United States Eventing Association

Andrew Bennie is an eventing coach, competitor and judge. He represented New Zealand on the international stage many times, but most notably at the 1988 Olympic Games, where he earned a team bronze medal. After achieving many personal accolades, Bennie took on the other side of a competition when he became an FEI licensed official in 2008.

Bennie judged his first event in the United States last weekend at the CHC International at Chattahoochee Hills. He is headed next to officiate at the 2016 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Badminton CCI4* and finally the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

USEA: How did it feel being named one members of the Gound Jury for the Olympic Games?

Andrew Bennie: “I’m very excited. It’s always a lottery when you think you might get chosen for a Championship. I feel very privileged because I did the European Championships at Blair Castle last year and this year I’m doing Rio. I feel very honored to be doing it.”

USEA: How does it feel going from Olympic rider to Olympic judge?

AB: “It’s a totally different ball game, but I’m very much looking forward to it. Having been a rider and at that level I think is always a bit of an advantage to the judges that are involved because not only are we involved in judging the dressage. It’s the whole thing really: The course walk, the trot up, the dressage, the show jumping and everything. We’re involved in the whole thing. It’s quite serious.”

USEA: You went to the test event; can you tell us how the venue looks in Brazil?

AB: “There was a lot of good things. The venue, I think, will be an ideal situation. There’s been a lot of speculation about it not being the best place, but what I found at the test event I was very pleased with. They’re very enthusiastic. they’re working their back sides off to try to make it as good a venue as possible, and from my perspective, I think it will be very good.”

USEA: You are here at Chattahoochee Hills judging for the first time in the United States. How is your experience so far?

AB: “It’s been very good to be involved in this event as a warm up before I got to Rolex next week. I rode in 1984 in Los Angeles, so I have ridden at an event in the U.S., but never have I been here to judge. It’s a fabulous venue, seems very well run, very friendly, very hospitable. Fabulous facility. It’s super to be involved.”

USEA: Next weekend will also be your first time going to Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. What are you looking forward to?

AB: “I’ve never been to Rolex as a competitor or as a spectator or judge or anything. I have high expectations of the event because it’s the only four-star in America and there’s only six of them in the world, so I expect to see a very smart competition.”

USEA: After Rolex, you will also be a member of the Ground Jury at Badminton Horse Trials where you will see even more Olympic hopefuls. What are you looking for as they prepare for the big summer event?

AB: “I hope to see some very good riding, some very nice horses and really good work. As a dressage judge we’re not allowed to give them a lesson when we do our dressage sheets, but I hope to be able to maybe give them some little pointers that might give them the extra mark or two when they do their test in Rio.”

USEA: Do you have any pet peeves when judging the dressage?

AB: “I don’t like rough riding. I like for there to be a lot of harmony between horse and rider. I’ll always mark better if I see that. If I see a rider that is perhaps producing a less than perfect horse and very a good job of it, I’ll try to give them as many marks as I can find. If I see a very nice horse ridden very roughly, or unsympathetically or badly, I’ll try and find bad marks. That’s my pet peeves.”

USEA: What is your favorite event to judge?

AB: “I have a lot of favorite events and this year I’m judging at obviously some new ones too. I don’t have one single favorite event. I judge at a lot of events I really enjoy. Obviously it’s nice to judge at the big ones, but there are also a lot of smaller ones that are really good events.”

To learn more about Andrew Bennie, please visit his website: www.andrewbennieequestrian.co.uk