Tag Archives: Chester Weber

American Miniature Horses Shine at Dressage under the Stars Finale

AB4for4
The Wee Reds performed at the Players Club Dressage under the Stars finale in Wellington. (Photograph courtesy of Linda Kern, Caribbean Dreams Miniature Horses)

Wellington, FL – A four-in-hand team of perfectly matched American Miniature Horses put on a dazzling show at the finale of the Dressage under the Stars competition at the Players Club & Restaurant in Wellington, proving that big things do come in small packages. The Wee Reds, owned by Linda Kern of Caribbean Dreams Miniature Horses in Loxahatchee, Florida, and boasting 10 National Championship and Reserve Championship titles, were the opening act of the finale at the star-studded event.

Combined Driver Chester Weber, the eight-time U.S. National Four-In-Hand Champion and a judge for the evening’s Dressage under the Stars finale, drove the award-winning Wee Reds in a cones course demonstration. Weber, who has driven the talented tiny team at two Wellington Holiday horse shows, also brought the judges in by carriage, much to the delight of the crowd.

Continue reading American Miniature Horses Shine at Dressage under the Stars Finale

Chester Weber Breaks Own Record, Wins Eighth Straight USEF National Four-In-Hand Championship at Live Oak

Chester Weber broke his own record, winning the United States Four-in-Hand National Championship for an eighth time in a row at the recent Live Oak International competition. (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber)
Chester Weber broke his own record, winning the United States Four-in-Hand National Championship for an eighth time in a row at the recent Live Oak International competition. (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber)

Ocala, FL (March 31, 2010) – Combined Driver Chester Weber continued his title as “record-breaking champion” during the Live Oak International competition, breaking his own record by winning the USEF National Four-In-Hand Championship for a record eight years in a row. Weber’s win took place at the prestigious Live Oak event in Ocala, Florida, during a weekend filled with thousands of fans, bad weather and an incident on course that required Weber to utilize his nerves of steel and vast driving experience.

Weber and his team turned in flawless dressage and cones performances, but Weber faced an incident on the marathon that he described as the longest 45 seconds of the year. “We had a very competitive marathon, winning four of the first five hazards and finishing second in number four by tenths of a second,” Weber said. “Then came the ‘Gulch,’ a signature hazard for Live Oak. We split the two lead horses on a post and it took us 45 seconds to get them going again. It was bad luck to split them on a post but good luck to get them free without needing a navigator to get down to get them free, because that costs additional penalties. The horses remained calm the entire time awaiting the direction to move, but it was the longest 45 seconds of the last year for me, and some slight confusion for them.”

Continue reading Chester Weber Breaks Own Record, Wins Eighth Straight USEF National Four-In-Hand Championship at Live Oak

Combined Driver Chester Weber Featured in World-Renowned Equestrian Photographer Gabriele Boiselle Calendar

Weber enjoying a quiet moment with his dog Steffi and equine partner Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Archiv Boiselle/ Gabriele Boiselle)
Weber enjoying a quiet moment with his dog Steffi and equine partner Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Archiv Boiselle/ Gabriele Boiselle)

Ocala, FL (January 22, 2010) – World-renowned equestrian photographer Gabriele Boiselle has captured the bond between Combined Driver Chester Weber and his animals, and the tender moment is being preserved in one of Boiselle’s 2010 calendars. The photo captures Chester Weber holding his wife’s Miniature Schnauzer, Steffi, standing with his equine partner Jamaica. The expressive photo appears in Boiselle’s 2010 Combined Driving (or Fahren, German for ‘four-in-hand’) calendar.

Boiselle has spent almost three decades traveling and photographing horses around the globe, sharing her images with her fans through calendars, books, DVDs, an online photo archive and live photoseminars. Her company, Edition Boiselle, is based in Speyer, Germany, near Frankfurt.

For 2010, Boiselle has created 24 different wall calendars, including the calendar featuring Weber and other combined drivers. “For many years I have personally been so fascinated by carriage driving and in particular by the four-in-hands that I actually traveled to the USA to take photographs at the special Live Oak competition,” Boiselle said, adding that each of the breathtaking pictures tells an individual story. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=9969

Jamaica, Chester Weber’s Horse of the Year, Wraps Up Amazing Year as USEF Ambassador

Jamaica, the 2008 USEF Farnam Platform Horse of the Year, spent his year as an ambassador for the United States Equestrian Federation.
Jamaica, the 2008 USEF Farnam Platform Horse of the Year, spent his year as an ambassador for the United States Equestrian Federation.

Ocala, FL (November 16, 2009) – Jamaica, Chester Weber’s combined driving horse, captured the nation’s attention last year when he won the most prestigious horse title in the country and became the 2008 USEF Farnam Platform Horse of the Year. As the Horse of the Year, Jamaica served as an ambassador for the USEF, making public appearances, promoting rescue organizations and horse adoption and taking part in a variety of charities.

Jamaica’s rags to riches story began in Belgium when he was rescued from a slaughterhouse. He then famously became part of Weber’s record-breaking international Four-In-Hand Combined Driving team. Now 18 years old, Jamaica has been a member of all seven of Weber’s National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving National Championship teams.

While Jamaica’s story captivated the nation, his role as USEF ambassador also earned him a fan following. “Jamaica’s story really meant a lot to a lot of people, and whether we were at shows or at home, fans would bring him presents and carrots and place them in front of his stall and ask to pose for photos with him,” Weber said. “His journey has been pretty unbelievable and I am certainly glad to have been part of it.” Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8874

Chester Weber’s Famous Equines Raise Money for Charity by Painting “Moneighs”

Mary Simons of ReRun Thoroughbred charity asked Jamaica and his teammate Rolex to help raise money for charity by painting masterpieces known as “Moneighs.”  (Photo courtesy of ReRun, Inc)
Mary Simons of ReRun Thoroughbred charity asked Jamaica and his teammate Rolex to help raise money for charity by painting masterpieces known as “Moneighs.” (Photo courtesy of ReRun, Inc)

Ocala, FL (October 26, 2009) – Jamaica, the 2008 USEF Horse of the Year and member of Chester Weber’s seven-time National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving team, has taken his role as an equine ambassador seriously throughout the past year. Jamaica recently received his most colorful request ever, when the ReRun Thoroughbred charity asked Jamaica and his teammate Rolex to help raise money for charity by painting masterpieces known as “Moneighs.”

Never ones to say neigh, Jamaica and Rolex painted their works of art for ReRun’s Moneigh collection, which will be auctioned off on eBay to raise money for ReRun. The name Moneigh is derived from the name of the famous artist and the sound a horse makes.

ReRun’s Mary Simons visited Live Oak Stud in Ocala to assist Jamaica and Rolex with their paintings and was thrilled with the beautiful bay Dutch Warmbloods. “They were stunning animals and my favorites so far,” Simons said. “I had heard that sometimes Jamaica wasn’t so friendly, but he was very warm, kind and professional. He and Rolex both did their paintings with red and white paint and signed them with a black hoof print.” Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8642

Chester Weber’s Horse of the Year, Jamaica, Featured in New Equine Book

weber-bookIMG_5727

Photo: Jamaica, the 2008 USEF Horse of the Year, is featured in a new horse book called For The Love Of The Horse, Volume III by Ann Jamieson. The story describes Jamaica’s adventure from being rescued from a slaughterhouse to being part of Chester Weber’s world class Four-In-Hand Combined Driving team. (Photo courtesy of JRPR, no credit necessary)

Ocala, FL (October 14, 2009) – Jamaica, the 2008 USEF Horse of the Year and the most valuable player on Chester Weber’s Four-In-Hand Combined Driving team, is being featured in a new book called For The Love Of The Horse, Volume III. Written by Ann Jamieson, the book features a chapter on Jamaica’s rags to riches story that captivated the equestrian nation when Jamaica was nominated for his Horse of the Year title.

Jamaica, now 18 years old, may be a highly decorated member of Team Weber, but his career as a world-class four-in-hand horse almost didn’t come to pass. In the book, Jamieson recounts how Jamaica ended up at a slaughterhouse before being sold to a carriage company.

“What I like best about Jamaica’s story is the fact that Jamaica probably found himself in a slaughterhouse because of his ‘difficult’ temperament, and yet that temperament is exactly what endows him with such bravery, competitive spirit and desire to win,” Jamieson said. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8468