Defender U.S. Driving Team

“Horses were driven long before they were ridden and, as such, Driving is the oldest competitive equestrian sport yet it continues to thrive in the 21st century. Drivers sit on a vehicle drawn by a single horse or pony, a pair or a team of four and they face three trials – dressage, marathon and obstacle driving.” - Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI)

Since WEG began in 1990, the U.S. Driving Team was won X team medals and X individual medals. The U.S. team of James Fairclough, Tucker Johnson, and Chester Weber won team silver in 2002 (Jerez de la Frontera, Spain). The same U.S. team members won team silver in 2010 (Lexington, Kentucky), and Johnson claimed individual bronze. Four years later, Weber took home individual silver in 2014 (Normandy, France).

In 2018, the U.S. Driving Team of Chester Weber, James Fariclough, and Misdee Wrigley-Miller took home team gold at the Games in Tryon, North Carolina. USA Driving has also seen sustained success in Para Driving on the international stage with Tracy Bowman bringing home an individual gold medal at the 2021 FEI Para Driving World Championship for Singles. USA Para Driving followed up on that success with a team silver medal for Tracy Bowman, Bob Giles, and Diane Kastama in 2023 (Exloo, Netherlands) as well as a back-to-back individual gold medal for Tracy Bowman in the Grade I division. 

Chester Weber and Team Earn Top Spot in Driving Dressage Phase at CHIO Aachen

by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | Jun 29, 2023, 1:11 PM EST

Aachen, Germany - Chester Weber (Ocala, Fla.) and his team of First Edition, Julius V, Kadora, and Kasper D, drove to an impressive win in the driving phase of the CAIO-4* at CHIO Aachen finishing the first phase of competition on a score of 38.85. The win marks another top performance Weber has achieved at Aachen throughout the years. The team finished atop the podium in a field of 25 entries. Weber has been a mainstay at CHIO Aachen for the U.S. Driving program, having competed at the venue...

FEI Driving and Para Driving World Championships Application Deadline Is June 15

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Jun 8, 2023, 4:00 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. - The application deadline for the 2023 Driving and Para Driving World Championships is Thursday, June 15, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applications and additional information on the selection procedures are available here . The 2023 FEI Para Driving World Championship will take place in Exloo, Netherlands, from August 23-27. The 2023 FEI Driving World Championship for Ponies will take place in Oirschot, Netherlands, from August 30 – September 3. The 2023 FEI Driving World...

Chefs d’Equipe Announced for Land Rover U.S. Driving Teams at the 2023 FEI World Championships for Pairs, Ponies, and Para Driving

by US Equestrian Communications Dept. | Jun 2, 2023, 4:00 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the chefs d’equipe for the upcoming FEI Driving World Championships for Pairs, Ponies, and Para Driving. Jennifer Matheson (Aiken, S.C.) will lead the para and ponies teams, while Jeff Legg (Quinton, Va.) will lead the pairs team. Photo courtesy Jennifer Matheson Jennifer Matheson had an outstanding career as a pony driver, representing her native Canada at the 2005 FEI Driving World Championships for Ponies in the single pony...

Chester Weber and Team Finish Eighth to Conclude 2022 FEI Driving World Championships for Four-in-Hands at Pratoni 2022

by U.S. Equestrian Communications Department | Sep 25, 2022, 4:54 PM EST

Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy – Chester Weber (Ocala, Fla.) and team concluded the 2022 FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hands finishing in eighth place overall after the completing their final phase of cones on the grass at Centro Equestre Federale. The team added nine faults to their overnight combined score, and finished the course in 208.04 seconds, for a final competition total of 175.90. The final day of competition saw 36 teams complete the cones course designed by Josef...

Weber and Team Hold Fourth Place Overnight Heading into Final Day of 2022 FEI Driving World Championships for Four-in-Hand After Exciting Marathon Competition

by U.S. Equestrian Communications Department | Sep 24, 2022, 9:02 AM EST

Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy – Chester Weber and his team finished ninth individually after the marathon phase today and will contest the final phase of competition tomorrow, eyeing a podium finish to conclude their week at the 2022 FEI Driving World Championships for Four-in-Hands, where they currently sit in fourth overall. The team completed Phase A of the marathon and Phase B, featuring eight different obstacles, for a total score of 159.88. Chester Weber and team on marathon at Pratoni...

Chester Weber and Team Earn 41.52 to Hold First Place Overnight in Dressage Competition at Conclusion of First Day of 2022 FEI Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand

by U.S. Equestrian Communications Department | Sep 22, 2022, 11:51 AM EST

Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy – Chester Weber and team received a 41.52 from the ground jury to finish their first day of competition at the 2022 FEI Driving Championships for Four-in-Hands, holding first place overnight with one more day of dressage competition to come. Weber and team will now look to the marathon phase on Saturday to continue their pursuit of an individual medal. Chester Weber and team compete in the dressage phase. ©US Equestrian The team looked polished and precise...

Chester Weber and Team Accepted at First Horse Inspection to Begin 2022 FEI Driving World Championships for Four-in-Hand

by U.S. Equestrian Communications Department | Sep 21, 2022, 7:36 AM EST

Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy – Chester Weber (Ocala, Fla.) and team have been accepted through the first horse inspection at the 2022 FEI Driving World Championships for Four-in-Hand and will begin their quest for a third consecutive individual medal with three phases of competition to come. Dressage will begin tomorrow on Thursday, September 22 and continue through Friday, September 23, with marathon starting at 10:00 a.m. GMT+2 on Saturday, September 24, and the cones phase beginning at...

Land Rover U.S. Driving Team Gives Solid Effort at 2022 FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | Sep 19, 2022, 10:00 AM EST

Le Pin-au-Haras, France – The 2022 FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses concluded on Sunday at Haras National du Pin in Le Pin-au-Haras, France. The U.S. contingent, led by Chef d’Equipe Dee Aldrich and Team Coach Suzy Stafford, had solid performances against a world-class field. The Land Rover U.S. Driving Team of Taylor Bradish and Katydid Duchess, Raymond Helmuth and Kendro, and Carrie Ostrowski and Gellerduht finished seventh out of 16 teams, with the combinations...

Land Rover U.S. Driving Team Ready for 2022 FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses

by Kathleen Landwehr, US Equestrian Communications Department | Sep 14, 2022, 11:10 AM EST

Le Pin-au-Haras, France – The Land Rover U.S. Driving Team finished the horse inspection and is set for the start of the 2022 FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses hosted in Le Pin-au-Haras, France, from September 15-18, 2022. The U.S. contingent is led by Chef d’Equipe Dee Aldrich, Team Coach Suzy Stafford, and Team Leader Danielle Aamodt with Team Veterinarian Dr. Jon Furlong. The combinations have been busy with final preparations and are ready to compete on the world...

Leslie Berndl and Kareltje Win Silver at 2022 FEI Driving World Championship for Young Horses

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Aug 31, 2022, 12:00 PM EST

Leslie Berndl and Kareltje. ©Krisztina Horváth/Hoefnet.com Szilvásvárad, Hungary – U.S. athlete Leslie Berndl (Lexington, Ky.) became the first American driver to medal at the FEI Driving World Championship for Young Horses last week when she drove Kareltje, a KWPN gelding owned by Toorpapa Driving Team, to a silver-medal finish in the 7-year-old division. The competition was held at Állami Ménesgazdaság, the state stud farm in...

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USA Driving Team History

USA Driving Teams & Athletes from 1980 - 2023