FEI Steward Elisabeth Williams Announces Retirement

Dressage

U.S.A.

Elisabeth Williams, an FEI Steward, course director and NF general steward, has announced her retirement. She will retire from her stewarding duties at the end of 2021.

Williams is 72 years old.

From 1995 till 2021

Williams first CDI as a steward was the 1995 World Cup Final in Los Angeles

She officiated at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, at almost every North American Junior/Young Rider’s Championship, and U.S. Dressage Championships as of 1997.

She worked at the 2005 and 2007 World Cup Finals and the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro.

She has been the FEI Chief Dressage Steward at every Global Dressage Festival CDI for the past six years.

Since 2011 she has also been an FEI Course Director and in 2014 she was appointed to the Board of Directors of the International Dressage Officials Committee (IDOC). In 2019 she became Vice President of the IDOC

She became the FEI Deputy Steward General for Dressage, and elected Chair of the United States Equestrian High Performance Dressage Committee in 2015.

"A Learning Curve that Never Stopped Going Uphill"

"It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with all the judges, stewards, veterinarians, organizers, volunteers," Williams stated. "You have all made me look good; you have all made my work easy; you have corrected me when I have been wrong (and that takes guts....); we have often laughed and sometimes cried together. Without this phenomenal team work the shows just do not function."

She continued, "ever since my very first CDI the learning curve has never stopped going uphill - every single show has taught me something, whether it is one-ring, one-day show or a WEG! I have been fortunate enough to travel to many parts of the world, meeting colleagues I would otherwise not have met and making friends (and possibly enemies....). It has been such a wonderful journey, but it is time to get off the train. I have always believed in "getting while the getting is good", leaving while I can still do a good job."

Williams concluded her retirement announcement with, "to all the riders, trainers, coaches and parents I have had the fortune to meet and work with - you have made my job easy. While we may not always have "been on the same page", we have usually agreed to disagree, and in the process learning something new."

Elisabeth and her husband, Thomas, live near Philadelphia