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.

Now 20, and a quarter of Chester Weber’s silver medal-winning four-in-hand team at the 2008 FEI World Four-In-Hand-Championships (the Netherlands), Jamaica has lived a “rags to riches” tale. As a young horse, Jamaica avoided the slaughterhouse route when Belgian driver FEI official Mark Wentein rescued him. Before Jamaica was a member of seven USEF National Championship efforts for Weber, he acted as a tourist carriage horse in Wentein’s business. His impatience at that job served him well as a high performance athlete under Weber, who bought the bay gelding in 2001.

“Jamaica has had a huge impact on my international and national driving career,” said Weber. “His difficult nature has often taught me that one has to approach challenges with creativity and persistence. While active in our barn we never stopped learning about him and how to create a win-win partnership.”

Jamaica has been “immortalized” as a Breyer Model horse, and his story was featured in Infinity Publishing’s book, Beloved Horses In Second Careers.