Lausanne (SUI), 29 July 2013: The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body of equestrian sport, is pleased to announce the names of the judges of the FEI Awards 2013.
When nominations for the Longines Rising Star, Reem Acra Best Athlete, Development, Against All Odds and Best Groom Awards close on 31 July, the judging panel, chaired by FEI President HRH Princess Haya, will be composed of:
Dr Melanie Chew, President of the Equestrian Federation of Singapore,
Chrystine Jones Tauber, President of the United States Equestrian Federation
Breido Graf zu Rantzau, President of the German Equestrian Federation.
About the judges
Melanie Chew, President of the Equestrian Federation of Singapore
Dr Melanie Chew has led Singaporean equestrian sport through a period of rapid growth and restructuring. The Southeast Asian island city-state now counts more than a thousand horse enthusiasts, who are enrolled in the Olympic disciplines, as well as rehabilitation, development and vocational programmes based in the six-hectare National Equestrian Park. Singapore’s active Riders’ League is topped by a medal-winning Paralympic Team, captained by FEI Solidarity Ambassador and Paralympic medallist Laurentia Tan.
Dr Chew was Singapore’s first lady polo player, who took to the field in the Singapore Team against the present Sultan of Johore. She competed in Jumping, Dressage and Eventing as a Young Rider. Now, she owns Jumping and Dressage horses and spends a lot of time travelling around the world to attend conferences, seminars and competitions to further her knowledge of horses. As President of the Singapore NF, Dr Chew leads Team Singapore to competitions in Korea, India, Australia, Europe and the Americas. She was a founding member of the FEI Solidarity Committee in 2011 and is an active member of the Asian Equestrian Federation. A noted author and historian, Dr Chew has more than 14 publications to her name.
Chrystine Jones Tauber, President of the United States Equestrian Federation
Chrystine Jones Tauber took on the role of President of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) in January of this year, following her unanimous election in August 2012. She has been active in most aspects of horse sports, notably as a U.S. Jumping team rider, judge, trainer and course designer, as well as holding roles in marketing and management. Tauber rode on U.S. Jumping teams from 1965 to 1968, winning the Grand Prix of Cologne and the President’s Cup in Washington, D.C. and finishing in second place in the Grand Prix of Lucerne. She was a member numerous winning FEI Nations Cup teams.
Tauber served as Director of Show Jumping at the USET and managed all the Olympic Disiciplines at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, the 1983 and 1987 Pan Am Games, as well as the FEI World Championships and European tours. Subsequent positions included Executive Director of the American Horse Shows Association and the National Horse Show in New York. More recently, she served as Secretary of the USEF and Vice-President of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association.
Breido Graf zu Rantzau, President of the German Equestrian Federation
Breido Graf zu Rantzau became President of the German National Federation in 2005. He has a strong connection to horse breeding and to equestrian sport. In 2005/2006, he volunteered as a member of the FEI Medication Task Force.
Graf zu Rantzau grew up with horses and successfully competed, first in Dressage and then in Jumping. As a young rider, he won the bronze medal in the German Juniors Dressage Championships and, in 1967, he was gold medallist in the European Juniors Jumping Championships. In 1985, he came fifth in the famous Hamburg Derby. He continued to regularly compete in Jumping classes until a few years ago.
The German NF President is a committed breeder of Holsteiner horses and chaired the Holsteiner studbook between 1986 and 2007. From 1989 to 2005, he was member of the German NF’s Breeding Board. From 1999 to 2005, he was also Vice-President and representative of the German studbooks at the World Breeding Federation For Sport Horses (WBFSH)
Graf zu Rantzau runs his own yard in the north of Germany. Besides his commitment to breeding and competition sport, he strongly values the basic work carried out in local clubs.
The winners of the FEI Awards 2013 will be contacted in September. They will be invited to receive their Awards at a ceremony in Montreux (SUI), in the presence of representatives of the 132 Member Federations of the FEI. For more information and to make nominations, please visit: www.feiawards.org
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