OFFICIAL SPOTLIGHT
ANDY BOWLES Andy Bowles began riding in England at age five and continued to ride when his parents immigrated to New Zealand in the mid 1970’s. There he further pursued his passion for horses and progressed through pony club, earning himself a B certificate and becoming an instructor and examiner. Shortly after his days in Pony Club, Andy found the 3-Day Eventing and Fox Hunting scenes, which he excelled in until a professional career took president in his mid 20’s. At that time he decided to put his riding career on hold to pursuit other areas of the sport, continuing to hunt for fun. While he took a step back from Eventing as a competitor, Andy was encouraged to join the Technical Delegate ranks of the sport, having already been course designing at various pony club events. He was privileged to have Jennifer Millar as his initial mentor and gained his FEI Technical Delegate qualification some 25+ years ago at the age of 26, making him one of the youngest in the world to do so. Because of his love of the equestrian sport, Andy later pursued becoming a National Judge and Course Designer in New Zealand, both titles he currently holds today in addition to his USEF “S” Eventing Technical Delegate license and FEI Course Design and Steward licenses. He has officiated at events in England, Ireland, the United States, Canada, India and New Zealand at all levels. Highlights include being asked to serve as a Technical Delegate for the Central American and Caribbean Games, North American Junior Young Riders on numerous occasions and at the Junior European Championships. Throughout his years of experience, Andy has also enjoyed serving on multiple committees, and as the Chair of the New Zealand Eventing Technical Committee during its conception. Andy’s latest title is Organizer at the Virginia Horse Trials, having taken over from Brian and Penny at the end of 2014, where is also the FEI Course Designer for the 2 & 3 star divisions. He currently lives with his wife Angela, who herself is an international rider and coach, on their farm just outside Fort Worth in Texas. 18 20
