Dressage-News

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 15, 2014– The slate of officials for the World Cup Dressage Final was announced Wednesday by event producer Las Vegas Events, Inc., with America’s FEI 5* judge Liselotte Fore named president of the seven-member ground jury.

In addition to Lilo Fore, the ground jury for the April 15-19 event will comprise Stephen Clarke of Great Britain, Francis Verbeek of The Netherlands, Peter Holler of Germany, Isabelle Judet of France, Annette Fransen-Iacobaeus of Sweden and Maria Schwennesen of Australia. Hans-Christian Matthiesen of Denmark is the Reserve. Freddy Leyman of Belgium will be Technical Delegate and Elisabeth Williams of the U.S. the Chief Steward.

Glenda McElroy, organizer of several annual events in California, will be manager as she was at Finals’ in Las Vegas in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

–Lilo Fore of Santa Rosa, California has been involved with top level dressage around the world for decades. She is an FEI 5* judge, and has been a member of the Ground Jury for numerous international competitions including the Olympics, Pan American Games, and World Equestrian Games including the recent WEG in Normandy, France. She is also a 3* Judge for Para-Equestrian and a U.S. Equestrian Federation “R” Sporthorse judge.

–Stephen Clarke of Great Britain was a show jumping and eventing rider prior to concentrating fully on dressage starting in the late 1970s. He was team reserve rider for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games with his horse Becket. Stephen is a FEI 5* judge and was unanimously elected as FEI Official International Judge General. He travels all over the globe, and has been on the ground jury at numerous international competitions including the World Equestrian Games, European Championships, World Cup Finals and was President of the ground jury at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

–Francis Verbeek of The Netherlands is a FEI 5* judge, and has been successful as a trainer and clinician. She has been a dressage official at several World Cup Finals and was president of the ground jury in 2010 at s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. She has also officiated at Nations’ Cups, European Championships, and most recently, at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.

–Peter Holler of Germany has trained and educated dressage riders worldwide. He is a FEI 5* judge and a FEI Dressage Mentor Judge. He has been an official at top international shows and championships around the world, including the German Championships, World Championships for Young Horses, and European Championships for Juniors and Young Riders. Most recently, he was the president of the ground jury at the Asian Games in Korea.

–Isabelle Judet of France is a FEI 5* judge and a trainer for more than 20 years. She has judged at the Dressage World Cup Finals, European Championships, CHIO Aachen, Germany and was president of the ground jury at the 2014 World Games in Normandy, France. She was the French Chef d’Equipe from 1991 to 1994 including for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. From 1999 to 2002, she was France’s National Trainer.

–Annette Fransen-Iacobaeus of Sweden also a FEI 5* judge for both dressage and Young Horses. She was a member of the Ground Jury for the 2014 FEI European Pony Championships in Ireland, as well as for the 2014 FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championships in Germany.

–Maria Schwennesen lives in Brisbane, Australia. She is a FEI 4* judge and has worked on many Australian national and state committees and boards. She was a selector for the past two Olympics and for the WEG. She has been involved with the sport for more than 30 years, and officiates at many international shows including the FEI World Challenge Tour each year.

–Hans-Christian Matthiesen of Denmark became a FEI 5* dressage judge in June. He is also a FEI 5* judge for Young Horses. He is a veterinarian, and has been a member of the Danish Equestrian Federation Board of Directors. He was a member of the ground jury at the 2014 FEI European Young Rider & Junior Championships in Arezzo, Italy last July.

–Freddy Leyman of Belgium is a FEI 4* Dressage Judge and FEI Dressage Technical Delegate, and has been an official at many international competitions. He was a member of the ground jury at the 2014 FEI European Young Rider & Junior Championships and the 2014 Asian Games, as well as Foreign Technical Delegate at the FEI/WBFSH World Breeding Championships in Verden, Germany in August.

–Elisabeth Williams of Horsham, Pennsyvania was a manager of the U.S. Pony Club Championships for many years. Elisabeth has been a U.S. Equestrian Federation Technical Delegate since 1981, and an FEI Chief Steward for Dressage since 1994. The 1995 FEI World Cup Finals in Los Angeles, 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, 1997 North American Senior Championships in Maryland and the 1999 Pan-American Games in Winnipeg, Canada are among competitions where she has officiated.