Three dressage judges - Alice Schwab (AUT), Michael Osinski (USA), and Yuri Romanov (RUS) - have been promoted to 5* status, the highest level an international dressage judge can reach.
With the new "Level" system the FEI adopted as per the General Regulations and Education system across (replacing the * rating system for Officials), these 5* judges are now official "Level 4" judges.. or what used to be known in the olden days as "O-status".
Alice Schwab
Alice Schwab is Austria's third 5* judge alongside Thomas Lang and Sissy Max-Theurer.
Schwab made a rocket speed career across the levels as a dressage judge. In six years time she moved across the three levels: In 2016 she was proclaimed 3* judge. She rose to 4* level in 2018, and got her 5* status in 2023.
Schwab is 59 years old works for the Austrian Equestrian Federation in the Performance and Top Sport department. She handles the selection and entries of riders for international shows as well as the squad submissions, amongst other tasks.
Michael Osinksi
A Michigan native, Osinski first rode jumpers but his personal quest for better riding led him to dressage. He first worked with Maryal Barnett and Hilda Gurney, before studying with Steffan Peters, Carol Lavell, and Paul Belasik. He has been a national dressage judge since 1984. He got his FEI 3* status in 2014 and 4* status in 2016.
Osinski works professionally with horses. He has taught a USEF "R” Dressage Judge Training program, served as a United States Pony Club examiner, and been a guest speaker at the USEF Young Dressage Horse National Championships.
Yuri Romanov
Russian Yuri Romanov (60) is the second Russian dressage judge with 5* status alongside Irina Maknami.
The Moscow born Romanov had a keen interest in horse since his childhood. He took up dressage age 15 and trained with Ivan Kalita, Nikolay Sitko and Alexander Shcherbaw. For a period Yuri rode with Detlef Saul in Germany. He took up national judging in the late 1990s and through Mariette Withages and Elena Perushkova got introduced to FEI international level judging. He became a 3* judge in 2005, a 4* judge in 2009 and had to wait almost 15 years before he got his 5* label.
For Romanov the 5* status will be sour grapes. Russian officials are banned from officiating at FEI events due to Russia's invasion and War in Ukraine, which has been destabilizing the global economy and brought division in the world.
Appointments
The new levels were updated in the FEI database on 24 January 2023 but no official announcement has been made so far.
Junior/Young Riders Championships
At the moment, seven dressage 'experts' are part of the JSP: David Hunt (GBR). Mary Seefried (AUS), Henk van Bergen (NED), Lilo Fore (USA), Evi Eisenhardt (GER), Andrew Gardner (GBR) and Linda Zang (USA). Of the seven JSP members two are British and two American.
According to another source, the 5* level is not "official" yet because the three will have to undergo a final assessment at FEI headquarters in Lausanne. The FEI told Eurodressage on 6 February that "an online assessment with two Course Directors" was done on 23 January. "They are also due to complete a training course in Lausanne in February."
Photos © Astrid Appels
Related Links
Russian Judges Remain Barred from Officiating in 2023
FEI Dressage Committee Report Reveals Discussion about New Judges' Level System and Tack Rules
Andersson, Christensen, Nivelle, Storr Promoted as 5* Level Judges
Elke Ebert Promoted as a 5* Dressage Judge
Judges Halsall, Ringmark, Max-Theurer, Umbach, Lehrmann Promoted to 5* Status
Colliander, Foy, Guerra, Maknami, Saleh, Schwennesen Promoted to 5* Judging Status
Matthiesen and Sanders-Van Gansewinkel Promoted to 5* Judging Status
Baarup, Fore, Fransen-Iacobaeus, Lang, de Wolff Promoted to O-Judge Status
Lang and Bachinger Receive O-Judging Status
Gardner and Wessels Promoted to O-Judge Status
Peter Holler Becomes O-judge
Furuoka and Ernes, Also Promoted to O-Judge Status
Gary Rockwell and Anne Gribbons New O-Judges
Wüst, Törnblad and Roudier New O-Judges