticipating the queen’s birthday celebration, it’s the horses she’s most looking forward to. There are some significant differences between proper American driving etiquette and attire and the more formal style she’ll be seeing in Windsor. She’s never been to England, so it should be an invaluable learning experience.
Biggs has been driving horses for the better part of the last decade, though she’s owned horses for much longer. She got her start all thanks to Juan Erquiaga of Live Oak Ranch in Kelseyville, where Biggs was boarding her horses ten years ago. In the beginning, she had no knowledge of driving, no draft horses and no equipment. Erquiaga generously lent her his horses and equipment and taught her what he knew. “He is responsible for the fact that a large portion of people in Lake County drive,” Biggs said. “I really credit him for the driving community in Lake County. Almost everybody learned to drive with his horses.”
Now, Biggs owns eight miniature horses, an Icelandic horse, an American Saddlebred, a Gypsy, two Persians and a Percheron draft horse.
She never expected her love of the animals to take her so close to the Queen of England and to an event as extravagant as her 90th birthday celebration. “It was almost like the impossible dream for me for a while,” Biggs said, “but it’s the reality now.”
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
