LIST I judge Dermot Cannon has announced his retirement from judging to the Judge’s Committee of Dressage Ireland. A former chairman both of this committee and of Dressage Ireland, Cannon has given decades of service to the sport and is largely responsible for the current structure of judges’ training, examinations and upgrades, which benefit both dressage and eventing in Ireland.

Initially mentored by Gisela Holstein, Dermot travelled extensively to international shows and training opportunities with her and his wife, Mary, in order to develop his knowledge. In 2017, he passed the exam to become a List I judge after an intensive two-year training programme, which was self-funded despite being largely UK-based.

His foresight and commitment to improving the education of judges in Ireland was apparent at the time when he said “Upgrading to List I was very important for dressage in Ireland. It means we won’t have to bring in so many judges from England, we can help the lower listed judges and, now that we have a pathway for training in place, we can apply for funding as it’s a very expensive process. As more and more riders and horses are receiving top-class training, this needs to be recognised by judges who have been trained to do so.”

Current chair of the Judges’ Committee, Bernie Foley said: “Nothing is ever too much trouble for Dermot. He always gives of his time generously and openly, and he is enormously respected as a judge for his integrity and deep knowledge of the sport. On a personal note, it is thanks to him that I am now a List I judge.”

During his time with Dressage Ireland, Dermot also enjoyed success as a rider, competing to Prix St Georges and becoming National Medium Champion. He also bred a National Medium Champion in Harmony, who is by Blu Hors Hotline out of Florestina L and has been produced to advanced level by Kate Dwyer.