We work very hard behind the scenes at Online Dressage International to handpick you the very best judges from across the globe. As dressage riders, we really benefit from different perspectives and, whilst the dressage score sheets are all the same, each judge can bring something new to the training table, allowing you to progress in your training. What it's all about!
So welcome to Verónica Jiménez Fortes and here is a little bit about the judge and dressage rider who will be casting her experienced eye over those test sheets in this league.
"I am Verónica, from Malaga, a wonderful city in the south of Andalusia (Spain). I think I have been a horse lover since I was a child, although I was born into a family without any contact with horses before my arrival!
Like most of you, I am really grateful to my parents because they gave me one of the best gifts of my life, my first pony "Fofu" when I was six years old. Since then, I have been completely in love with horses. Until my teens, I competed very regularly in dressage and jumping to a high level competitive environment.
After my university studies, I decided to become a judge to learn more about dressage from the perspective of the other side of the white boards. My initial experience was fabulous and I felt quite comfortable from the beginning. I decided to fully embrace my training and now have been judging for more than 15 years.
Currently I work as a dressage horse rider in a Spanish horse facility in Seville (Spain) dedicated to producing sport horses for dressage. I think that is definitely an advantage: to have the perspective of not only a judge, but also as a producer of dressage horses and also as a rider.
I can say that both riding and judging are my two passions that I try to improve both every day. That is the wonderful thing about dressage: that you are constantly learning, improving and, of course, enjoying! Looking forward to seeing your tests this league and good luck."
The team at Online Dressage International welcome Verónica to our super team of judges and have no doubt that many of you are going to really benefit from her expertise both as a dressage rider and a seasoned judge.