WEG 2002: James Fairclough — U.S. Driving

Horses:

Calemara, Bay, Gelding, Swedish

Charmeur, Bay, Gelding, Swedish

Crabat, Bay, Gelding, Swedish

Cooper, Brown, Gelding, East German

Gibson, Bay, Gelding, Swedish

Markurell, Bay, Gelding, Swedish

Owner: Jane Forbes Clark

Home: Newton, New Jersey

Born: July 25, 1958

James Fairclough is the current United States Equestrian Team Four-In-Hand Champion, and the USET’s Vice-President for Driving. In July 2002, he helped the U.S to a second-place team finish at CAIO/CAIP-A Breda in the Netherlands.

James Fairclough represented the United States at the Four-In-Hand World Championships in 1980, 1982, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000. He also qualified for the 1992 USET Four-In-Hand World Championship squad, but declined in order to remain eligible for the 1993 World Pair Driving Championship. He instead served as the team’s chef d’equipe.

Fairclough has won the USET Four-In-Hand Championship three times – in 1982, 1994, and 2001. He has also been reserve champion eight times.

In 1997, Fairclough won the Advanced Four-In-Hand division at the Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, the Yellowframe Farm CDE, and the Gladstone Driving Event. He also finished a close second in the USET Four-In-Hand Championship, which was held at the Fair Hill International.

Fairclough won the 1992 and 1993 USET Pairs Championships. His seventh-place finish at the 1993 World Pair Driving Championship was the United States’ best, earning him the 1993 USET Pairs Championship. One month later, Fairclough was Reserve Champion in the USET Four-In-Hand Championship at the 1993 Fair Hill International.

Fairclough was a member of the Gold Medal team at the 1991 World Pairs Championship in Zwettl, Austria, and was the highest-placed American, finishing fourth.

He and his wife, Robin, a well-known hunter/jumper trainer, own and operate Top Brass Farm in Newton, NJ.

Career Highlights

2002

2nd – Team Four-In-Hand CAIO/CAIP-A Breda, Breda, The Netherlands

7th – Team CHIO Four-In-Hand Aachen, Aachen, Germany

1st – Four-In-Hand USET Selection Trials at Georgia International CDE Conyers, GA

2nd – CAI-B Live Oak CDE, Ocala, FL

2001

1st – USET Four-In-Hand Driving Championship, Fair Hill Int’l, Fair Hill, MD

2000

6th – Team, World Four-In-Hand Championship, Wolfsburg, Germany

3rd – Advanced Four-In-Hand, Live Oak CDE, Ocala, FL

1st – Four-In-Hand, Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, Gladstone, NJ

2nd – Advanced Pair, Windedge

1999

1st – Advanced Four-In-Hand, Can-Am ’99, Quebec, Canada

2nd – Advanced Four-In-Hand, Yellowframe Farm CDE, NC

2nd – Advanced Four-In-Hand, Gladstone Fall Driving Event, NJ

1998

5th – Team, World Equestrian Games, Four-In-Hand, Rome, Italy

2nd – Advanced Four-In-Hand, Yellowframe Farm CDE, NC

1997

1st – Advanced Multiples, Bayer/USET Festival of Champions, NJ

1st – Advanced Four-In-Hand, Yellowframe Farm CDE, NC

1st – Advanced Four-In-Hand, Gladstone Driving Event, NJ

2nd – USET Four-In-Hand National Championship, Fair Hill Int’l, MD

1996

Member USET Squad World Four-In Hand Driving Championship, Waregem, Belgium

1st – USET Live Oak Advanced Pair Selection Trial, Ocala, FL

1st – USET Yellowframe Advanced Pair Selection Trial, NC

1st – Four-In-Hand, Middletown Pony Club Spring CDE, MD

3rd – Four-In-Hand, USET Festival of Champions, Gladstone, NJ

1995

1st – USET Four-in-Hand Selection Trial, Gladstone, NJ

1st – Four-In-Hand, USET Festival of Champions, Gladstone, NJ

1st – Four-In-Hand Championship, Yellowframe, NC

1st – Four-In-Hand, Division I, Middletown, DE

2nd – USET Four-In-Hand Championship, Fair Hill International, MD

1994

Member USET Squad World Equestrian Games Four-in-Hand, The Hague, Netherlands

1st – USET Four-in-Hand Selection Trial for World Equestrian Games, MD

1993

Member USET World Pairs Driving Championship, Gladstone, NJ

1st – USET Pairs Championship, Gladstone, NJ

2nd – USET Four-In-Hand Championship, MD

7th – Individual, World Pairs Driving Championship, Gladstone, NJ

1992

1st – USET Pairs Championship, Gladstone, NJ

1st – Preliminary II Four-In-Hand, Happy Hill Driving Event

1991

Team Gold Medal, World Pair Driving Championship, Zwettl, Austria

1st – Advanced Pairs, Can-Am Driving Event, Mono Mill, Ontario, Canada

2nd – USET National Four-In-Hand Championship, Fair Hill, MD

3rd – Advanced Pairs, Fair Hill Driving Championship, Fair Hill, MD

4th – Individual, World Pairs Driving Championship, Zwettl, Austria

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