2015 FEI World Driving Championship for Pairs

Photo Credit: A. Jamelská

FEI WORLD DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR PAIRS Fábiánsebestyén, Hungary

September 10-13, 2015

The following athletes (in alphabetical order) and horses will represent the U.S. in the 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs:

Team

Photo Credit: A. Jamelská

Jacob Arnold

Born: February 14, 1993 Residence: Snow Camp, N.C. Dax 62 – 2005 Westphalian gelding owned by Lajos Móró Janni 12 – 2008 gelding of unknown breeding owned by Marco Freund Twilight – 2000 KWPN gelding owned by Belle Grey Farm, LLC Jacob Arnold first began competing in pleasure driving shows at the age of eight. At 14, he began competing in combined driving in the Training Level Single Horse division, soon winning his first competition. Arnold spent two years competing at the Preliminary and Intermediate levels before moving up to the Advanced/FEI level at 17.

In 2011, Arnold began his season with a win in the FEI Single Horse division at Little Everglades International with Spring Hollow Dark Shadow. At the Southern Pines Combined Driving Event (CDE), the combination was second

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in the Advanced Single Horse division. Arnold was invited to compete at CAIO Ászár Kisbér in Hungary, and driving a borrowed horse, he received a world championship qualifying score. For his accomplishments that year, he was named the 2011 USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year.

He started off 2012 with a win in the FEI Single Horse division at Little Everglades International with Halstead’s Shale. The duo then was fourth in the same division at Live Oak International, and fifth in the Advanced Single Horse division at Southern Pines CDE. After a brief hiatus from competition, Arnold returned in 2014, also gaining valuable experience through the Live Oak Combined Driving, Inc. Developing Driver Program. His season began at the Kingdom of the Sun CDE where he was fifth in the Advanced Single Horse division with Whooper.

At Live Oak International, the combination improved to third in the FEI Single Horse division. Arnold and Whooper contested the USEF Single Horse Driving National Championship at the Southern Pines CDE, finishing eighth. Heading to Europe for the summer, Arnold drove Tara 14 to a sixthplace finish in the CAI3*-H1 division in Nebanice, Czech Republic. He then drove Hotspur’s Red Rowl and improved

Team to fourth in the same division in Piber, Austria. Arnold represented the U.S. for the first time at the FEI World Driving Championships for Singles in Izsak, Hungary, driving Hotspur’s Red Rowl. He had an fantastic performance, winning the marathon phase and finishing seventh overall, helping the U.S. team to a 10th-place finish.

Arnold has spent 2015 competing in the Pair Horse division in Europe, highlighted by winning top honors in the CAI3*-H2 division in Nebanice. He was then 10th with his pair at CAIO4* Riesenbeck, helping the U.S. team to a fifthplace finish.

2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs

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Team

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Kathrin Dancer

Born: November 11, 1968 Residence: Woodside, Calif.

Joop van den Bruel – 2009 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Scott Dancer Redford – 1999 Hessen gelding owned by Kathrin and Scott Dancer Wimbledon – 2003 KWPN gelding owned by Kathrin and Scott Dancer For Woodside, Calif., native, Kathrin “Kathi” Dancer, horses and driving have always been a family affair. Along with her sister Krista and father Karl Poppenberg, Dancer is considered a member of Woodside’s local driving dynasty.

Additionally, Dancer’s husband and children are also active in the sport.

In 2009, Dancer finished fourth at the Sunshine State International and fifth at Live Oak International in the FEI Pair Horse division. The following year, Dancer scored a second-place finish at The Laurels at Landhope Combined

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Driving Event (CDE) in the Advanced Pair Horse division.

Dancer kicked off 2011 with a third-place finish at the Sunshine State CDE in the Advanced Pair Horse division.

She then drove to third place in the USEF Pair Driving National Championship held at Live Oak International.

She and her pairs team followed that up with a win at the Southern Pines CDE before traveling to Europe and finishing sixth in CAIO Riesenbeck. Dancer then helped the U.S. team to a 10th-place finish in the FEI World Pair Driving Championships in Conty, France. She finished her season with a second-place finish at the Shady Oaks CDE. Dancer took a hiatus from competition, but has returned in 2015. She has been busily campaigning in Europe throughout the spring and summer, highlighted by a 16th-place finish in the CAI3*-H2 division in Horst, The Netherlands and a fifth-place team finish at CAIO Riesenbeck.

Team

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Scott Dancer

Born: December 4, 1962 Residence: Woodside, Calif.

Carumbus – 2004 stallion of unknown breeding owned by Wayne Van Niekirk Dapper – 2002 KWPN gelding owned by Jan Greve Deniro – 2008 KWPN gelding owned by Scott Dancer Scott Dancer had served as a navigator for wife Kathrin

at Live Oak International. Dancer then traveled to Europe for the summer. At CAIO Riesenbeck, he helped the team achieve a fourth-place finish and finished 21st individually in a star-studded field of competitors. Dancer then represented the U.S. at the FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs, aiding the team to a fourth-place finish.

In 2014, he returned to CAIO Riesenbeck and finished 24th in the CAIO4*-H2 division.

Dancer has spent 2015 training and competing in Europe.

In the CAI2*-H2 division in Ermelo, The Netherlands, he and his pair were 15th. Returning once again to CAIO Riesenbeck, he helped the U.S. team to a fifth-place finish.

Dancer on numerous occasions, but did not start seriously competing in combined driving events himself until 2009.

That year, he finished second in the Intermediate Pair Horse division at the Shady Oaks Combined Driving Event (CDE).

In 2012, Dancer began competing at the FEI level and came in second in the FEI Pair Horse division at the Little Everglades International.

Dancer began 2013 with a third-place finish in at Little Everglades International. A month later, he finished fifth 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs

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Chef d’Equipe

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Thorsten Zarembowicz Chef d’Equipe Born: April 12, 1979 Residence: Ocala, Fla.

Thorsten Zarembowicz was born and raised in Haan, Germany. His father was always involved in horses and brought Zarembowicz into the sport of driving at the age of seven.

One year later, Zarembowicz drove his first CDE with a single pony. From then on, he was hooked on driving, moving quickly up the levels with a single horse. At the age of 16, Zarembowicz started training with Michael Freund. Once he finished school, Zarembowicz began working for Freund.

They worked together for almost 11 years until 2010, when Zarembowicz decided to start his own training business in Viernheim, Germany. He is based there in the summer for his lesson and training program, and spends the winter in Ocala, Fla. Zarembowicz teaches people to drive at the

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International and National level in single, pair, and four-inhand driving.

Zarembowicz has found much success over the years on the international stage. He was the 2010 Single Horse World Champion. In 2012, Zarembowicz was second at the German Pair National Championships. The following year, he competed at the FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs, helping to win Team Gold for Germany.

Coach

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Michael Freund

Coach Born: September 16, 1954 Residence: Dreieich, Germany

Chester Weber, and under his sponsorship, they have won numerous international competitions. In 2010, Freund was hired at the U.S. team coach. He has led the U.S. teams to Team Silver at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and Team Bronze at the 2011 FEI Pony World Driving Championships and the 2012 FEI Four-in-Hand World Driving Championships.

Michael Freund has an impressive resume of champion titles from his career competing for his native Germany.

He is a two-time world champion (1994 and 2004) in four-in-hand driving, and was on the world championship gold-medal team four times (1992, 1994, 2000, and 2006).

In the FEI World Cup Driving Series, Freund finished the year in first place in 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04, and 2004/05 (he was tied that year with the Netherlands’ IJsbrand Chardon) seasons. He won the 2007 FEI World Cup Driving Final, and was the winner of the FEI Top Driver Award in both 2001 and 2004. He is also an FEI judge, course builder, and coach.

Once his competitive career came to an end, Freund turned to coaching top drivers. He began coaching several U.S. drivers, including (now retired) Tucker Johnson and 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs

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