Christine Traurig’s Leadership of USA Coaching Extended to 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, to Oversee Program From Top Sport to Young Horse
2 days ago StraightArrow Comments Off on Christine Traurig’s Leadership of USA Coaching Extended to 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, to Oversee Program From Top Sport to Young Horse
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Dec. 18, 2024
Christine Traurig, with her leadership of United States dressage coaching extended through the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, will oversee an intense and sweeping program encompassing top sport to young horse aimed at getting the American team back on World Championships and Olympic medals podiums.
Christine based in Encinitas in Southern California has given up virtually all of her private training to dedicate herself to helping prospects achieve success she experienced as a rider on the bronze medal squad at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and as personal coach of Sabine Schut-Kery on Sanceo, the highest scoring American partnership on the Tokyo Olympic silver medal team.
The rider and coach originally from Germany, will share with Monica Theodorescu, the three-time Olympic gold medalist and highly successful coach of the German team, hosting the U.S. Dressage Federation FEI-Level Trainers Conference next month. She became chef in late January 2024 to put together a squad for the Paris Games mostly from a lineup of new partnerships that included Adrienne Lyle on Helix, Marcus Orlob on Jane, Endel Ots on Bohemian as well as Steffen Peters, the veteran and for years the most successful rider in the U.S., on his 2018 World Equestrian Games and Tokyo Olympics silver medal mount Suppenkasper.
In addition to the extension through 2028 of the chef’s position, the U.S. federation announced Wednesday the major overhaul with Christine to oversee the U.S. Elite/Pre-Elite and Development programs. George Williams, long time involved as a competitor, trainer and official, will provide support as the USEF Dressage Program Pathway Development Advisor. Both Christine and George will continue to support the Emerging Young Horse and Emerging Athlete programs. Additional coaches to support the programs are scheduled to be named in early 2025.
“This updated criterion improves upon the existing foundation of the USEF Dressage Program Pathway,” said Laura Roberts, USEF Managing Director of Dressage. “I look forward to working with our coaching staff and support network to foster talent through our pathway programs and continue to grow and strengthen USA dressage.”
The 67-year-old Christine said: “I am excited about the next several years leading up to LA. The updated requirements for the Pathway Programs are in line with and support our goals on the road to the Olympics. There is no lack of talent in riders and horses in our country. It’s about bringing out the best in them. We have a plan, and our eyes are very much on the ball.”
Federation-funded dressage training series of clinics by coaches open to all FEI levels, except for two restricted to youth participants, will be staged in 2025 . George Williams will also arrange quarterly meetings of USEF coaching staff and personal coaches throughout 2025 to provide more comprehensive and aligned support for program combinations.
Minimum scores will be required for combinations to receive financial support for major features of the program such as competitions in Europe.
More emphasis will also be placed on the World Cup, the annual championship that is typically held immediately after winter, when the major dressage circuits in Florida and California are held.
Of the 18 starting places in the Final, North America receives three, the same number of combinations making up Olympic dressage teams in recent years. (Although the three places go to North America, the last time a Canadian dressage rider made the Final was in 2013, while Mexico has never qualified one.)
A lengthy interview with Christine will be posted on DRESSAGE-NEWS.com beginning Thursday.
