Driving

The U.S. Equestrian Federation has named the following drivers to represent the United States at the two driving World Championships set to take place over the next two months. Chester Weber will serve as the chef d'equipe for both championships.
 
The FEI World Pair Driving Championships will take place in Conty, France, Aug. 24-28, and the three drivers who will represent the U.S. with pairs of horses will be:

Spectators and competitors at the CAI-B Live Oak in Ocala, Fla., March 24-27, honored the 2008 Farnam/Platform U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year, Jamaica, as owner Chester Weber officially retired the Dutch Warmblood gelding. Jamaica will enjoy his golden years at Weber’s Live Oak Stud in Ocala, Fla.

Aiken, SC - February 25, 2011 - The first annual 'Salute to Driving' event hosted a beautiful Dinner & Live Auction on Saturday, February 19, 2011, to benefit the United States Equestrian Team Foundation and, ultimately, USEF High Performance Combined Driving. The successful evening was held at Wendy O'Brien's Trout Walk Farm in Aiken, SC.

The Fédération Equestre Internationale has released the list of entries for the FEI World Cup Driving Final, which will be held April 27-May 1 in Leipzig, Germany. Seven four-in-hand drivers were named, five of which have already secured a World Cup round win this season.

The entries are:

Endurance
 
The first American CEI of 2011 took place at the Dupuis Equestrian Center near Indiantown, Florida January 28-29.  The event featured two days of Endurance competition.
 

Lexington, Ky.—Oct. 10

Boyd Exell started out his trip to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with a record-breaking dressage score, then held onto the lead to secure his first driving world championship gold medal.

“I left Australia when I was 21, and I said, 'I’m not going back without a world championship,'” said Exell, 38. “I finally have one.”

Lexington, Ky.—Oct. 7

Half of the world’s best four-in-hand drivers strutted their stuff in the dressage stadium today at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and two drivers added some real excitement to the elegance.

At 28, he’s the youngest U.S. driver nominated for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Josh Rector drives through a mowed field, his four-in-hand team fit and fresh coming off their second-placed finish at the Bromont CAI in Quebec at the end of June.

Along the neighboring country road, a woman stops traffic to get out and snap a photograph of the team decked out in a custom camel and chrome harness and pulling a Van Der Heuvel carriage, which rattles and clinks. Old world craftsmanship is surprisingly loud.

In this monthly series leading up to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in September and October, we watch a different competitor prepare for competition each month.

Tucker Johnson competed in his first international competition in 1987, and now he’s preparing for what he said will be his last—the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

After the WEG, in October, Johnson, a 46-year-old from Hobe Sound, Fla., will be retiring from international four-in-hand competition.