Aachen, Germany—July 20
A fantastic four-in-hand driving season for U.S. star Chester Weber got even better yesterday, July 19, with a hard-earned win at CHIO Aachen. A CAIO**** field full of international talent and former world champions made the weekend’s win one of the biggest of Weber’s career.
With his and Jane Forbes Clark’s team of Dutch Warmblood geldings, Weber, of Ocala, Fla., took the early lead on Wednesday with a stellar score of 36.22 in the dressage; he and his team were the only ones to break the 40 mark.
Weber’s closest competition came from Boyd Exell of Australia, who earned a 41.00 score and would keep the pressure on for the remainder of the competition.
In the cones phase (at CAIO Aachen, the cones precede the marathon) Weber was clear through the obstacles. He added 0.66 in time penalties to finish sixth in that leg, but he still earned a little breathing room over Exell, who had 3 faults total through the cones.
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Exell proved excellent in the marathon, winning the phase with a score of 91.63, but Weber was game. With 97.60 penalties, Weber finished on a total of 134.48 for the win.
“Today was a big day for our team and will be a highlight of my career,” Weber posted to his Facebook page following the marathon. “I am humbled to drive such a wonderful group of horses and work with such a fantastic staff and have the best sponsor [U1] in the world.”
Exell finished second with a total score of 135.63, and Koos de Ronde of The Netherlands was third with 149.54.
Looking for complete results from the Aachen CHIO? You can find them here.
