Meet the Judges

Jayne Ayers is licensed as an international dressage judge by USA Equestrian, CEF, and the FEI. She is also a Registered sport horse breeding judge. She has been a long-time member of the USA Equestrian Dressage Committee, where she has served as a member of the sub-committees for Test Writing, Young Horses, Juniors, Freestyle, Clinics, and Rules. She has also served on the USDF Executive Board and as Chairman of the USDF Sport Horse Breeding Committee.

She enjoys helping others develop their judging skills for both dressage and sport horse breeding as an instructor and examiner at all levels for USA Equestrian and USDF, and has given the National Judges Forums for USA Equestrian.

She owns a Westfalen breeding and training farm in Wisconsin, with her husband and two children.

Janet L. Brown is a native of Colorado Springs. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in advertising and marketing. Riding western and hunters from an early age, she was named the "Girl of the West" for the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in 1973.

Her interest in dressage started when she lived in Oxford, England, and she passed several British Horse Society Instructor Exams. She is currently an FEI "I" judge, AHSA "S" Dressage Judge and an AHSA Sporthorse Breeding Judge. She has judged at all major shows in the United States including the FEI North American Young Rider Championships, the FEI North American Junior Championships, the USA World Cup League Finals, the FEI North American Championships, Dressage at Devon and FEI shows in California, Illinois, Arizona, Ohio, Colorado, Florida, Washington, and North Carolina.

She has also judged national championships in Guatemala, England, Canada, Poland, Australia and Mexico as well as the FEI World Cup League Finals for Canada and Australia.

As a rider, Janet has won her USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals and gives clinics throughout the United States. Her students have also won many Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals.

She writes articles for various horse magazines and was involved in producing and writing the scripts as well as doing the voice overs for several USDF judges training videos.

She is a former member of the USDF Executive Board, a current member of the USA Equestrian Board of Directors, the federation Dressage Committee and the Federation Ad Hoc CDI Committee. She is also on the USDF "L" Faculty and instructs federation judges training programs throughout the United States for dressage and sporthorse breeding.

Dr. Max Gahwyler and his wife Doris came to the US from Switzerland in 1952. It was through their friendship with the late Col. Hans Handler of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna that the Gahwylers became interested in Dressage and they were convinced of its value as a foundation for all good
riding.

Dr. Gahwyler played a major role in the development and promotion of Dressage in the US including a stint as president of the American Dressage Institute, the forerunner of the USDF.

Dr. Gahwyler now living in Darien, CT, is an "I" judge and a popular clinician with a special interest in teaching and promoting sound basics.

Michael Poulin – Mr. Poulin's accomplishments as a rider are numerous and impressive. A USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medallist, he is perhaps best known for his achievements with Graf George, a 17 hand Hanoverian he developed through the levels. Together the pair won 1992 USET Olympic Team Bronze Medal. In addition, Graf George won the 1992 USDF Grand Prix Champion and USET Grand Prix Reserve Champion. The following year, he not only became the USET Grand Prix National Champion but also won the USDF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle Horse of the Year.

As a trainer and instructor, Michael Poulin's name is nearly synonymous with many East Coast FEI level riders, such as Carol Lavell, Mary Howard, Pam Goodrich and two-time Olympian Lendon Gray. A popular clinician, Mr. Poulin travels the country training young riders. He is the proud father of two gold medallists at the 1999 NAYRDC.

An "I" dressage judge, Mr. Poulin graciously officiated at the inaugural NEJ/YR Dressage Championships in 1999.

Gary Rockwell A former member of the United States Equestrian Team, Gary Rockwell represented the U.S. in competitions throughout Europe. He and his Danish mare ÒSunaÓ won a team silver medal at CHIO Rotterdam in 1993 and a team bronze at the 1994 World Championships at the Hague, Holland. A USA Equestrian "S" and FEI "C" judge, Gary now lives, trains and teaches in Wellington, Florida.

Jennifer Baumert trains dressage horses at Cloverlea Farm inColumbia, CT with her mother Beth Baumert. She is a USDF Certified Instructor through Fourth Level and is a Bronze and Silver Medalist. As a young rider she represented Region 8 at the North American Young Rider Championships in 1988,1990 and 1991. Since then she has ridden many horses to FEI successes including her current mounts, Weltgraf and Kharisma. In 1997 Jennifer won the Asmis Scholarship to study abroad, and she spent much of the following year withConrad Schumacher, the German trainer she has worked with since 1991. In 1998 she won the Lindgren Scholarship and in 1999 the Asmis Scholarship again,enabling her to spend the winter of 2000 with Schumacher again. Jennifer and Weltgraf won the 2001 Region 8 Prix St. Georges championship.

Alison End graduated in June from Dartmouth College with a major in Neuroscience. She is a USDF Certified Instructor through 2nd Level and has competed through Intermediare I. She competed at the NAYRC in both 2001 and 2002 and recently participated in the first Graduate Young Riders Program at Gladstone. Before the NEJYRC became Lendon's Youth Dressage Festival, Alison won the Lalique Fourth Level Championship in 2002 and became a roving trainer for the show in 2003.

Tom Noone, a USDF bronze, silver and gold medalist, has earned a regional or national title at every level of dressage. Tom represented USDF Region 8 at the NAYR championships and has trained 7 horses from training level up to Grand Prix. In 2001 Tom was the U.S. representative to the World Cup Championships. He has been a roving trainer at our show for four years and served as an official in 2002.