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George Williams, a native of New Hampshire, started riding dressage seriously in 1973 when, as an 18 year old, he traveled to Germany to study with Egon Von Neindorf. It was there, at the Reitinstitute von Neindorf, that he earned his German Bronze Rider Medal. After winning two national AHSA and USDF Championships in 1981, Williams followed his mentor, Karl Mikolka, to Tempel Farms, in Wadsworth, Illinois. His career there spanned 20-years. In 1987, he became the Director of the Tempel Lipizzans and the newly created Tempel Dressage Training Center.
Williams was the Dressage Organizer of the North American Young Riders Championships (NAYRC) in the years that it was held at Tempel Farms. Despite a heavy performance and management schedule, each year he qualified at least one horse for the Regional Championships and has won many national awards and championships in competition through the Grand Prix Level. He has coached four NAYRC Individual Medal Winners and numerous NAYRC Team Medal winners. He has earned the USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals.
In 2000, Williams resigned from Tempel Farms and relocated to Joann and Chuck Smith's Gypsy Woods Farm situated outside Columbus, Ohio in order to devote himself to a life long dream of international competition. By 2001, Gypsy Woods had imported the black Westfalen mare, "Rocher", and Williams placed the team firmly on the USET Grand Prix List, earning a USET Training Grant to work with Klaus Balkenhol. Under the guidance of Balkenhol, he competed in Germany, placing 2nd in the Oldenburg CDI*** and 4th in Munich, which established the pair as a favorite with the German audience.
In 2002, Rocher had impressed the American dressage audiences with her record high score wins at the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle at Dressage at Devon CDI ***.
The winning ways and scores of Rocher continued into 2003 when they had a streak of impressive wins on the Florida circuit which culminated with their selection to participate in the 2003 World Cup Freestyle championships in Goteborg, Sweden with team mates Debbie McDonald and Guenter Seidel. Williams' 5th place finish helped place the Americans firmly on the map of serious dressage competition on European turf. As a result of their placing in the World Cup, Williams returned to Europe to compete and train with Klaus Balkenhol. A summer of competition which included 7th and 5th places in the Individual Grand Prixs at CHIO Aachen, wins in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle at Bad Wickrath and a 11th place overall finish out of a field of 61 competitors at the European Championships in Hickstead in August; all contributed to William's BCM world rank of 16th.
When not on horseback, Williams is active as the Vice-President of USDF, Co-Vice Chair of the USA Equestrian Dressage Committee, a member of the USA Equestrian Board of Directors and is the Vice Chair of the USET Dressage Committee. |
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