Dressage NSW Judges

15/06/2026

02/06/2026

A NIGHT WITH NELL

A cold June evening is the perfect time to join our virtual 'Night in with Nell', the first of our informal winter nights series.

Date: June 23, 2026

Time: 7pm

Sit by your fireplace, pour a drink and settle down for a relaxed evening where judges are able to interact and chat the way they do in person!

We encourage you to ask 'What would you do?' and share the weird and wonderful things that happen to us all when we are out there on the edge of the arena.

What do you do when a parent yells in your face? How do you handle a competitor waving their test results at you?

What should you do if your co-judge is non-cooperative and there's a problem that the two of you need to solve?

What happens if you are up to competitor number three and you realise that the arena letters are in the wrong place?

What would you do if the saddle cloth was flapping on the horse's back behind the rider's saddle?

This is an opportunity to talk about what makes you happy, what annoys you, and even to maybe suggest initiatives that we could implement.

Our host for the evening is none other than our very experienced A level judge educator Nell Marshman, who has decades of lived experience at 'C'. She is also a para judge, a young horse judge, and a coach.

Join us on the night and let's build a cohesive, inclusive judging community, no matter what level judge you might be, and no matter where you might live.

You can register here:

https://officialstraining.ensw.org.au/user_login?errorcode=4

(And if you are struggling to log into Engage, or if you are not a NSW judge but would like to attend, email the DNSW secretary, Mary Houghton, on [email protected] and she will help you out.)

And yes, it is free.

01/06/2026

450 HOURS OF JUDGING!

MORE THAN 1500 TESTS

MORE THAN 470 HORSES

MORE THAN 340 RIDERS

Yes! You read that correctly. That is what our teams of judges will be getting through at the Hawkesbury Dressage Festival this month.

Many thanks to all of the judges who have already volunteered to help out over the 8-day period.

Who says the sport is dying?

Almost 50 judges already and we are not done yet!

BUT we still need a D level or above judge for Saturday 13 June to judge a YR medium; and judges for the YR novice.

AND we still need a D level or above judge for Saturday 20 June to judge an AOR medium from 8am - 12noon; and judges for the open novices.

ALSO: We need a G level or above for Monday 15 June and Saturday 20 June (preliminary tests).

If you are able to help out, please email [email protected] and she will slot you in!

12/05/2026

Congratulations go to our judges Ann-Maree Lourey and Justin Bayley on passing their A level practical exam with Mary Seefried at the SYDNEY CDI - International Dressage Event. Mary Seefried is an FEI Level 4 judge, the highest international ranking, and has been appointed to the FEI Judges' Supervisory Panel for the World Championships in Aachen later this year.

We are so excited to have two new Grand Prix judges in our ranks and look forward to seeing them out and about!

12/05/2026

CHRISTOF UMBACH WORKSHOP

Each year, the NSW Judges Subcommittee runs an extra day after the SYDNEY CDI - International Dressage Event where we are privileged to have one of our international guests stay back for an extra day after the CDI to give our workshop.

This year, we were even more privileged to have FEI 5* judge and Grand Prix trainer Christof Umbach as our speaker.

Crème de la crème – this chap is on the working group that writes the FEI tests that we judge, week in, week out. His depth of knowledge was incredible, and his easy attitude made learning a joy - it was a shame that more judges did not attend!

Christof confirmed with us the news that:

• The Intermediare A and the Intermediare B will be a thing of the past come January 2027.

• There will be a second Intermediare II test.

• The Grand Prix will include a long and low half circle in trot towards the end, before the final extended trot. The stretchy half circle is likely to be in rising or sitting trot.

• The walk in the Grand Prix will be altered slightly to allow the judges at H to more easily see and mark both the extended and the collected versions.

Handy hints from Christof:

• When you are to ride shoulder in on the long side, start the shoulder-in as shoulder fore on the short side before the corner so that no one can see, then your legs are already in position.

• “When you are able to cheat with the judges and they don’t see it, you are a good rider!”

• You have to drive the car forward before you apply the brake.

• Many riders forget to ride the canter for the two strides before the flying change. Every stride of canter must be ridden as if you are proceeding in canter, ie, ride every step as if it is the first step.

• Judge the moment – don’t be afraid to give good marks after bad marks. You are quick to give a 1 or a 2 for bad moments, be brave and give the 8s and 9s for good moments too!

SPECIAL THANKS:

A huge thanks to our riders who kindly agreed to be part of the Christof Umbach workshop:

Romy Sanna and Maradonna VDT and Kenlock Majestic Sky
Kaila Simms and Arnage Totil Bliss
Anna-Catherine Preuss and Totilami
Ange Thompson and Arnage Royal Edition
Lizzie Wilson-Fellows and Let’s Chance It

A huge thank you to Voler Equestrian, who sponsored the riders by providing them with matching Pilbara shirts and socks – and to the Dressage Diva, who gifted a saddlecloth bag to each of the riders in appreciation. We couldn't do it without them, so please visit their websites and have a look!

https://volerequestrian.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOopnGjVhJXFKaSgGmXAT3HsB2GAX4ab6q4mxZcA2hzl6G3P9d9rl

https://thedressagediva.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOopqmVV2PbvDIdhn1nX5JZwhXJYrrD0q_nxifyyCTpB4TAUs0lmh

04/05/2026

Amazing news for one of our para riders/coaches and so deserved!

Some of us have had the pleasure of judging Sharon during her many stays on the East Coast - she regularly spent months away from home with coach Rozzie Ryan, in pursuit of her dreams.

Good to see a positive equestrian news story!!

Sharon Jarvis received the OAM in recognition of her exceptional service to equestrian sport and her inspirational role as a trailblazer in para-equestrian competition.

After surviving a rare form of cancer as a child, she returned to riding and rose through the ranks to represent Australia at three Paralympic Games.

She is celebrated not only for her competitive success but also for mentoring young athletes, advocating for inclusivity, and helping shape the future of para-equestrian sport.

Australian Honours and Awards

29/04/2026

Welcome to the streaming hub for Sydney CDI. This is the place to watch the live stream from this year's event and on-demand recordings from each day. You can also find videos from previous years, where available, and links to useful information including the schedule and rider lists.Try the sear...

28/04/2026

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!

Sponsored by Voler Equestrian, the Christof Umbach workshop is just days away, scheduled to be held at SIEC on Sunday, 3 May.

Christof is a top international judge, a Grand Prix competitor and a Grand Prix trainer/coach – so he sees the arena from all angles.

And now … to introduce our superstars for the day!

Novice: Romy Sanna and Kenlock Majestic Sky

Elementary: Anna-Catherine Preuss and Totilami

Medium: Romy Sanna and Maradona VDT

Advanced: Kaila Simms and Arnage Totil Bliss

Small Tour: Ange Thompson and Arnage Royal Edition

Big Tour: Lizzie Wilson-Fellows and Let’s Chance It

We are so appreciative that these riders have put themselves forward – we couldn’t do it without them!

If you haven’t booked yet, the workshop runs from 9am - 3pm and you can reserve your headset here:

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1556037

And you can buy your beautiful Voler Equestrian products here: https://volerequestrian.com.au/?srsltid=AfmBOopuCejkRDx3ab2CIX_4ayS5T4btWWhg1hfboxMreYvLvw-3fbt-

See you there!

23/04/2026

Spread the word - let’s see it grow!

20/04/2026

***************** ZoomZoomZoom *****************

The countdown is on to next week's FREE ZOOM workshops!

Monday April 27 at 7pm: Bring your public holiday weekend to a close with insights into Young Horse judging with Judge Educators Sue Cunningham and Kristen Closson.

Tuesday April 28 at 7pm: Discover the secrets of freestyle judging with Judge Educator Sue Cunningham.

Judge? Coach? Rider? Interested parent? These two seminars are free for all. Simply register by clicking on the link on Engage at https://www.dressagensw.equestrian.org.au/content/engage-lms - if you don't have an account, simply email our DressageNSW secretary Mary Houghton at [email protected] and she will sort it out for you.

So ... get ready with your cheese platters and 'coffee' and settle down for two educational and undoubtedly entertaining evenings!

(Both workshops count as workshops for judges' reaccreditation purposes, and both count as seminars if you also attend the practical components at the CDI.)