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. 

US Equestrian and Land Rover Announce Expanded Partnership Through 2023

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Apr 20, 2021, 2:21 PM EST

Lexington, KY. – Land Rover has remained a valued partner of US Equestrian and dedicated sponsor of the U.S. Eventing Team for more than a decade. This week, Land Rover confirmed its continued support of US Equestrian with a multi-year agreement as title sponsor of the U.S. Eventing Team, the U.S. Eventing Grant Program, and the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™. Now, US Equestrian is pleased to announce that Land Rover has expanded its support of...

Misdee Wrigley Miller to Represent U.S. at 2020 FEI Driving World Championships Four-in-Hand

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Oct 1, 2020, 4:39 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian has announced the horses-and-athlete combination who will compete at the 2020 FEI Driving World Championships Four-in-Hand, hosted in Valkenswaard, Netherlands from October 7-11, 2020. Misdee Wrigley Miller (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) will represent the United States with her team of Corelone B, a 13-year-old KWPN gelding, Doorman, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Alonso, an 11-year-old KWPN gelding, Zindgraaf, a 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, and...

US Equestrian Seeks Applications for U.S. Driving Technical Advisor Position

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Mar 24, 2020, 12:10 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian is actively seeking applications for the position of U.S. Driving Technical Advisor, overseeing the development and implementation of new initiatives to further build and advance the sport of driving in the United States. This individual will operate as part of the core driving team staff, primarily focused on the expansion of the USEF Driving Pathway Programs and encouragement of participation in the sport, while delivering support for sustained performance...

Application Deadline Reminders for 2020 FEI World Championships for Para Driving, Four-in-Hands, and Single Horses

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Mar 17, 2020, 2:37 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian announces that applications are now open and available online for the 2020 Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) Driving World Championships for Para Driving, Four-in-Hands, and Single Horses. Athlete and pony/horse combinations wishing to be considered for these events must submit an online application via the Athlete Dashboard with the appropriate fee. All selection procedures are published on the USA Driving page. Application deadlines...

USEF Update on COVID-19: Presidential Modification and Resources

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Mar 17, 2020, 12:15 PM EST

Dear USEF Members, The COVID-19 Pandemic has created significant challenges the world over and USEF greatly appreciates those of you who have chosen not to compete in accordance with our statement issued on March 13, 2020 . USEF extends our thanks to you for joining us in our community-wide effort to responsibly address the COVID-19 virus outbreak. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide our members and competition organizers with updates every 10-14 days, or sooner if...

US Equestrian Announces Host Sites for 2020 USEF Combined Driving National Championships

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Oct 25, 2019, 12:06 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – Following a successful 2019 USEF Combined Driving National Championship season, US Equestrian has released the selected host sites for the 2020 USEF Combined Driving National Championships, pending the approval of the US Equestrian Board of Directors. US Equestrian will offer 18 national championship divisions across three events. The following are tentative dates, locations, and divisions of the 2020 USEF Combined Driving National Championships: Jacob Arnold competes at...

Strong U.S. Showing at the 2019 FEI Driving World Championships for Ponies

by US Equestrian Communications Department/Classic Communications | Sep 29, 2019, 5:37 PM EST

Ászár-Kisbér, Hungary – It was a strong showing of pony power for the U.S. with Mary Phelps in the Pair Pony division and Leslie Berndl in the Single Pony division as they competed in the 2019 FEI Driving World Championships for Ponies, September 25-29, in Ászár-Kisbér, Hungary. Mary Phelps (Krisztina Horváth/ Hoefnet.com ) In the Pair Pony division, Mary Phelps (Columbia, Ky.) with her team lovingly known as “The Flying...

U.S. Driving Team Takes Eighth in FEI Driving World Championships for Pairs

by US Equestrian Communications Department/Jump Media | Sep 16, 2019, 4:15 PM EST

Drebkau, Germany - The U.S. Driving Team had a strong showing at the FEI Driving World Championships for Pairs in Drebkau, Germany, on September 11-15, finishing eighth in a field of 16 nations. Hungary claimed the gold medal, with the Netherlands taking silver and Germany collecting bronze. Jacob Arnold (Krisztina Horváth/ Hoefnet.com ) The U.S. Driving Team of Jacob Arnold, James Miller, and Steve Wilson got off to a strong start, standing fourth after the dressage. After a solid...

Live Oak International: Ten Things to Know

by US Equestrian Communications | Feb 19, 2019, 3:09 PM EST

Allison Stroud's four-in-hand competes at the 2018 Live Oak International. Photo: Bianca McCarty Live Oak International , which takes place March 7-10 in Ocala, Fla., offers world-class competition in two sports: driving and jumping . The driving event is one of the largest driving competitions in the United States, and the jumping competition, the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Ocala, is part of the prestigious North American League. But there’s a lot more to know...

NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team Shows Strong Individual Finishes at FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Sep 23, 2018, 6:04 PM EST

Mill Spring, N.C. – On the final day of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) Tryon 2018, the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team showed their strength and depth with all four riders finishing in the top-16 of the FEI World Jumping Individual Championship. The team’s top finisher was McLain Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) on Clinta, an 11-year-old Oldenburg mare he owns with Sagamore Farm. They just missed the medal podium, placing fourth.. Ward with Clinta (Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo) Ward...

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USA Driving Team History

USA Driving Teams & Athletes from 1980 - 2023