the younger Boris (Talos x Tovitha) paired with Jane Clark’s Splash (Nando X Lydra ST), named for his colorful white markings. One of the highlights was when Chester actually let Kim take the reins and allowed her to walk one of the pairs back to the barn at the end of their work out. On the second day they schooled all four horses
as a four-in-hand team and worked cones along with two or three different obstacles on the cross country course. Koos de Ronde, a Dutch-native four-in-hand driver helped work the team on the marathon phase that day. “Watching Chester coordinate all those reins in two hands with ease was remarkable!” she adds. Kim reports that many things were very different than some of her preconceived ideas about driving. “I was amazed at the finesse used with the whip, and how the horses responded by bending to it with the slightest touch,” she recounts. “I thought that the dressage part of combined driving was first taught to the horses under saddle, and that they then transferred their dressage skills to being driven in a carriage. I couldn’t believe that the horses actually learned dressage and bending movements like a shoulder in while being driven—not ridden!” Kim was also impressed by the horses themselves.
Chester’s Warmbloods opened her eyes to a different kind of sport horse. “I was simply amazed at how athletic they moved combined with their reliable temperaments. Having come from a background of mostly Thoroughbreds, I was concerned about spooking and could not believe this awesome combination of their characteristics!” she exclaims. Fascinated by Chester’s training techniques, Kim shares some of her observations. “Chester has to decide which position each horse will take in the harness for that day. He considers multiple factors like their temperaments and work ethic along with how each horse had done in their position during the previous day’s schooling. He also allows the horses to train each other. For example, he might take a slightly lazy horse and pair him with a lazy one, so that the first horse will take a more active role in his work. The horse that was on the wheel the day before
32 March/April 2012
might next become the lead and so forth.” Each day began at 8:30 a.m. when grooms and assistants gathered to harness Team Weber for another morning of world class training. Later, Kim helped the grooms clean the harnesses, which she says are literally works of art. She noted that each beautiful headband was adorned by a fob containing a brass Live Oak logo. Additionally, Kim spent some free time
checking out other areas of the Weber’s enormous Live Oak Stud. It was a treat to watch some of the Thoroughbred race horses train and to spend time with the beautiful, precious Thoroughbred foals. On her third day, Kim
accompanied Chester to the world famous show grounds at Wellington in West Palm Beach, Florida, four hours south of Ocala. There they enjoyed watch- ing world class show
jumping, dominated by big, impressive Warmbloods. “I thought it was quite comical that I come from a very horsey area of Canada, and the county’s name is also called Wellington!” she adds with a laugh.
LASTING IMPRESSIONS After spending two days thoroughly saturated in
Warmblood horses and combined driving, Kim says that she has become passionate about both. “It was an unforgettable experience. I learned and observed a lot in a short amount of time,” she remarks. As a result, Kim’s essay leading to her Team Weber
experience may ultimately change her focus from eventing to the exciting sport of combined driving. It reminds her, she says, of the time she received the gift of riding lessons as a child. Such “gifts of the horse” are known to have a big impact on this equestrian’s goals and aspirations. When asked if she is still Chester’s number one fan, without hesitation, Kim replies, “Being able to spend the time with Chester Weber, and this chance to take in his horses, his whole team, the barn, the carriages, the facility, and even the sponsors and the business, gave me even more reasons to be more than just a fan. I’ll be his fan club president!”
Top: Photo taken by Kim in the carriage. Bottom: Team Weber’s tack and tack room were impecable. Photo by Kim Logue
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