Tag Archives: Chester Weber

Competitions, Driving

Crookston and Weber Score Selection Trials Division Wins at Kingdom of the Sun CDE

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Donna Crookston and Viktor (Picsofyou.com)

Lexington, Ky. – The winter competition season in Florida came to a close over the weekend at the Kingdom of the Sun CDE in Ocala, Fla. Single Horse and Four-in-Hand drivers aiming for the 2016 FEI World Driving Championships competed in the CAI2* divisions, which served as Selection Trials. Donna Crookston climbed the leaderboard to win the CAI2*-H1 division, while Chester Weber won the CAI2*-H4 division.

Crookston (Saltsburg, Pa.) had a respectable dressage test with Viktor to receive a score of 61.96 and sit in third place following the dressage phase. She and her 2008 Dutch Harness gelding had a spectacular marathon phase, finishing first at all seven obstacles. They handily won the phase and added 81.77 penalty points to their score to sit second in the overall standings. Crookston and Viktor had a single ball down at 5C for 3.00 penalty points to win the cones phase and secure the win with a final score of 146.73.

“Our dressage is coming along nicely. He just started at the Advanced level in January, so I am quite happy with his progress so far,” Crookston explained. “Marathon was absolutely super! He is really turning into a great marathon horse; we were first in each hazard. He was also very good in the cones phase. He just turned eight in February, so he is a young, enthusiastic horse that I am very excited about.”

Barbara Chapman (Metamora, Mich.) and Meara Beval, her 2004 American Warmblood mare, finished in second place at just 0.02 penalty points behind Crookston and Viktor with a final score of 146.75. Leslie Berndl (Newcastle, Calif.) and Uminco, her 2001 Royal Dutch Warmblood gelding, rounded out the top three with a final score of 152.02.

Chester Weber (Picsofyou.com)
Chester Weber (Picsofyou.com)

Weber (Ocala, Fla.) drove some newer talent as part of his and Jane Clark’s KWPN team, but still had top performances in the CAI2*-H4 division. He and his team had a solid dressage test to earn a score of 50.16 and finish second in the phase. They had an excellent marathon performance to win the phase with a score of 114.44 and move into the overall lead. Weber and his team added 4.44 time penalties to their score in the cones phase to win the phase and claim top honors in the division.

“I was really pleased with the team. We left some fire power at home and had two new additions since January for this competition. I was happy with how the line-up performed,” Weber said. “With the World Championships being in September, it makes for a long season, so we are trying to find a balance with resting the more seasoned horses and allowing the newer horses to get more experience as part of the team. All of the horses are training very well and we plan to head to the Royal Windsor Horse Show next.”

Allison Stroud (West Grove, Pa.) and Willow Star LLC’s Dutch Warmblood team finished in second place with a score of 181.43, while Craig Grange (Delmar, Iowa) and his team finished third on a score of 228.85.

View complete results.

By Kathleen Landwehr

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Driving, USEF

Lucky 13 for Team Weber at 2016 Live Oak International

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Photo courtesy of www.PicsOfYou.com.

Ocala, FL (February 29, 2016) – Chester Weber has set the bar even higher for four-in-hand driving, winning a record thirteenth USEF National Four-in-Hand Championship this weekend. “Thirteen is a lucky number in my family. We try our hardest. It’s not just me driving – there is a wonderful support team behind me. Everybody works as hard as they can to get it done,” said a grateful, and now record 13-time champion, Chester Weber at the conclusion of the 25th edition of the Live Oak International driving event. The 2016 Live Oak International horse show, held on February 25-28, presented the USEF National Four-in-Hand Championship on the 5,000-acre Ocala, Florida equestrian estate owned by the Weber family.

Weber piloted the four stalwart bay KWPN geldings co-owned with Jane Forbes Clark – Boris W, Danzer, Para, and Ultra – in dressage, then swapped Para out for Team Weber’s new rising star Amadeus in marathon and cones. Team Weber drove to a decisive 173.20 points overall to finish 38 points ahead of closest contenders, Pennsylvania whip Allison Stroud (211.62) and fellow Florida horseman Craig Grange (260.89).

Weber, known internationally as “Mr. Dressage,” drove the team to a fluid win in the opening dressage phase on Thursday and set a commanding lead after Saturday’s marathon to drive towards a “lucky” 13th title. “I was really, really pleased. It was a great day for driving and I was really tickled with the horses. They did a great job. That’s what we are here for – it’s about the horses,” Weber commented.

The horses amply delivered for Weber and Clark, posting the fastest times across six of the seven obstacles on the spacious outdoor marathon course created by Gabor Fintha to add just 118.70 penalties to their first day score. On Sunday’s closing cones phase, Team Weber dropped just a single tennis ball atop cone six to incur minimal penalties and clinch the championship title.

“This team is going to be really competitive internationally,” said Weber. “This was a real test of driving every step, because the course shared an arena set with show jumping fences. The course at the FEI Worlds probably won’t have jumps in it, but will certainly offer its own technical challenges. There was a great atmosphere in our arena, similar to a World Championships.”

The FEI Four-in-Hand and Single Horse divisions at Live Oak International served as selection trials for drivers aiming for the 2016 FEI World Driving Championships, to be held on August 31 – September 4 in Breda, The Netherlands. Team up with Team Weber as they continue their march toward the FEI World Four-in-Hand Championships and follow news, live posts, video and photo galleries, and preferred product reviews at www.chesterweber.com.

For more information, contact:
Chester Weber
chester@chesterweber.com
1-352-895-1139

Championships, Competitions, Driving, USEF

Weber Wins 13th USEF Four-in-Hand Driving National Championship at Live Oak International

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Top Three in the USEF National Championship (Picsofyou.com)

Ocala, Fla. – The 2016 USEF Four-in-Hand Driving National Championship came to a close with the cones phase at Live Oak International. Chester Weber earned his 13th USEF Four-in-Hand Driving National Championship title after leading the competition from start to finish. The field of four competitors demonstrated great driving throughout the competition and is looking strong as the U.S. prepares for the 2016 FEI World Championship this summer.

Weber (Ocala, Fla.) and his and Jane Clark’s team displayed great skill in all three phases, winning by a 38-point margin. Weber’s team this weekend included a mix of up-coming talent Amadeus, a gelding competing in his first National Championship, and veteran experience in Para, a 19-year-old gelding competing in his 10th National Championship. Their quest for the national title began on Thursday in the International Arena with a fluid dressage test that earned a score of 45.25, putting him at the top of the leaderboard. Weber increased his lead considerably in Saturday’s marathon phase with the fastest time in six of the seven obstacles on Gabor Fintha’s course, adding 118.70 penalty points to their score. In the cones phase, Weber and his team had another winning performance. They knocked a single ball at cone six and incurred a handful of time penalties to win the championship with a score of 173.20.

“The horses were good today and I was really pleased. I think this team is going to a really competitive cones team internationally,” said Weber. Weber also spoke to the added challenge presented during the cones phase at Live Oak International which also hosts show jumping in the same arena. “This is a real test of driving every step of the course when you have an arena with show jumps in it. The course at the [World Championships] probably won’t have jumps in the area, but might have some different technical natures. There was a great atmosphere in the arena with the crowds also similar to the World Championships.”

Allison Stroud (West Grove, Pa.) has mastered driving Four-in-Hand horses after switching from a pony team less than three years ago. She and Willow Star LLC’s Dutch Warmblood team performed a harmonious dressage test on Thursday to receive a score of 53.39. In the marathon phase, Stroud drove confidently through the challenging track, adding 146.86 penalty points to her score. In the cones phase, she entered the arena with steely determination and had just one ball down and 8.36 time penalties to finish as Reserve Champion on a score of 211.61.

First-time National Championship contender Craig Grange (Delmar, Iowa) entered his first FEI event this weekend and showed great promise throughout the weekend. Marking a 66.72 in dressage, Grange boldly took on the tough marathon track, posting the second fastest times of the day through obstacles two and three. He added 155.33 penalty points, to start the final phase in third place. The cones phase proved to be a bit tricky for Grange and his team as they had five balls down and disrupted obstacle 16, requiring a pause for a rebuild. With the additional of time penalties, Grange took third place with an overall score of 258.89.

Misdee Wrigley Miller (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) began the championship week with a solid dressage test that earned her a score of 49.49 from the ground jury, good for second place. She elected to retire during section A of the marathon phase due to a minor finger injury which she sustained earlier this season.

Suzy Stafford and PVF Peace of Mind (Picsofyou.com)
Suzy Stafford and PVF Peace of Mind (Picsofyou.com)

The FEI Four-in-Hand and Single Horse divisions this weekend served as selection trials for drivers aiming for the 2016 FEI World Driving Championships. Suzy Stafford (Wilmington, Del.) and her 2015 USEF International Horse of the Year, PVF Peace of Mind, took an early lead in the FEI Single Horse division and never looked back. Following a 43.58 score in dressage, the pair dominated the marathon phase, posting the fastest times in six of seven obstacles and adding 94.22 penalty points to their score. In the cones phase, Stafford and “Hunny” again proved their athletic prowess, leaving all the balls up and adding .85 in time penalties, winning the division on an overall score of 138.65.

Complete Results

Find out more about the Live Oak International.

From the USEF Communications Department

*Featured/Spotlights, Driving

Chester Weber’s Beloved Jamaica Turns 25

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Photo courtesy of Warmbloods Today Magazine.

From Rescue Horse to USEF Horse of the Year

Ocala, FL (February 5, 2016) — He was the international rags to riches story that won the hearts of America and the world. A Dutch-bred gelding destined for slaughter who proved too high-spirited for a job pulling a city carriage, then plucked from obscurity by one of the greatest four-in-hand drivers in history. He became a champion whose steel shoes were gifted to Prince Phillip by President Obama, and who was commemorated as a Breyer® horse model. His athleticism and driving honors earned him the title of 2008 USEF Horse of the Year, and made him a 2013 inductee into the EQUUS Foundation Horse Hall of Fame.

We know him as the horse called Jamaica, whose 25 extraordinary years so far on this planet were recently celebrated by his loving owner, Chester Weber, at Live Oak Stud farm in Ocala, Florida. Weber, a three-time World Equestrian Games Silver medalist and 12-time U.S. National Four-in-Hand champion, is proud to have had Jamaica as his partner and companion for many years.

Jamaica’s story began in 1991 in Holland, when the partbred bay Hackney gelding, sired by British stallion Cambridge Cole (Walton Searchlight x Cambridge Madge) out of a mare with the inviting name of Welkom, was destined for slaughter. Jamaica’s fate changed when he was found by Belgian driver and FEI official Mark Wenten, who brought the gelding into a service role as a tourist carriage horse in the city of Bruges, Belgium. Jamaica’s notorious impatience for standing still to allow visitors into a carriage proved precisely the kind of get-up-and-go attitude that Wenten knew his friend Weber was seeking in a new wheel horse. Weber purchased Jamaica from Wenten in 2001.

Jamaica demonstrated aptitude for going in the wheel for the opening phase for ‘Mr. Dressage’ (as Weber has been dubbed thanks to his extraordinary success in the dressage phase), and left lead for the marathons. This placement became integral to an award-winning Team Weber, whose victory laps included seven National titles, a Silver Medal at the 2008 World FEI Championships, and the USEF National Combined Driving Single Horse Championship perpetual trophy named in Jamaica’s honor. In 2008, Jamaica was recognized with the Farnam Platform Horse of the Year award from the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), and received one ton of Platform feed. Jamaica and Weber in turn paid-it-forward by donating the feed to two different horse rescue organizations.

In his role as an ‘equine ambassador,’ Jamaica also participated in ‘Kiss the Horse’ literacy campaigns, was featured in three books (For The Love Of The Horse, Volume III; True Horse Stories; and Beloved Horses in Second Careers), and raised funds for ReRun Thoroughbreds by painting a “Moneigh” masterpiece with his muzzle. Furthermore, when President Obama was searching for the perfect gift for Prince Phillip, he requested Jamaica’s shoes from Weber, which now hang in the Royal Stables.

In 2011, amid fans, family, and friends at the Live Oak International CAI-B, Weber retired his four-legged teammate. Now age 25, Jamaica has been basking in golden retirement at Weber’s Live Oak Stud property.

Team up with Team Weber and the horses that continue the tradition of the great Jamaica as they seek to qualify for the 2016 World Four-in-Hand Championships in Breda this summer. Follow news, live posts, video and photo galleries, and preferred product reviews at www.chesterweber.com.

For more information, contact:
Chester Weber
chester@chesterweber.com
1-352-895-1139

*Featured/Spotlights, Driving

Chester Weber Reigns at 2016 Little Everglades CDE

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Photo courtesy of Pics Of You.

Dade City, FL (February 3, 2016) – The 12-time Four-in-Hand U.S. National Champion and three-time World Equestrian Games Silver medalist, Chester Weber, opened his 2016 competition season with a win this past weekend at the Little Everglades Ranch CAI 2* combined driving event in Dade City, Florida. The competition saw substantial rainfall for an additional factor to the CAI 2* competition, which served as a Selection Trial for the Four-in-Hand drivers setting their sights on the 2016 FEI World Driving Championships.

Leading right from the start, Weber with his and Jane Clark’s team of KWPN geldings dominated their Four-in-Hand division in all phases despite the inundating weather conditions. “My team did a super job, especially in the torrential downpour,” Weber commended.

Weber received a 43.57 in dressage, 101.27 penalty points in marathon, and closed strong in cones with 4.80 time penalty points to finish with a final score of 149.64.

Not only was the win a victory for seasoned veteran charges Ultra, Para, Senate and Danzer, but it was also a special conquest for new rising star on the Team Weber roster, Amadeus. The 11-year-old KWPN gelding (Talos) has been praised as an “all-around wheeler” who contributed to multiple driving achievements by Hungarian driver Jozsef Dobrovitz.

“I have only had him for two and a half weeks now, and I think he is going to make a terrific dressage horse,” Weber praised with great hopes for the horse’s future career. “He is very true and has a lot of potential.”

Weber also praised Danzer’s performance, stating, “I am also super pleased with Danzer; he has really come a long way.” Danzer was added to the prestigious line up during the first competition of 2015 at Florida Horse Park’s Kingdom of the Sun CDE, where he contributed to the team’s champion placing both in the wheel in dressage, and in the lead for marathon and cones. The prospect then went on to secure his spot in the victory gallop throughout Weber’s summer competing across Europe, and finished his introductory season contributing Weber’s historic twelfth USEF National Four-in-Hand Championship at the Kentucky Classic CAI 2*.

Now Team Weber has its sights set on the 2016 Four-in-Hand National Championships held February 24-28 at this home base of Live Oak International in Ocala, Florida. This year marks Live Oak International’s 25th year as one of the largest combined driving events in the country that attracts the best drivers, trainers, coaches and owners from around the world. The event combines show jumping and combined driving on the pastoral grounds of Live Oak Plantation, a 5,000-acre thoroughbred breeding farm, and home of Team Weber.

Team up with Team Weber throughout Florida competitions as they drive to qualify for the 2016 World Four-in-Hand Championships in Breda this summer. Follow news, live posts, video and photo galleries, and preferred product reviews at www.chesterweber.com.

For more information, contact:
Chester Weber
chester@chesterweber.com
1-352-895-1139

Driving, USEF

Hamilton and Weber Earn Top Honors in Selection Trials Divisions at Little Everglades CDE

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Nifty Hamilton (Picsofyou.com)

Lexington, Ky. – The top drivers in the country kicked off the 2016 season this weekend at the Little Everglades CDE in Dade City, Fla. The CAI2* divisions served as Selection Trials for Four-in-Hand and Single Horse drivers aiming for the 2016 FEI World Driving Championships. Nifty Hamilton climbed the leaderboard to win the CAI2*-H1 division, while Chester Weber led from start to finish to win the CAI2*-H4 division.

Hamilton (Alva, Fla.) had a solid dressage test with Makari Design in the horse’s FEI debut, receiving a score of 59.47 to put her in fifth place. She and the 2008 KWPN gelding, owned by her and Milton Hamilton, won the marathon phase with a fantastic performance, adding 76.76 penalties to their score to move in to second place on the leaderboard. Another winning performance in the cones phase with just 1.33 time penalties clinched the CAI2*-H1 win for Hamilton on a final score of 137.56.

“We are really, really proud of him; we have been taking the time to bring him up through levels,” Hamilton said. “For dressage, the weather was terrible and ring was very soggy, but we got through. The marathon was really smooth and flowing, and the hazards were terrific. We won the phase, which was surprising, but great. For cones, we ended up winning with just some time. He is a fun horse and tries really hard, so it was a really fun and exciting weekend.”

Sterling Graburn (Paris, Ky.) and Mannkato, his and Laura Corsentino’s 2001 Dutch Harness gelding, finished in second place with a final score of 138.79, while Leslie Berndl (Newcastle, Calif.) and Uminco, her 2001 Royal Dutch Warmblood gelding, were third with a score of 150.24.

Chester Weber (Picsofyou.com)
Chester Weber (Picsofyou.com)

Weber (Ocala, Fla.) and his and Jane Clark’s KWPN geldings had a dominating performance in the CAI2*-H4 division, winning all phases of the competition. They delivered their signature expressive test in the dressage phase to receive a score of 43.57. Weber and his team had a strong marathon phase, adding 101.27 penalties to their score. They clinched the win in the cones phase after collecting 4.80 time penalties to finish with a final score of 149.64.

“I was really pleased with the horses,” Weber said. “We had horses that hadn’t competed as a group before for the dressage phase. The weather was unfortunate with torrential downpours, but they did well. Marathon day was beautiful. We added Amadeus, a new horse from the Hungarian team at last year’s European Championship, in the right lead, giving us some added depth for things to come this year. We finished well in the cones phase with some time penalties for a great weekend overall.”

Allison Stroud (West Grove, Pa.) and Willow Star LLC’s team finished in second place with a score of 171.89.

View complete results.

By Kathleen Landwehr

Driving, JRPR

Team Weber 2016: New Horses and U.S. Tournaments Announced

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Chester Weber welcomes two bay KWPN geldings Asjemenou and Amadeus, pictured here, to Team Weber (Photo courtesy of www.hippoevent.at).

Ocala, FL (January 25, 2016) – Florida promises a superb showcase of world-class combined driving this season as the greatest whip in American history – reigning 12-time Four-in-Hand U.S. National Champion and three-time World Equestrian Games Silver medalist Chester Weber – sets his sights on a trio of CAI2* tournaments in the Sunshine State. Weber begins with an FEI season opener, Little Everglades, on January 26-31 in Dade City, Florida, then Kingdom of the Sun on February 16-20 at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala, followed by Live Oak International on February 24-28, also in Ocala.

As Chester Weber begins his year with competition in his home state, he will be watched by the world. Team Weber has been acknowledged by the foreign equestrian press for its recent acquisition of “Hungarian-Dutch reinforcements” Amadeus and Asjemenou, two bay KWPN geldings previously owned and driven by top Hungarian drivers Jozsef Dobrovitz and Mark Osztertag.

Eleven-year-old Amadeus (by Talos) has been part of the Dobrovitz four-in-hand team for six years, and has been praised as an “all-around wheeler” that contributed to multiple national driving achievements under the Hungarian flag, including a fourth-place finish at the 2015 European Championships at Aachen.

Joining Amadeus is 11-year-old gelding Asjemenou (by Patijn), successfully competed by Osztertag at the 2013 and 2015 FEI World Pair Driving Championships and the 2014 European Championships at Izsak. This top competitor has also been called a “deciding factor” towards Dobrovitz’s victory lap at CAI3* Altenfelden last season.

“I am always looking to put more players on my bench,” says Weber. “When we found out these horses were available, I had no intention of buying two horses. But after Michael Freund and I tested them, we could not choose between them. They are fantastic, well-worked horses and I could not be more proud to start driving them.”

It’s not the first time that Weber and his longtime friend and former coach Freund (who took reserve as Weber took the champion title in Driving’s inaugural 2001/2002 World Cup) have spotted talent together. Their shared appreciation for athleticism and pedigree have been proven before in Team Weber horses, such as left wheeler Janosch, and dressage right and left leads Grumus and Rolex W.

Team up with Team Weber throughout Florida competitions and as Amadeus and Asjemenou join the effort to qualify for the 2016 World Four-in-Hand Championships in Breda this summer. Follow news, live posts, video and photo galleries, and preferred product reviews at www.chesterweber.com.

For more information, contact:
Chester Weber
chester@chesterweber.com
1-352-895-1139
www.chesterweber.com

Dressage, Driving, JRPR

Four-in-Hand Driving Savant Chester Weber Welcomes Maria Hallet as Stable Manager

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Photo courtesy of Maria Hallet.

Ocala, FL (November 20, 2015) – FEI dressage rider and trainer Maria Hallet has joined the team of internationally renowned four-in-hand combined driving champion Chester Weber. Hallet is a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist who has received much recognition in the form of regional and national awards. Weber, after a successful European tour over the summer, returned home to claim his record twelfth USEF National Four-in-Hand title in October. He is now happy to add Hallet’s talent to his winning team.

“We are pleased to welcome Maria to our team full-time,” said Weber. Hallet has been named the stable manager for Team Weber, which is in addition to her duties riding Team Weber’s horses. Hallet began riding horses for the Ocala, Florida based driver last spring. For the three years prior to that, Hallet was the dressage coach for the University of Florida Dressage Team.

In addition to continuing the training of many of Weber’s horses in the classical art of dressage, Hallet will now be overseeing the daily care of the horses, management of other Team Weber employees, and all other aspects of the day-to-day activities of the stable. “I am very excited to be joining Team Weber. I see this as a great learning experience, and I’m loving the challenge of using my riding skills and dressage to help Chester’s horses for their demanding jobs as driving horses,” said Hallet.

Hallet describes her dedication to the horses at team Weber as not just her job, but also her life and passion. “It is a real pleasure and an honor to ride and work with such amazing animals. I feel truly blessed,” she said. Weber recognizes her talent. “Maria has a great connection with the horses and her solid fundamental knowledge of dressage has proven helpful to us,” he said.

Now is a crucial time for Hallet to join Team Weber. The team is currently focused on developing some younger horses for the top levels of competition. Hallet has extensive experience with developing horses, including bringing up her own Oldenburg gelding Cobalt from First Level dressage to FEI Intermediaire II. This fall, Team Weber traveled to the Hermitage Classic CDE and the Kentucky Classic CDE – where Weber earned his 12th USEF National Four-in-Hand Championship with a young rising star, Danzer, and new horses, Erik and Zeppelin Let’s W. With Hallet on board, the entire team is looking forward to further developing these aspiring driving horses.

Up next for Hallet and Team Weber will be the annual Live Oak International competition in February. This combined driving and stadium-jumping event is hosted by Chester Weber and his family at their beautiful farm in Ocala, Florida. Weber has explained that the 2016 Live Oak International will feature a Preliminary jumper division on Saturday, a World Cup qualifying grand prix on Sunday, and there is a “pretty good chance” that the Budweiser Clydesdales will return for a visit.

Follow news, live posts, and video and photo galleries of Team Weber at www.chesterweber.com.

For more information, contact:
Chester Weber
chester@chesterweber.com
1-352-895-1139
www.chesterweber.com

Driving, JRPR, Publications/Media

Chester Weber Featured on Driving Radio Show with Horse Radio Network

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Photo courtesy of Pics Of You.

Louisville, KY (November 3, 2015) — Fresh off two consecutive wins in Kentucky, where he clinched his historic twelfth USEF National Four-in-Hand title followed by a victory in the FEI2* Four-in-Hand division at the Hermitage Classic CDE, Chester Weber had a chance to sit down with the Driving Radio Show to talk all about his endeavors. Hosts Glenn the Geek and Dr. Wendy Ying of Horse Radio Network covered topics such as the new horses joining the team that Weber and Jane F. Clark have put together, and Team Weber’s extraordinary record twelfth national title. They also took a look ahead at the 2016 edition of Live Oak International driving and show jumping competition, to be hosted by Weber and his family in Ocala, Florida, this February.

Weber is featured on Episode 224 of the Driving Radio Show, called “Chester Weber, Live Oak Announcements, and The National Drive.” Find and listen to the episode at any time at www.drivingradioshow.horseradionetwork.com.

Recounting his past summer competing in many Four-in-Hand competitions across Europe, Weber is glad to be back in the States. “Competing from May to September is a long time; it’s nice to sleep in my own bed again,” Weber joked, adding that it was even nicer to see his son, who just turned a year old. “He’s getting big. He’s walking. It’s exciting. I took him out in the carriage with the big horses. He’ll be driving his own team soon.”

Nurturing young talent has been part of this new father’s game plan for much of the season, as Weber introduced new horses Danzer and Zeppelin Let’s W to the competitions in Kentucky. “I’m really pleased. The young horses did really well and we’re using them for bigger and bigger tours.”

The inclement weather conditions Team Weber faced in Lexington to win their twelfth USEF National title, particularly in the Marathon phase, did not deter them from reaching their objective. “By European standards, it wasn’t muddy at all,” he grinned. “Our goal this season was the national championship, with a different grouping of horses. So it was a nice testament to have that, that this new group of horses could hat trick and win across all three phases,” said Weber.

While back in Ocala, Weber and his show management team are working on delivering another exceptional line-up for the annual Live Oak International competition. “It’s taking shape,” Weber told the radio show hosts. “It’s coming up early this year, at the end of February, and we have some interesting new things planned, like a kids’ play area, as well as exploring some new options for covering all the action during our live feed.”

The 2016 Live Oak International, as Weber enlightened, will debut a Preliminary jumper division on Saturday, a World Cup qualifying grand prix on Sunday, and there is a “pretty good chance” that the Budweiser Clydesdales will return for a visit. “The show,” Weber said, “continues to not stand still.”

Nor does Team Weber. Follow news, live posts, video and photo galleries of the national champion team, and their preferred product reviews at www.chesterweber.com. Find and listen to the episode at any time at www.drivingradioshow.horseradionetwork.com.

For more information, contact:
Chester Weber
chester@chesterweber.com
1-352-895-1139
www.chesterweber.com

Competitions, Driving

Team Weber’s New Horses Rise to the Top to Win Hermitage Classic CDE FEI 2*

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Photo courtesy of Pics Of You.

Goshen, KY (October 19, 2015) – Current 12-time U.S. National Four-in-Hand Champion Chester Weber doesn’t just know how to drive horses – he knows how to pick them, too. Starting their driving careers on the team owned by Jane F. Clark and Chester Weber, KWPN geldings Danzer and Zeppelin Let’s W joined seasoned competitors Boris W and Ultra in a decisive victory lap at the sixth annual Hermitage Classic CDE on October 16-18, at the historic Hermitage Farm in Goshen, Kentucky.

“The highlight of the competition, without a doubt, was the performances from Zeppelin and Danzer,” said Weber, of Ocala, Florida. “They are new to our team, and coupling with international stars like Boris and Ultra seemed to make them instantly successful.”

Team Weber’s overall score in the FEI 2* Horse Teams division was 174.27, representing an advantageous 50-point spread ahead of closest contender Misdee Wrigley-Miller (233.52). Having won in the dressage phase (40.82) on opening day, Weber opted to keep the same four-horse combination going into the marathon. It proved to be a wise choice as Weber piloted the carriage through a marathon phase designed by multiple world championship combined driving course designer Barry Hunter of Great Britain.

Leslie Cashion of the Hermitage Classic show committee had predicted, “One of our toughest hazards on marathon will be the newest one, which is an actual tepee and totem pole. It could present an interesting and challenging element.”

It proved to be nothing that Team Weber could not handle. “I used Zeppelin and Ultra in the lead and Danzer and Boris in the wheel in dressage, and drove the same team for marathon,” Weber explained. The result was a Marathon score of just 109.15, and after closing out their cones phase on a 24.30, all four matched bay KWPNs had proven themselves unstoppable.

Team up with Team Weber after yet another four-in-hand victory by following news, live posts, video and photo galleries, and preferred product reviews at www.chesterweber.com.

For more information, contact:
Chester Weber
chester@chesterweber.com
1-352-895-1139
www.chesterweber.com