inter Sleigh Ride Contest

aron Von Lodge was the head of a small country known as Lilliland near Switzerland. The time was the early 1900s.

The Baron knew how everyone looked forward to the winter season of skiing, ice skating and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Everything had to be near perfect for a moonlit sleigh ride. The snow had to be fresh and powdery. There had to be a full moon and clear skies so that Castle Lake would have a shimmering glow.

One group of citizens in Lilliland who especially liked horse-drawn sleighs asked the Baron for his approval to have a horse-drawn sleigh contest. The Baron thought that there were enough events in Lilliland and he did not like the idea of a horse race in the snow where there could be accidents to the people and the horses.

The Baron was quickly advised that, while it was a contest, it was not a horse race type of contest. The horses and sleighs were not to race around a track. Instead it was to be a singing contest. Contestants would sit in a sleigh while they sang their songs. The Baron said that if it were a singing contest and not a horse race then they could have the contest in Lilliland.

The contest would involve six singers on a sleigh who would ride into the center of the town square and sing three songs. The judges would select the winners who had the best voices, the most attractive costumes, the most attractively decorated sleigh and the horse that pranced the best. The horses would have to be trained to stand perfectly still while the singers were performing. Audience approval would be part of what the judges would give consideration to for winning points. The performers would be wearing costumes befitting the type of songs they would be singing. All of the songs would be submitted in advance so that the contest would not consist of the six groups singing exactly the same songs.

The singing groups all had to be citizens of Lilliland. Visitors and tourists would be invited to the event. The Baron liked to keep most of the Lilliland events free of charge to all of the people. After the event the winners would be invited to attend a reception and party held by the Baron and Lady Angela in the town square. There would be dancing and food and more entertainment.

The winning gift was rather unusual in that it was a sailboat large enough to have six sailors. The group then could practice singing in the summer time on Castle Lake. The sailboat was donated by the Baron and Lady Angela. Everyone had a good time and the Baron agreed to have the event again that following year. Winterfest in Lilliland was a lot of fun for everyone.