The Royal Horse Show attracts the best horse and rider combinations from around the world. We are pleased to host Olympic medalists that contend at our Fair. Click here to meet our Riders.
With such talent, it is only fitting that we bring in the best judges. We are excited to reveal new judges for 2011.
Hunters and Equitation
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Chris Wynne In 1992 Chris became an 'R' rated USEF judge in hunters, jumpers and equitation. His knowledge and reputation for fairness have led him to be highly sought after offering him the opportunity to judge some of the country's largest and most prestigious horse shows. On a regular basis you will find Chris around the country at shows such as Palm Beach/Wellington, Ocala, Toronto, Old Salem, Trader's Point, Biltmore, Kentucky, Atlanta, Gulfport and the Regional Maclay Finals.In 2009 Chris achieved his life long dream of building his own show barn with the assistance of his wife, Jenna. |
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Sue Ashe Her successful show stable, White Horse Farms was located in Knoxville, Tennessee and won many National and Zone Awards.
Sue is thrilled to be judging at the Royal Horse Show for a second time.
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Hackney Horses, Hackney Ponies, Harness Ponies, Shetlands, Roadster Ponies, Road Horses
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John T. Jones, Lexington, KY As he was approaching high school graduation “Dad” Showalter, as John still calls him, made a generous offer. He told John that he would send him to the college of his choice and then take him into his family business. When John responded that he wanted to be a horse trainer Harry Showalter made him a second offer. He said that he would buy ten Saddlebred broodmares and a stallion and raise horses for John to train. He told John that he would have to develop and train his own show horses. And that he did.
In 1974 John was offered a job working privately for Clyde W. McCoy in Finchville, Kentucky. He was doing well in Marion with his show string and was deeply divided about leaving the farm and the Showalters. He took his concerns to Harry and asked his advice. Harry told John that if he was to sail big ships he would need to do it in deep water. He gave John his blessing, shipped the show string that John had developed to McCoy’s farm and closed up the Marion operation. John won his first World Championship on a two-year-old five gaited colt named Danish Harmony in 1976. That same year in December Harry Showalter hit by a car and killed while he was out jogging. He left John a special and enduring legacy; the understanding of what hard work and dedication to a life passion can produce.
From that point on John established himself as a specialist in young horses. He worked for Haverhill Farm in West Linn, Oregon for two years and then moved back to Kentucky and opened his own operation in Versailles where he developed and showed multiple World Champions. His career has spanned forty years and his reputation for turning out polished, well trained horses that stand the test of time is unquestioned.
John has had several assistant trainers over the years who have gone on to have successful careers themselves such as, Bob Brison, A. J. Bruwer, Jeff Leech, Walt Bullard, Alison Deardorf and most recently Tre Lee. John and Tre were a formidable team for two years under Tre and his wife Emily’s banner of Prospect Lane, Inc. with such successes as A Silver Charm, Boston Legal, Callaway’s Connotation, Cherished King, Coco Royale, Helen’s Charm, Just Heavenly, Paranormal and The Starwalker (SA). Of course no one can think of John's career without remembering his association with Callaway's Copyright, the beautiful fine harness gelding that he won six consecutive World's Grand Championships with, breaking the all-time record for consecutive wins in the Fine Harness Division and tying the number of consecutive wins with five-gaited greats, My-My and Wing Commander.
John continues his association with Tre at Prospect Lane in Versailles and raises around five colts per year of his own. Recently John and his wife Karen moved from Lexington, Kentucky to Scottsdale, Arizona to enjoy warmer winters. He is working some of his own colts, judging horse shows and doing some consulting work. In his off time he enjoys golfing and traveling with Karen and their two dogs, Breezy and Ransom, in their motor coach.
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Coaching Classes and Coach Horn
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Mark Broadbent Mark has become a well-known international competitor and enjoys great success in single, pair and tandem showing. He often competes with a horse team as well as running Fenix Carriages, teaching internationally and judging at the premier competitions worldwide.
Mixing Sport and Business can work, as Fenix Carriages have shown over the last 35 years. The Company has developed with the sport and grown to an organisation building modern and traditional carriages, offering training and schooling facilities and advising bodies throughout the world. Fenix have the staff and resources to cater for beginners through to advanced competitors.
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Heavy Horse Performance Division - Belgians, Clydesdales and Percherons
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Jim Poole, St. Louis MO
Draft horses have quite simply been Jim Poole's life. Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Poole was immediately immersed in the world of Belgians on his family's farm. Learning the ropes early from his father Fred (everything from grooming and cleaning to harnessing and showing), Poole began traveling with the family's hitch at an early age to exhibitions and fairs throughout Canada and the U.S. At just 18 years of age, he left home for what would become the next several decades working for various traveling six and eight horse hitches across Canada in the competitive and exhibition circuit. One notable stop included the Alberta Game Farm, where Poole not only took the reins of one of the most decorated 6-horse hitch of Belgians ever, but also managed the park of over 3,000 wild animals. In 1984 Poole went east to southwestern Ontario. He spent the next 5 years managing his own farm and showing his own Belgians throughout the continent, before being recruited by the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. In 1989 he and his family moved to St. Louis, MO where Poole supervised the traveling 8-horse hitch of corporate icons based at this location. For the next 22 years Poole moved up through the ranks of Clydesdale Operations, eventually taking over as department manager in 1997. Under his direction, the operation doubled to six 8-horse hitches stationed throughout the U.S., a total herd of over 300 Clydesdales, and a staff of nearly 100 employees. In 2008, Poole was instrumental in leading the effort to develop a new, state-of-the-art, 347 acre Warm Springs Ranch - a state-of-the-art breeding facility specifically for the Budweiser Clydesdales, located in Booneville, MO. In 2011, Poole began a new independent venture centered on draft horses that includes consulting and management. He remains a draft horse enthusiast today, and currently resides in St. Louis, MO with his wife Marie.
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Jumper Jury
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Cathy Roy Cathy's longtime affiliation with the Royal dates back to the 1960's as an exhibitor,box seat holder and judge. She has won many championships at the Royal with such horses as Springhill, Just Cruising, Shaman, Another Brother, Triple Warrant, and Willie Be Good, as well as the winner of the 1973 Canadian Equitation Finals, and the Governor Generals Cup with Steven's Angel. Cathy has been a member of the jury at the Royal for the past 25 years. |
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John Taylor Partner in CornerStone – organizing Hunter/Jumper and Dressage shows
Chair Jump Canada
Member of Jump Canada rules committee, competitions committee and officials committee
Member of Dressage Canada competitions committee
Former owner of CornerStone Riding school
Former event rider and hunter rider.
Horse show announcer.
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Lisa Cieplucha Lisa is a FEI Candidate Jumper Judge and Senior National Judge for Equine Canada in the Hunter, Equitation and Jumper disciplines She has over 25 years judging experience across Canada. In addition to her duties at the Royal, she has had the pleasure of officiating at some of the largest horseshows in Canada.
Lisa was the past Chair of the Jump Canada Officials Committee. She continues to be a Clinician for Equine Canada and assists with the development and continuing educational programs available for Equine Canada Officials.
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Neil O'Connor
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Dressage Jury
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Hilda Gurney |
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Ingrid Macauley |
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Lorraine MacDonald
Lorraine is an FEI Four Star International Judge. Former FEI competitor and Private Banker with TD Canada Trust, Lorraine continues to ride and train in Caledon, Ontario. Judging highlights include European Young Riders in Rome and many CDI’s and championships across North America including Mexico, Costa Rica and the USA. Lorraine has been an active member of the Youth High Performance Committee and former Chair and current member of the Officials Committee. Through the FEI Challenge Tours, Lorraine has judged and cliniced through South America, Asia, India and Africa. Lorraine is a positive judge who always looks for opportunities to reward correct training, harmony with quality risk taking. She has a top down approach to judging and is always looking for the illusive “10”.
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Joan McCartney
Joan Macartney is a Senior Dressage Judge with Equine Canada and the USEF as well as a FEI 4* Dressage Judge. Joan enjoys judging a variety of FEI and national-level competitions primarily in the US, Mexico, Central America and Canada. A recent highlight has been her participation in the FEI Challenge Tour in South America and South Africa.
Joan has a lengthy association with dressage as a rider, competitor and judge. She is a member of the Dressage Canada Officials Committee where she is actively involved in judges’ education.
Joan has recently retired from a lengthy career in post secondary education.
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Marian Cunningham |
Open and International Jumper Courses
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Alan Wade
40 year old International Course Designer Alan Wade is from Ireland, married to Anne Marie, with 2 daughters, Sarah and Marian.
Member of famous Irish equestrian family with father Tommy, rider of famous horse ' Dundrum', as well as Chef D'equipe of Ireland during its most successful period during which they won Senior European Gold as well as over 30 nations cup competitions worldwide.
Alan has been course designing since the age of 12 helping his father at local shows and since then has moved steadily upwards to designing National Grand Prix, National Championships, International shows as well as assisting all the top course designers around the world in the UK, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Portugal, Norway and Spain including assisting at World Equestrian Games, Aachen; World Cup Final, Leipzig and European Championships, Arnheim, European Championships, Windsor.
This year,2011, Alan was the course designer at Dublin CSIO5*; WEF World Cup Qualifier, Florida; Arezzo, Italy; as well as designing Grand Prix’s in Lexington, Upperville, Old Salem Farm, Vermont in USA.
Member of Course Design Team who have responsibility to design and build both the fences and courses for the equestrian events at the London Olympic Games, 2012 under the leadership of Bob Ellis(GBR).
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Hunter Courses
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Chris Brandt Chris Brandt is an Equine Canada Senior and United States Equestrian Federation 'R' Licensed course designer. He designs hunter and jumper courses throughout North America, having worked at competitions and facilities such as HITS Arizona Circuit, La Silla, Monterrey, Mexico, Thunderbird Show Park, Vermont Summer Festival, Caledon Equestrian Park, the Royal agricultural Winter Fair and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. He has built at Spruce Meadows since 1998. Chris resides in Oshawa, Ontario, and works 40 weeks a year away from home, designing and building courses ranging from cross rail hunters to young jumpers, equitation, hunter derby competitions and grand prix. |
Breeding Horse Section
Belgians
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Jim Poole In 1984 Poole went east to southwestern Ontario. He spent the next 5 years managing his own farm and showing his own Belgians throughout the continent, before being recruited by the world famous Budweiser Clydesdales. In 1989 he and his family moved to St. Louis, MO where Poole supervised the traveling 8-horse hitch of corporate icons based at this location. For the next 22 years Poole moved up through the ranks of Clydesdale Operations, eventually taking over as department manager in 1997. Under his direction, the operation doubled to six 8-horse hitches stationed throughout the U.S., a total herd of over 300 Clydesdales, and a staff of nearly 100 employees. In 2008, Poole was instrumental in leading the effort to develop a new, state-of-the-art, 347 acre Warm Springs Ranch - a state-of-the-art breeding facility specifically for the Budweiser Clydesdales, located in Booneville, MO. In 2011, Poole began a new independent venture centered on draft horses that includes consulting and management. He remains a draft horse enthusiast today, and currently resides in St. Louis, MO with his wife Marie.
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Clydesdales
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Gerald Wismer was born on a mixed livestock/cash crop farm at Amherstburg, On. He graduated from the Western Ontario Agricultural School and soon after returned home to farm with his brother Darwin in a family corporate farm. He is married to his wife Barbara and they have fours sons. After having purchased his first Clydesdale in 1979 and has been actively involved in breeding and showing Clydesdale horses ever since. During his farming career Gerald was involved in various farm organizations and is past president of the Ontario Clydesdale Club and the Clydesdale Horse Assocaition of Canada. |
Percherons
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Ross Honsberger
Ross grew up in Elmore, Ohio. His family has raised Percherons horses long before he was born. He went to my first horse show when he was 2 months old and has been going ever since! He currently lives in Bellevue, Michigan and is married to wife Nicole! He has shown horses with his family for most of his childhood and has worked for numerous hitches. He currently manages the All-Star Farms hitch of percherons mares. He is also a blacksmith for a handful of hitches across the U.S. and Canada.
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Gelding Draft Classes - Dean Woodbury
Shetland Ponies, Hackney
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John T. Jones, Lexington, KY John T. Jones began his successful career in the Saddlebred industry as a teenager in Marion, Pennsylvania. When he was twelve his parents separated and he went to live with the Harry Showalter family at Swamp Fox Farm in Marion. The Showalters owned American Saddlebreds. Over time John and Harry Showalter developed a deep and abiding relationship and John’s interest in training American Saddlebreds grew along with it.
As he was approaching high school graduation “Dad” Showalter, as John still calls him, made a generous offer. He told John that he would send him to the college of his choice and then take him into his family business. When John responded that he wanted to be a horse trainer Harry Showalter made him a second offer. He said that he would buy ten Saddlebred broodmares and a stallion and raise horses for John to train. He told John that he would have to develop and train his own show horses. And that he did.
In 1974 John was offered a job working privately for Clyde W. McCoy in Finchville, Kentucky. He was doing well in Marion with his show string and was deeply divided about leaving the farm and the Showalters. He took his concerns to Harry and asked his advice. Harry told John that if he was to sail big ships he would need to do it in deep water. He gave John his blessing, shipped the show string that John had developed to McCoy’s farm and closed up the Marion operation. John won his first World Championship on a two-year-old five gaited colt named Danish Harmony in 1976. That same year in December Harry Showalter hit by a car and killed while he was out jogging. He left John a special and enduring legacy; the understanding of what hard work and dedication to a life passion can produce.
From that point on John established himself as a specialist in young horses. He worked for Haverhill Farm in West Linn, Oregon for two years and then moved back to Kentucky and opened his own operation in Versailles where he developed and showed multiple World Champions. His career has spanned forty years and his reputation for turning out polished, well trained horses that stand the test of time is unquestioned.
John has had several assistant trainers over the years who have gone on to have successful careers themselves such as, Bob Brison, A. J. Bruwer, Jeff Leech, Walt Bullard, Alison Deardorf and most recently Tre Lee. John and Tre were a formidable team for two years under Tre and his wife Emily’s banner of Prospect Lane, Inc. with such successes as A Silver Charm, Boston Legal, Callaway’s Connotation, Cherished King, Coco Royale, Helen’s Charm, Just Heavenly, Paranormal and The Starwalker (SA). Of course no one can think of John's career without remembering his association with Callaway's Copyright, the beautiful fine harness gelding that he won six consecutive World's Grand Championships with, breaking the all-time record for consecutive wins in the Fine Harness Division and tying the number of consecutive wins with five-gaited greats, My-My and Wing Commander.
John continues his association with Tre at Prospect Lane in Versailles and raises around five colts per year of his own. Recently John and his wife Karen moved from Lexington, Kentucky to Scottsdale, Arizona to enjoy warmer winters. He is working some of his own colts, judging horse shows and doing some consulting work. In his off time he enjoys golfing and traveling with Karen and their two dogs, Breezy and Ransom, in their motor coach. |
Thoroughbreds and Sport Horse
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Hilda Gurney |
Cup Classes
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Sue Ashe Her successful show stable, White Horse Farms was located in Knoxville, Tennessee and won many National and Zone Awards.
Sue is thrilled to be judging at the Royal Horse Show for a second time.
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Hilda Gurney |
Welsh and Sport Pony
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Sandy Costanzo-O'Brien A life time devoted horsewoman in many different aspects and disciplines of the equine.
Emigrated on her own to Montreal, Canada, in 1965 where she and her family resided for 24 years.
In 1985 the family re located to Schomberg Ontario, where they resided until 2000.
Sandy and her husband Gene, presently live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Brightwood, Virginia,U.S.A. where they own and operate Brookside and Lakeview Stud. Their herd consists of 32 Registered Welsh ponies including 6 purebred stallion standing at public stud.
Sandy's well known prefix "Brookside" was originally registered in the early eighty's in Great Britain and Canada, and then later registered in the United States.
Many of the Brookside ponies have ultimately rewarded Sandy's efforts by winning top prizes and Championships at such prestigious shows such as The Royal Winter Fair, The American Nationals, Devon Horse Show, and Upperville Horse Show, in strong competition.
A life member of the Welsh Pony and Cob Societies of Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
Founding Member and Governor of the Welsh pony and Cob Society of Canada.
Senior Paneled Judge in all three of the above countries in Welsh ponies...being the only known Welsh judge to have achieved this great honour.
Equine Canada Senior Judge in Welsh and pleasure pony divisions and recognized judge in the Arabian division.
United States Equestrian Federation Senior Judge in Welsh and Connemara.
Clinician in all aspects of horsemanship and conformation, specializing in turnout and showing of the Welsh pony. |
