Volker Moritz Appointed as Belgian Dressage Team Trainer

Dressage

Belgian Dressage New

German retired O-judge Volker Moritz (71) has been appointed as Belgian Dressage Team Trainer by the Belgian Equestrian Federation (KBRSF). Following a meeting on Monday 28 February 2011 with the Belgian FN

and its regional branch VLP, the dressage committee decided to hire Moritz as official trainer.

"Volker Moritz will be coaching the Belgian dressage top riders in agreement with their personal trainers. He will organize training sessions and train the team together with chef d'equipe Jeroen van Lent at the important international competitions," the KBRSF explained.

According to the Belgian Federation Moritz has been hired to support and intensify the coaching of the dressage riders. "The KBRSF wishes that the dressage team can prepare itself optimally for the European Championships in Rotterdam in August with as aim a qualification for the Olympic Games in London."

Moritz expressed his enthusiasm for this new function. "After having been 'sidelined' as a judge for years, this is the first time that I'll be guiding a team. The Belgian team has a lot of potential and I will offer them my experience in order to optimize the results even further together with the team and personal trainers."

Based in Dusseldorf, Germany, Dr. Volker Moritz has been training and riding dressage horses up to Grand Prix level for the past 45 years. His most successful horse was Ideaal, which was later ridden by Johann Hinnemann and then sold to Sven Rothenberger. Moritz has earned the golden rider badge from the German Equestrian Federation.

Moritz at the 2005 CDI Devon Volker has been judging for almost 40 years, the past 20 as FEI O-judge. He retired last year. He officiated at many national and continental championships for Seniors and Young Riders in Europe and North America. Some distinguished events he has judged are the World Cup Finals in Gothenburg (1992), Los Angeles (1995) and Hertogenbosh (1997). At the World Equestrian Games in Rome (1998) and the Olympic Games in Sydney (2000), he was an acting member of the ground jury. Dr. Moritz was President of the ground jury at the 2002 World Equestrian Games held in Jerez, Spain.

Volker Moritz is known for having trained, for instance, U.S. Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons as well as Dusseldorf based Belgian Grand Prix rider Johan Zagers, and he is still coaching American Grand Prix rider Dr. Cesar Parra.