Stunning Dressage From Chester Weber (USA) Sets New Record

There was a reverential silence around the stadium in Szilvásvárad as Chester Weber (USA) produced one of the finest dressage tests ever seen at a Four-in-Hand World Championship to charge into the lead on 31.06.   The knowledgeable audience appreciated the spectacle as the gleaming bay horses worked in unison and seemed to glide effortlessly around the arena. 

“I’m humbled to sit behind these horses even though I’ve had most of them since they were four.  They’ve been produced not only by me but by a synergetic team of people who all have yoked together to help make this sort of perfection. 

I knew that we came in as potential leaders, but you still have to make it happen, so I started the warmup only 35 minutes before the test and kept everything quiet and soft.  Every time I asked a question today the horses said, ‘Yes’ so I tried not to get in their way, and they really deserve this win.” – Chester Weber (USA)

Ever the tough challenger when a gauntlet is laid down, defending Champion Boyd Exell (AUS) followed in the final session of the day.  His experienced team produced another superb test to score 33.53 which meant only he and Chester went sub-40. Later Boyd said that he was especially pleased with the horses as they are marathon specialists, so they did brilliantly to get so close to Chester’s mark. He also paid tribute to Anna Sandmann’s test on Thursday stating that it wasn’t easy for her to score so well on day one and maintain her leading position for so long.

Boyd’s score put Australia ahead in the team competition with 80.91 after his compatriot Tor van den Berge produced an improved test for 47.38.  Not far behind are the Dutch on 86.44 after father and son Chardon had only 0.2 between them – Bram scored 43.12 for fifth and Ijsbrand 43.32 for sixth.

As the penultimate athlete to drive, there was expectation that Germany’s Mareike Harm would post another strong score, and she slotted in behind Anna on 42.18.  It was enough to put Germany into third place as - combined with Georg von Stein’s 47.11 - they are on 89.29.  The USA are fourth, Belgium fifth and hosts Hungary are sixth after Zόltan Lázár (HUN) rounded off the second morning session with 47.51.

Chester said afterwards that his strategy going into the marathon with Boyd so close is to just go for it!  Both attended the test event last year and so selected horses that they feel with thrive over the undulating ground and through the long obstacles.  They will both try to put pressure on each other, but Chester uses the analogy with golf, saying that he tends to compete against himself and tries not to pay too much attention to what’s happening elsewhere. He’s brought a new horse Casper in the left lead which is a change from the Aachen (GER) combination as he feels it will add a lot of strength to the team. 

The eight obstacles are situated outside the town and have been designed by Alexander Flocke (GER).  The two-section marathon opens on Saturday morning at 10.00am with test driver and double gold medallist from the iconic Szilvásvárad World Championship in 1984, Lászlό Juhasz.  Boyd is in the second half of the order, immediately followed by marathon specialists Michael Brauchle (GER) and Bram Chardon (NED).  Chester is in the late lunchtime slot, just before Koos de Ronde (NED) who will expect to climb the rankings after his round.  Keeping the crowds in place until the end will be Zόltan Lázár who is last to go.

“For me it is a really big honour to drive in front of the home audience here in Szilvásvárad.  It is very emotional because I was an eleven-year-old boy at the World Championship in 1984 and that was the moment that I made the decision to be a driver.  So, to come back here 40 years later and be in the team is incredible and I am very happy!” - Zόltan Lázár (HUN)