From June 15 to 19, 2016, competitors and spectators will gather for the CAI 3* Drebkau combined driving competition in Germany. This much-anticipated Cours d’Attelage International features three notable Live Oak International combined drivers: Allison Stroud, Chester Weber and Misdee Wrigley-Miller.
Allison Stroud
A seven-time National Champion in the pony four-in-hand division, Stroud brings years of diverse equestrian experience to the event. In addition to driving, she has also trained timber horses and ridden in the Maryland Hunt Cup. In February, Stroud finished second in the Live Oak International Four-in-Hand division in Ocala. Each year, Stroud and her husband Dixon help host the Glen Willow Combined Driving Event in West Grove, Pennsylvania.
Chester Weber
Perhaps the most celebrated four-in-hand driver, Live Oak International alumnus Chester Weber is known to break records. He is a thirteen-time USEF Four-in-Hand National Champion and was the first American to win the Four-in-Hand Driving at CHIO Aachen in Germany. Weber won the 2016 Live Oak International Four-in-Hand division in February for a record 13th straight year. While his driving titles are many, he is also known for his avid support of all equestrian sports. Weber helps organize and hosts the annual Live Oak International event and also serves on the United States Equestrian Team Foundation (USET) Board of Trustees.
Misdee Wrigley-Miller
Another Live Oak International alumna, Misdee Wrigley-Miller began her combined driving career after she acquired her great-grandfather’s carriages in 2007 and found immediate success. She was named the 2008 People’s Choice Reserve Amateur of the Year. In 2014, she was a member of the United States four-in-hand team that finished fourth at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy.
A journalist by trade, Wrigley-Miller turned down a writing career when she realized she would have to give up her life with horses. Instead, she continues competing in driving and promoting animal-assisted therapy for military veterans and their families through the All Glory Project. The great-granddaughter of chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr, Wrigley-Miller lives in Sarasota and owns Hillcroft Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Her husband, James Miller, is a polo player.
These three Live Oak International combined drivers join dozens of competitors from 11 countries at Drebkau, which is located in the German state of Brandenburg near the Polish border. The Drebkau event has quickly become a top combined driving competition, drawing some of the top drivers in the world.
Keep track of the event and find results at the CAI 3* Drebkau website.
Live Oak International hosts its 26th Annual event from March 8-12, 2017. Live Oak features international-level combined driving and show jumping at Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, Florida.
For information about Live Oak, contact us today.
