The Region F/G Dressage Team Qualifier for the London Olympic Games will take part in two stages with the first section held in conjunction with the CDI-W at the 2011 Australian Dressage Championships in Sydney and following this
, the same judges will assess other remaining athletes at a specially convened event in Ermelo in the Netherlands.
The FEI Dressage Qualification Procedure for the 2012 London Olympic Games provides that the “2 best placed teams from the Olympic Group F/G from a FEI approved Asia Pacific Dressage Championship” qualify to send a team of three horses and riders plus a reserve to the Games.
Meet the Judges
Stephen Clarke - Great Britain, FEI 5* Judge
Stephen has always been interested in training horses for every discipline, he show jumped to Grade B and rode in Horse Trials to advanced levels before fully concentrating on Dressage in the late 70’s.
During the 1980s and 1990s, he competed successfully both Nationally and Internationally on the home trained Ulysses, Becket, Warlock’s Wager, Enchante and Eternal Spirit, each of whom were National Championship winners.
In 1988, he was reserve for the Seoul Olympics with Becket.
As a previous member of the International Trainers Club and now British International Dressage Trainers Foundation , Stephen travels regularly throughout the UK and abroad giving training clinics, whilst maintaining his base at Cotton Hall in Cheshire where he specialises in the development of young professional trainers.
Over the last decade or so his career as an F.E.I. Official International Judge has taken him around the globe judging all major competitions including several World Cup Finals and European Championships, the World Games in Jerez , Aachen and Kentucky, the Olympic Games in Athens and the Pan American Games in Rio De Janeiro and Guadalajara, plus several World Young Horse Championships.
The FEI has announced that he will be President of the Ground Jury at The London Olympic Games in 2012.
Stephen is Chair of British Dressage’s Judges Committee and in this role influences the development of the judging systems and the training and encouragement of both established and new Judges within the UK.
A previous member of the F.E.I. Dressage Committee and presently the IDOC Stephen is heavily involved with the training of future F.E.I. Candidate and International Judges.
Gotthilf Riexinger – Germany, FEI 5* Judge
Gotthilf started his riding career as a young man in jumping and later changed to dressage. He has been a dressage judge for 35 years.
He was appointed an FEI International Judge in 1991 and in 2003 an FEI O (5*) level judge.
For many years he has been a member of the German Dressage Committee and was a member of the FEI Dressage Committee for four years.
Some achievements include:
In 1985 he established the German Masters Stuttgart Horse Show and has organised and judged at many World Cup Qualifiers.
2003 member of Ground Jury Pan American and Central Asian Games
2002 Technical Delegate WEG Jerez/Spain
2005 judged European Championships Dressage Seniors
Has judged many Dressage Championships for Ponies, Juniors and Young Riders.
President Ground Jury Olympic Games 2008 Hongkong/Beijing
2011 judged European Championships Juniors/young riders in Denmark
In addition, over the last 10 years has judged over 100 GP, GPS & Freestyle International events in various Countries
President of IEOA
Outside of the equestrian world, Gotthilf is an independent businessman and has been in the furniture business for 30 years.
Susan Hoevenaars – Australia, FEI 5* Judge
A former FEI competitor, Susie lives near Melbourne. Together with husband Fred, they are involved in breeding both Dressage and jumping horses with their nucleus of imported mares.
Recently promoted to 5* judging level her judging commitments have taken her through much of Europe and Asia.
She has officiated at the 2010 Asian Games and 2007 World Cup Final in Las Vegas, and has just been appointed as a member of the Ground Jury for the 2012 Reem Acra World Cup Final.
Susie is also an FEI Young Horse judge and on the FEI panel of dressage judge educators for eventing.
She is also the Asia Pacific representative on the IDOC executive and is a member of the Australian Dressage Committee.
Mariëtte Sanders-van Gansewinkel, Netherlands, FEI 4* Judge
Mariëtte is from Hoofddorp in the Netherlands and is married to Dave Sanders and has two daughters, Millie and Vicki. She is the Marketing Manager for a Chipcard company in Amsterdam.
Mariëtte is an FEI International Judge (4*) since 2003 as well as an FEI Young Horse Judge.
As well as judging Mariëtte has been involved with other aspects of the sport including as an Event Organiser, Course Director and Mentor for Dressage Judges and in 2007-2008 was the Team Manager for the Dutch Dressage Team.
Raphaël Saleh France, FEI 4* Judge
Raphaël has always been interested by horses. During commercial studies he competed in a number of equestrian disciplines and at a very early age started to judge dressage.
National Grand Prix Judge since 1997, he became FEI candidate judge in 2004 and International in 2008.
Raphaël is still an active rider and trainer.
In his judging career, Raphaël has had many opportunities to judge around the world through the World Challenge tour and many CDIs up to 5-star level, national championships, the Balkan Games, and last year the European Championships for Juniors in Kronberg (Germany).
In 2011 he will be on the panel for the Pan-American Games.
Related Links
Region F/G Olympic Dressage Team Qualification Event Held at 2011 Australian Championships
Top Contenders for the 2011 Australian Championships