June 14, 2026
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Stephen Clarke, one of the most accomplished and respected dressage judges in the world, has died at the age of 71.
Lauded as a trainer and five star international judge and as Dressage Judge General 2013-2019, Stephen disclosed recently that he suffered from aggressive brain cancer. He died Saturday.
Stephen grew up in a Welsh village the son of a policeman but with horses that a neighbor allowed him to ride. His early career included competing in jumping and eventing before focusing on dressage. He was one of the most understanding and approachable judges
With support and advice from Jennie Loriston-Clarke, he went to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna for two years to train.
Shortly after, he was awarded a scholarship to train with Ferdi Eilberg, who had moved to Britain from Germany.
Although his focus remained on training at home, Stephen adds that competing and judging internationally also had a transformative effect on both his riding and his approach to training.
“I think when you’re exposed to the warm-up arena with high-level, famous riders, it can be a bit nerve-wracking,” he recalled in an interview with Horse & Hound, the British equestrian magazine. “But actually, it’s in those environments that I raised my game the most.”
One of the most impactful moments witnessed by this correspondent was the first Grand Prix competition outside of the Netherlands by Totilas, at Hickstead in England in 2009. Stephen was the judge at C. He was so moved by the performance, he came out of the judge’s booth with tears streaming down his face.
Whether he was judging at the Olympics, which he did in London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016, he always appeared cheerful and with an attitude of reward rather than penalty for those who appeared before him.
Stephen received the Queens Award for services to British Equestrianism in 2011.
He had also been chairman of the International Dressage Officials Club
