AACHEN, Germany--Chester Weber of Ocala, Fla., won the Individual bronze while the U.S. team finished fifth in Driving for Four-in-Hands on Sunday, Aug. 23 at the World Championship.
Chester Weber (Photo by Sarah Miller for MacMillan Photo)Boyd Excell of Australia won his eighth consecutive World Championship gold medal on 142.64 over Dries Degrieck of Belgium, who won the silver medal on 148.85, while Weber scored 156.77for the bronze.
Netherlands won its record 112th Team gold medal on 315.13 over Australia, that won the silver on 317.13, and Belgium, that won bronze on 325.52, while the U.S.placed fifth on 354.91
Weber, with his team of Amadeus, Despardo, Kadora, Julius V, and Nico Tuesje C*, also placed third in the final Cones phase which won his the bronze after his world championship record-breaking dressage test on opening day gave him a significant edge.
His were the counting team scores in all three phases of the competition.
“I feel great, and the horses felt fantastic to drive," said Weber after Cones. "I had a little bit of a cheap fault very early on, which was my fault, so I was super pleased with the horses.”
“I THINK that at the end of the day, it has to be something like Formula 1 Racing," he said. "Without a good engine guy and a good tire guy, you can’t make racing happen. I have the most fantastic people behind me and the horses. They make my job possible."
Chester Weber on the podium (Photo by Sarah Miller for MacMillan Photo)“It's a team sport, there's not a man standing here before me today that can do this well without a team,” said Weber. “It's not anything you can do without people who are super passionate about horses. You can't pay somebody enough for all of the countless hours that people put into making each of these horses great.”
Taren Lester of Citra, Fla., who made his championship debut this week, finished on a 210.86 after cones to finish 27th individually and be the second counting score in dressage and marathon for the Team.
Taren Lester (Citra, Fla.), who made his championship debut this week, finished on a 210.86 after cones.
Jimmy Fairclough of Newton, N.J., had 14.49 penalty points in Cones to be the counting score in that phase, and he finished 31s individually on a score of 216.47.
“The team was great, just a little inexperienced,” Lester said after Cones. “But overall they were there to be driven, and I am happy with them.”
Driving as an individual for the U.S., Jean Thornton of De Lion Springs, Fla., completed her first championship in 47th of the 52 competitors on 317.61.
“How do you even sum this Championships up?,” she said. “It's such an enormous experience. I don't know how you put it into a sentence,” Thornton said. “I''m thrilled to have finished, and I really owe it to the horses first and foremost.”
“It's been absolutely super,” Chef d’Equipe Marcie Quist said. “It is so exciting to compete at this level, with this level of drivers, and to be here to represent the U.S. at the highest levels. It is just incredible.”
Exell extended his extraordinary reign at the top of Driving,
Boyd Exell Victory Gallop (Photo by Sarah Miller for MacMillan Photo)Calm, consistent, focused and relishing the world stage, Exell showed again why he is Driving’s most decorated Individual champion.
Last to enter a near-capacity Stadium 2 on Sunday afternoon, Exell guided his experienced team through the cones for just 0.30 penalties to seal another World title, and help Australia go one better than their bronze of two years ago by taking Team silver behind the Netherlands.
As Exell pulled up after his cones round, he handed the reins to long-term groom Emma Olsson, jumped off the carriage and kissed and patted his horses.
“I feel relief," said Exell. "We’ve got good horsepower, and I brought my old horses to this World Championship."
