Three of 4 of America's top judges retiring by end of 2019, changes in sport under review

Three of the four American international top ranked 5* dressage judges reach retirement age in the next 18 months with no successors yet announced while the number of officials has not kept up with the growth in events around the world in the past decade.

At the same time as demands for top judges have grown with requirements for ground juries for major championships increased to seven members from five along with creation of so-called judges supervisory panels to correct apparent mistakes, the role of judges in the sport is also under official scrutiny.

No action has yet been taken on the long proposed idea to increase the official retirement age of judges to 72 years from the current 70, with the possibility of an extension of up to two years, to keep abreast of changes in the world at large that increasingly ignores ages in favor of competence.

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Article written by: KENNETH J. BRADDICK