Issue #1 of Driving Digest debuted in September 1980. These early issues were printed entirely in black and white with a very straightforward design. The magazine covered a wide range of topics, from cattle drives, plowing contests, and draft horse shows, to coaching at the Royal Winter Fair and the first world championships for four-in-hands in Europe. The sport of driving was relatively new, the American Driving Society (ADS) was in its infancy, and members of the Carriage Association of America (CAA) were busy buying and restoring carriages at a fast clip. Enter Driving Digest, edited by Catherine Tyler, to bridge the gap.
In the late 1990s, ownership of the magazine changed hands, and the publication moved from Connecticut to Ohio under the leadership of Thom Mezick. Thom owned a printing company and had previously been the publisher of Dressage and CT magazine. In 2008, Mezick hired Ann Pringle to handle the editorial duties.
Ann had recently retired after 20 years as the ADS executive director and editor of their publication The Whip. Fortunately for Ann, technology had advanced to the point that she could work from home and didn’t have to relocate. Thom constantly talked about wanting to sell the magazine, and so they began negotiating. Eventually they struck a deal and in 2013, Pringle Publications became the third publisher of Driving Digest.
Ann felt the magazine desperately needed a facelift, so that was the first thing she tackled. Enter Linda Yutzy of the Infinity Design Group. Linda, who competed in combined driving with Dartmoor ponies, was eager to take on the challenge of redesigning Driving Digest. There were a lot of talented graphic designers that Ann could have hired, but she chose to work with Linda because, being a driver, there wasn’t the need to spell words like “tandem” or “singletree” or “breeching.” They were off and running!
Just two years later, Driving Digest won the American Horse Publication’s (AHP) highest award: General Excellence - Overall Publication. To be considered for this honor, Driving Digest was judged against 36 other top-notch equine publications in this category, such as The Paint Horse Journal, NRHA Reiner, the American Quarter Horse Journal, America’s Horse, Equine Journal, EquiManagement, Untacked, EQUUS, Western Horseman, and many others.
The AHP Equine Media Awards are the ultimate honor in the equine publishing industry. Ann said she was “blown away” when Driving Digest was recognized as the Overall Publication Winner and described it as “like winning Best Picture at the Oscars.” She said it inspired her and her team to provide a publication worthy of General Excellence every year.
In the March/April issue of 2024, Ann wrote in the Letter From the Editor:
“I will be turning 70 this year, and I feel it is time to hand over the reins – and the deadlines – to someone who will take advantage of the opportunity to merge a hobby with a business that can be profitable as well as enjoyable. If you want to learn more, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
The story of how Driving Digest found its next owner involves a little serendipity.I’m at the Southern Pines CDE in April of 2024, sitting with the judge in dressage as my last requirement before applying for my ADS Driven Dressage Judge’s License. Ann Pringle is scribing for the judge. I happened to pick up the March/April issue of Driving Digest magazine from a table in the volunteer tent and see Ann’s letter. The next morning, as she and I head to the judge’s box at C, I tell her we have to talk. Talk we did throughout the day, during breaks and over lunch, where we decided I was a pretty good fit for the next owner/editor/publisher of the magazine.
Over the next few months, we met regularly over zoom where Ann painstakingly taught me the ropes of running a magazine, shared her contacts, and pointed out the pitfalls so that I could hit the ground running as the fourth publisher of Driving Digest, effective January 1, 2025.
Lucky for me, the magazine is in great shape, so there’s no need for a major overhaul. However, it’s been 12 years since Ann refurbished it, and Linda Yutzy has some new fonts and layout ideas she’s itching to try! I’m also fortunate that she, the webmaster, and the publisher are all sticking around. My goals are for a seamless transition so that subscribers and advertisers are happy, and another one of those American Horse Publications General Excellence awards!