LIGNITE LEATHER & BELLS.

If we would not use it ourselves we will not sell it to our customers!

Jim, outside the shop, getting ready to deliver a matched set of bells for a team of Percherons

ABOUT US

Located about 40 miles North of Milwaukee Wisconsin just outside of the small community of Random Lake we are between the rolling hills of the Kettle Moraines and the Lake Michigan Bluff. Nestled in a small valley at the end of a dead end road our scenic 40 acres of rolling hills, woods and native Prairies provides a wonderful playground to raise our two daughters and assortment of horses, chickens, dogs and cats.

This wonderful property is a culmination of a life long dream. We have both been “horse crazy” practically from birth and it breed true in our daughters love of horses. Over the years both of us have actively competed in various disciplines from Combined Driving to Hunters to Western Games. We have built and run a 55 stall commercial boarding facility and have breed Morgan Horses for over 20 years.

Our oldest daughter, Valerie, started out at age 4 in leadline and costume classes. At 7 she joined the United States Pony Club where she learned a lot of her horse care skills. At 14 her intests chaged to driving which is what she has been concentrating on for the last couple of years. See article below for their latest accomplisment!

Our youngest, Gabrielle, at 8 is totally animal crazy, from frogs to bats she is interested in everything. She loves wandering around our ponds and 12 acres of restored native prairie to see what new creatures she can find! She started driving her miniature horse Tuffy last summer.

1991 Article about LIGNITE CARRIAGE CO. in MILWAUKEE SENTINEL Business Section

ABOUT LIGNITE CARRIAGE

Lignite Carriage Co. was born almost 30 years ago out of necessity. At the time we were getting involved in the then new sport of Combined Driving. Having collected and restored antique vehicles for years it seemed a perfect venue for displaying and using our collection of restored vehicles.

Unfortunately I rapidly found out that the antique equipment that I had was not up to the task! The old wood wheels, while they worked very nicely on level ground and on the roads, were miserably undersized and much to weak for use in the cross country phases of CDE's. Sadly I retired the antiques to use only on occasion or flat work and I started looking for newer, better stronger equipment. There was none! Well, very little anyway, and most of it was either in Europe or the East coast. Remember, in the early 80’s Combined Driving was still in its infancy in this country and there were very few people catering to this trade. The Eastern vehicles were basically modified road carts or buggies and rather crudely made. The European equipment was very well made, heavy as a brick, and exorbitantly expensive! There had to be something better!

Being an Mechanical Engineer by training, and a tinkerer by disposition, I figured I could certainly design and build something as good or better than anything I could buy for a whole lot less. None of these would suite my needs so I sat down at my drafting board and started drawing!

What developed was the Country Gig. A metal framed, wood wheeled vehicle designed from the ground up for Combined driving. With its excellent balance and rugged good looks this cart is pretty enough to be used in the presentation phases and tough enough to stand up to the rigors of Cross Country and the Hazards. This cart was rapidly accepted as one of the best two wheel competition carts in the Midwest and we have shipped many of these all over the country.

Today we have discontinued making vehicles, except for our own use, and are concentrating on custom leather work.

LIGNITE CARRIAGE & BELL CO.

Actually the bassis for the Leatherwork and Bell interest is even older than Jims love of Combined Driving. Jim first started doing leather work in the early 60's with a basic leather kit from Tandy Leather Co. This grew into a small bussiness producing flowered purses and sandals in the late 60's and early 70' for "counter culture" customers. When Jim got into the antique vehicles he made his first harness, copying a old buggy harness that was purchased at a auction, completey by hand. Today we do a small amount of harness repair, but mostly specialize in producing custom sleigh bell sets and special products for our Santa's and have shipped our bells all over the world.

Thus, Lignite Carriage Co. has become Lignite Carriage & Bell Co., a Cottage industry that our entire family is involved in.

Photo courtesy of Mischka Photography

Valerie and her horse Smokey Winning Grand Champion at Columbus Carriage Classic 2008
Driving a Dog Cart made by Lignite Carriage Co.

VALERIE DINGMAN WINS AMERICAN DRIVING SOCIETY 2008 YOUTH PLEASURE DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIP!

After months of intensive training and preparation and success at carriage driving competitions, the hard work paid off for Valerie Dingman, a junior at Random Lake High school. Valerie has the honor of being named the 2008 American Driving Society Annual Youth Carriage Pleasure Driving Champion.

Valerie received a phone call on January 1st from Hardy Zantke, dircetor of the ADS, congratulating her on her big acomplishment. Valerie was estatic after hearing of her award. “ Those calls to the winners make my day - and "pay" for the work that I put into this”, states Hardy Zanke.

Valerie and her 8 year old Morgan gelding Paint Rock's Shacona, aka Smokey, compete at Carriage Driving and Combined Driving events in the midwest area. While the midwest does have a few of the top ranked events in the country Valerie is hoping to travel further to be able to compete at more competitions this year. Valerie trains primarly with her father, Jim Dingman and keeps her horse at home for most of the year. The Wisconsin winters make it tough to train year round so her parents try to have her horse boarded out locally for a few months in late winter so she can get a jump start on conditioning and training. Carriage driving is a sport that requires alot of training, conditiong and preperation of both the horse and driver. The typical competition is 2 or 3 days long, both the horse and driver need to be in top physical and mental condition. The driving events Valerie competes at are ADS recognized and are not youth horse shows like 4-H. While some events will have a youth division, Valerie often competes dircetly against adults and sometimes even professional trainers. Valerie is very proud of her horse Smokey and feels lucky to have such a talented horse.

Valerie will receive a $750.00 grant to be used to attend a 2009 ADS youth training clinic, a special sports jacket recognizing her accomplishment and will also be featured in the March edition of the Whip, a ADS publication.
Valerie had a very successful show season in 2008, receiving her division championship at every ADS recognized show she competed at. Being ranked the top youth carriage pleasure driver in the nation makes 2008 a season that Valerie and her parents will never forget.

<
LIGNITE LEATHER & BELLS
N7047 Oriole Lane - Fredonia, Wisconsin - 53021
262-689-2366

Jim & Katie Dingman
E-Mail Us
bellelf@santassleighbells.com

(We do check our E-mail regularly and if you do not hear back from us within 24 hours your E-mail probably got trapped in our Spam Filter. Please feel free to give us a call).

This site updated November 08, 2010

Notice: Lignite Carriage Co. does not and will not at any time assume or accept any liabililty for any injury or accident involving any equipment sold or manufactured by Lignite Carriage Co. The purchaser(s) and/or user(s) of such equipment is presumed to be aware of the inherit risk involved in any Equine activities and as such assumes all risk in such activities as defined in section 895.481 (1)(e) of the Wisconsin Statutes.

All pictures and information on this page are Copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any way without the express written consent of Lignite Carriage Co.