Stephen Clarke, the British judge who acted as President of the Ground Jury at the London 2012 Olympic Games, has been unanimously elected as FEI Dressage Judge General. He was elected to the post by the 5* Judges present at the annual FEI 5* Dressage Judges seminar, which was held in Paris 20-22 January.

Clarke succeeds Ghislain Fouarge (NED), who became the first Dressage Judge General when the post was created in 2011. Fouarge had opted not to stand for re-election for a second two-year term.

“We are very much looking forward to working with Stephen Clarke in his new role as Dressage Judge General,” said Trond Asmyr, FEI Director Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage. “He is a first-class judge and a natural communicator, so he fits the job description perfectly.

“Ghislain Fouarge was the pathfinder for this role and he did a really good job of establishing it and finding the right roadmap for the future, so we owe him a huge debt of thanks for all his work over the past two years.”

The Dressage Judge General’s primary responsibilities are to create and co-ordinate discussions among the judges, ensuring that all conclusions are communicated to FEI judges through FEI Headquarters and Course Directors.

Photo caption: Stephen Clarke, the newly elected FEI Dressage Judge General, officiating at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he has president of the Ground Jury. (c) Kit Houghton