OBITUARY.
B
Linda Whetstone BRITISH DRESSAGE CHAIRMAN LINDA WHETSTONE PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY ON 15 DECEMBER 2021 AT THE AGE OF 79. LINDA HAD AN IMMEASURABLE IMPACT ON OUR SPORT AND LEAVES BEHIND AN INCREDIBLE LEGACY.
6 // Issue 1 2022 // BRITISH DRESSAGE
orn in 1 2 in Binfield, Berkshire, Linda always had a love of horses, but it was not until her early 30s that she was able to start riding more seriously originally with the East Grinstead iding Club at una liated level, then moving to a liated – at which point she took over as organiser of their a liated dressage shows. This led to her involvement with the British Horse Society Dressage Group as it was then – and later as it became British Dressage. Providing opportunities for herself and others to learn more about horses and their training was always high on her to do’ list. From the late 1 0s onwards, she helped bring European judges to train UK judges at Ardingly in West Sussex, while she took respected trainers such as Kyra Kyrklund, Klaus Balkenhol, Gisela Holstein and Maria Gunther on tours around the UK so many people had chance to learn from these leading figures. Linda’s vision, drive and foresight has without question helped elevate Great Britain, as a nation, to the forefront of the sport. BD Chairman since 201 and a List I Judge, Linda Whetstone has been a cornerstone of British Dressage since its formation in 1 . Already a keen competitor up to small tour level and a major organiser, Linda became a founder member of BD and was the first ever ules and Fixtures Director. Later, she served a term as Judges Director and was a member of the Senior Selection panel for eight years, covering the London and io lympic Games, as well as two World Equestrian Games and four European Championships – during which time the British team won an unprecedented number of medals. Additionally, she was involved in the restructuring of the British Equestrian Federation in the early 2000s and was then the first Chairman of the BEF Council for four years, playing an instrumental role in bringing together the various member bodies across the sector to work together to develop and promote equestrianism. A true pioneer and innovator, Linda’s contribution to the sport of dressage in Great Britain is immeasurable and impacts
