Dressage-News

Dec. 7, 2020

Isabell Werth, the most decorated Olympic equestrian in history and outspoken on issues she views as important for dressage, on Monday was to be elected president of the International Dressage Riders Club while German team chef d’equipe Klaus Roeser was to become secretary-general.

The duo succeed Kyra Kyrklund, the five-time Olympian from Finland who lives in England, and Wayne Channon, at the IDRC online annual convention as official representatives of riders to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).

At the age of 51, Isabell competes horses on which she is ranked No. 1, 2, 8, 13 and 27 on the official world standings. She has won 10 medals at Olympics from 1992 to 2016, more than any other rider in the three Olympic disciplines of dressage, eventing and jumping since equestrian was included in the modern Games more than a century ago.

In addition to her 10 Olympic medals (six gold), she has earned 11 world championship titles, nine gold; 24 European Championship medals all but four gold, and five World Cups including her current campaign, interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, to become the first rider to capture four straight titles on the same horse, Weihegold OLD.

Isabell gave up practicing law to pursue a career in dressage.

Klaus, 56, the German dressage team chef d’equipe, previously worked for Paul Schockemöhle, a leading German breeding and sales operation; was a former member of the FEI Dressage Committee and headed up the German Dressage Selection Committee.

Both have a reputation of listening to opinions of riders from around the world and supporting views they consider important for the sport irrespective of national or continental preferences. 

The IDRC was founded in 1986 to serve dressage riders but initially had difficulty to become recognized by the FEI.