Fábiánsebestyén, Hungary – Experienced World Driving Championship pair drivers Kathrin and Scott Dancer (Woodside, Calif.) will lead the U.S. team into the 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs in Fábiánsebestyén, Hungary, September 10-13, at Kinizsi Park. Jacob Arnold (Snow Camp, N.C.) will round out the U.S. team as they take on a field of 64 competitors from 19 nations. Thorsten Zarembowicz will serve as Chef d'Equipe and Michael Freund will serve as coach.

The U.S. trio will take on the formidable Hungary and Germany teams, the 2013 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs Champion and Reserve Champion teams, respectively. Hungarian and German drivers made up the top eight overall in the 2013 World Championships. Hungary returns three drivers from its 2013 World Champion team: Brothers Vilmos and Zoltán Lázár, the 2013 individual Champion and third place finisher, respectively, and Márk Osztertág, who finished seventh. Germany returns two drivers: Sebastian Warneck, the 2013 Reserve Champion, and sixth-place finisher, Arndt Lörcher.

The U.S. team understands the challenging international competition it is up against. Arnold competed in the 2014 FEI World Driving Championships for Singles and won the marathon phase, Scott Dancer competed on the 2013 fourth-place pairs world driving championship team, and Kathrin Dancer participated in the 2011 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs. The Dancers have been training for two years with their coach Gerard Leijten, a member of the Dutch pairs team that won the Gold medal at CAIO4* Riesenbeck in 2014. They also have been competing internationally throughout the year. Arnold made the jump to pair driving this year and is coming off a great July in international competition. He was the winner of the Pairs division at the CAI3* World Cup competition in Nebanice, Czech Republic, and finished 10th at CAIO Riesenbeck.

During these championships, Scott Dancer will drive Carumbus, a 2004 stallion of unknown breeding owned by Wayne Van Niekirk, Dapper, a 2002 KWPN gelding owned by Jan Greve, and Deniro, his own 2008 KWPN gelding. Kathrin Dancer brings Joop van den Bruel, a 2009 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Scott Dancer, her own and Scott Dancer’s Redford, a 1999 Hessen gelding, and her own and Scott Dancer’s Wimbledon, a 2003 KWPN gelding. Arnold will team up with Dax 62, a 2005 Westphalian gelding owned by Lajos Móró, Janni 12, a 2008 gelding of unknown breeding owned by Marco Freund, and Twilight, a 2000 KWPN gelding owned by Belle Grey Farm, LLC.

The 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs get underway on Thursday with the dressage phase. The marathon phase follows on Saturday. Competition comes to a close on Sunday after the cones phase.
For more information about the 2015 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs, visit Fogatverseny.hu.

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