US Dressage Judge Lisa El-Ramy Defends her Role as “Expert Witness” in Cesar Parra Suspension Hearing
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Sept. 24, 2025
United States dressage judge Lisa El-Ramy has defended her role as an “expert witness” in the Cesar Parra suspension hearing and said she was “deeply disturbed” the FEI Tribunal identified the witnesses using “inflammatory language” to describe their testimony.
Lisa, a U.S. “S” Senior judge based in Loxahatchee, a community neighboring Wellington, Florida, was one of three witnesses–Cesar Parra and a Colombian veterinarian and a friend of Parra were the other two–identified as testifying on his behalf in the tribunal’s 69-page decision that suspended Parra for 15 years.
“Serving as an expert witness is a role I have performed many times in a variety of legal cases,” she said. “Typically, I am retained by a defendant’s legal team, though I have also consulted with prosecutors. To ensure impartiality, attorneys first inquire if I have any personal or professional relationship with the client—if so, I am usually disqualified. On rare occasions, such as a civil land-use zoning matter involving a longtime acquaintance, I have testified despite prior familiarity.
“Before testimony, the legal team prepares me by providing relevant evidence. My testimony is always limited to the evidence presented at trial and to the scope of questions posed by both counsels. I am sought out as an expert precisely because of my fact-driven, unbiased approach, and I take pride in upholding that level of professionalism.
“It is uncommon for me to even know the client. Regardless, my decision to participate rests on one principle: every accused has the right to mount a reasonable defense, and that right must be protected at all costs.
“In Mr. Parra’s case, I am deeply disturbed the FEI tribunal’s report chose to identify expert witnesses by name and paraphrase their testimony using inflammatory language. Such treatment risks creating a chilling effect that may discourage qualified experts from testifying in future cases. Ultimately, this undermines the ability of the accused to defend themselves and may even expose the FEI to legal challenges on appeal.”
