Aachen, Germany – The Defender U.S. Driving Team started its Four-in-Hand campaign at the 2026 FEI Driving World Championship, hosted in Aachen, Germany, from August 17-23, 2026. Taren Lester (Citra, Fla.) was the first U.S. athlete to drive down the centerline for the team, completing his championship debut dressage test on the opening day of competition.

Lester and his team earned a 51.44 to sit in eight overnight and will contest the marathon phase on Saturday,

August 22. Competing in Aachen for the first time, Lester was pleased with how his team handled the occasion.

“It was electrifying in there,” Lester said of his test. “It was a big atmosphere, so I was pleased with them.”

Jean Thornton, competing as an individual for the U.S., completed her test with a score of 87.87. Despite a challenging day in the ring, Thornton reflected on the accomplishment of competing in Aachen.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a teenager, nearly 40 years ago, and I’m just so excited to be here,” she said.

Dressage competition continues Friday with the remaining two U.S. combinations taking their turn in the arena. James Fairclough (Newton, N.J.) and Chester Weber (Ocala, Fla.) will complete their dressage tests before the team moves on to the marathon phase.

Competition Information
The 2026 FEI Driving World Championships for Four-in-Hands is the first of two driving world championships this year and will be hosted during the second week of the 2026 FEI World Championships Aachen. Competition continues with the second day of dressage on Friday, August 21, also beginning at 11:00 a.m. GMT+2/5:00 a.m. ET. Marathon will begin at 11:00 a.m. GMT+2/5:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, August 22, before competition concludes on August 23, awarding both team and individual medals following the cones phase, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. GMT+2/3:30 a.m. ET.

Website | Schedule | Results | US Equestrian’s Content Hub 

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