American Driving Society

What American Driving Society does

The American Driving Society, Inc. (ADS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1974 and headquartered in Cross Plains, Wisconsin, that serves as the official governing body for carriage driving in the United States and Canada. The society supports approximately 2,000 members and the broader carriage driving community through standardized competition rules, licensed officials, education, insurance programs, and event recognition. It operates a 25-member volunteer Board of Directors, 14 committees, eight regional structures (covering US and Canadian territories), and a small staff of two full-time equivalents (Director of Administration Stacy M Carlson and supporting personnel).

The ADS product and service portfolio centers on three core publications — the annual Rulebook (34th edition in 2026), The Whip magazine (quarterly, direct mailed), and The Omnibus (event listings published with May and November Whip issues) — supplemented by proprietary copyrighted dressage tests, the VSE & Pony Measurement certification program, classified ads, regional directories, the Virtual Dressage Show, the Para Driving Program for disabled drivers, and the Licensed Officials certification program. The organization does not develop or operate proprietary technology; its website is hosted on ClubExpress, and the product surface is content-, event-, and certification-based rather than software-based.

The revenue model combines recurring membership dues with transactional streams: merchandise sales (rulebooks US$45-65, branded apparel US$20-90, educational materials US$21.95-30), competition and event fees (US$50-250 tiered by duration, plus US$15-30 non-member surcharges), advertising in The Whip and The Omnibus, donations, and event recognition fees. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the website, direct mail, and 80+ annual recognized events held across North America. Customer segments are recreational drivers, competitive drivers, driving instructors and officials, para drivers, and affiliated driving clubs (50+ clubs across eight regions).

Name

American Driving Society

Legal name

The American Driving Society, Inc.

Website

https://americandrivingsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Driving Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1974, that serves as the official governing body for carriage driving in the US and Canada, supporting roughly 2,000 members through competition rules, licensed officials, education, insurance, and 80+ annual recognized events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lapeer

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide access to publications, insurance benefits, educational resources, and competition recognition programs.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling rulebooks, clothing, accessories, books, and educational materials. Items include 2026 Rulebook ($45-$65), clothing items ($20-$90), and various driving-related merchandise.
3. Competition and Event Fees: Fees for ADS-recognized events range from $50-$250 depending on duration. Non-member fees are $15-$30 per event. Recreational Drive recognition is $50.
4. Advertising Revenue: The Whip magazine and The Omnibus publication accept advertising from businesses and organizations in the carriage driving industry. Publications are direct mailed to 2,000 members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American Driving Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that supports carriage drivers in the United States and Canada through memberships, publications (The Whip magazine, The Omnibus, and annual Rulebook), competition event recognition, official licensing programs, and educational resources. It operates as the primary governing body for the sport, standardizing rules, training and certifying officials, and organizing over 80 recognized events annually across North America.

Product overview

The American Driving Society offers a portfolio of membership services centered around carriage driving competition and recreation. The core offerings include The Whip magazine (quarterly publication with news and competition coverage), The Omnibus (annual event listings publication), and the annual Rulebook (competition standards). Additional services include an ADS Store for merchandise and publications, an Events Calendar, Classified Ads platform, Dressage Tests and scoring systems, the VSE & Pony Measurement Program, Event Recognition program for organizing ADS-sanctioned competitions, Virtual Dressage Shows, Regional Directories across eight geographic regions, a Para Driving Program for accessible driving, and a Licensed Officials certification program. The organization supports over 80 recognized events annually across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Whip: The Whip, published quarterly by The American Driving Society, Inc., has won numerous awards in design and editorial from American Horse Publications. It contains news and official business of the ADS, educational articles, reports on competitions, features on drivers and trainers, and advertising.
• The Omnibus
• The Wheelhorse

Products and services

• The Whip Magazine
• The Omnibus
• ADS Rulebook
• ADS Online Store
• ADS Dressage Tests
• VSE & Pony Measurement Program
• ADS Event Recognition
• Virtual Dressage Show
• Regional Directories
• Para Driving Program
• Licensed Officials Program
• ADS Events Calendar
• ADS Classified Ads

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 ADS-recognized events held annually across North America
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Broad incumbents

• United States Equestrian Federation (USEF): The national governing body for equestrian sports in the US, including dressage and driving disciplines. Directly comparable as a federation that licenses officials, sets competition rules, and sanctions events — ADS operates in a niche subset of USEF's broader remit.
• American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA): The world's largest breed registry and equine organization. Comparable as a massive-scale equestrian membership association with publications, events, rule-setting, and educational programs — though focused on a different breed/discipline.
• Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI): The international governing body for equestrian sports worldwide. Comparable as the higher-level federation that recognizes ADS events for international-level competition and drives the official rule framework for carriage driving globally.

Emerging players

• American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA): A US breed registry and membership organization that promotes Morgan horses, including in driving competitions. Comparable as a niche equestrian membership association that organizes driving events and serves an enthusiast community.
• American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA): A US breed association with a strong tradition in fine harness and carriage driving competitions. Comparable as a peer equestrian membership organization that hosts driving events and engages the carriage driving community.
• Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.): A credentialing body for equine-assisted services including therapeutic carriage driving. Comparable to ADS's Para Driving Program as an adjacent organization serving adaptive/therapeutic equestrian activities.

Direct peers

• United States Dressage Federation (USDF): The national governing body for dressage in the US. Closely comparable to ADS as an equestrian discipline federation that publishes educational materials, trains licensed officials (L graduates), sanctions competitions, and serves a member base with publications.
• Carriage Association of America (CAA): A membership organization dedicated to the preservation and driving of antique and classic carriages. Highly comparable to ADS as a peer carriage driving association serving collectors and recreational drivers in North America.

Others

• American Horse Publications (AHP): A trade association for equine media publications that has awarded The Whip magazine for editorial and design. Comparable as an adjacent trade organization in the equine publishing ecosystem.

Regional players

• British Driving Society: The UK-based national carriage driving society with similar membership, event recognition, rulebook publication, and education functions. Comparable as a peer governing body serving carriage drivers in a different (primarily UK) geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/913415615384849
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-driving-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Driving Society