Mary Seefried appointed to officiate at the 2026 World Championships in Aachen

Australian Dressage official Mary Seefried has been appointed to the Dressage Judges’ Supervisory Panel for the FEI World Championships in Aachen in 2026, one of the most prestigious appointments available to an official in the sport.

For Mary, Aachen needs little introduction. “Aachen is going to be a marvellous event. It’s one of the best horse shows in the world,” she said. “Now we’ve got the World Championships, with all the disciplines, it’s an incredible meeting place for fans and for people who are deeply involved in all the sports.” 

While this will be her first World Championships appointment in the Judges’ Supervisory Panel role, Aachen itself is familiar territory. “I’ve judged at Aachen many times,” Mary explained. “I think it was the European Championships that I judged there about a decade ago. It’s always remained one of those very key, special horse events in the world.”

Mary’s appointment is to the Dressage Judges’ Supervisory Panel, known as the JSP, a role that operates quietly behind the scenes but plays a crucial part in maintaining fairness and consistency at the highest level of international dressage.

“The JSP was set up to keep the judging fair, not only for the riders, but also for the judges,” she said. “Depending on where a judge is positioned around the arena, they may not see a technical mistake, like a flying change if they’re head on to it.”

The authority of the panel is clearly defined. “It’s only technical mistakes that may be changed,” Mary explained. “There is no ability to change an expert opinion of a judge, like the quality of Passage or another movement. That is the judge’s opinion and the JSP has no authority to change that.”

Instead, the panel monitors tests as they unfold. “You might have seven judges all with fours or fives because they’ve seen a mistake, and one judge sitting there with a seven or an eight because they didn’t see it,” she said. “We have the ability to change that mark in real time. It’s verified, signed, and the rider receives a sheet showing exactly what happened.”

The work is intense and time critical. “We have to have made the adjustment before the marks go up on the screen,” Mary said. “It might be three movements in a whole test that need to be changed, and it has to happen immediately.”

The JSP works as a three person team. “One person is watching the arena, one is in front of the computer with all the marks coming in, and another is recording,” she said. “It has to be very good teamwork, because decisions need to be made so quickly.”

After each competition, the panel’s role becomes educational. “We meet with the judges after the competition, led by the President of the Ground Jury,” Mary explained. “We can show video and discuss particular movements. It’s a really friendly, educational get together, and the judges really appreciate that.”

Mary believes the standard of judging internationally has improved significantly in recent years. “The judges are very experienced and very good at their job,” she said. “I honestly think judging over the last five years has been the best it has ever been. Gone are the days when people would see bias occurring.”

She credits education and technology for that shift. “There’s a lot of video education now, and judges have to complete annual competency work judging video tests,” she said. “Online workshops and discussions have made a big difference, and this happens in Australia as well.”

Officiating at a World Championships brings unique pressure. “You’re going to get the best riders in the world,” Mary said. “There are so many good combinations now, and the focus and alertness you need to do your job well is probably more important than ever.”

She also highlighted the collaborative atmosphere at this level. “We’re not there as a supreme body. We’re there to help,” she said. “It’s very collegial. You know the judges, you’ve worked together before, and that makes collaboration easier.”

For Australian officials with international ambitions, Mary encourages broadening experience wherever possible. “Our judge education system in Australia is very good, but we don’t have access to top level competition in the same way as European based judges have ,” she said. “Take every opportunity, even if it means combining travel with major horse shows, attending seminars such as the IDOC meeting at Frankfurt or judging online. Judging overseas is like competing overseas. It gives you a raised standard to compare yourself with and to discuss with fellow riders and judges .  You bring that experience back to Australia, and it benefits everyone.”