PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE “DEUTSCHE REITERLICHE VEREINIGUNG E.V.” DATED 10.11.2025

INFO STEWARDS SERVICE AT STUTTGART GERMAN MASTERS

World Cup horse show backs a new dialogue service

Info Stewards belonging to the “Deutschen Reiterlichen Vereinigung” (FN – the national equestrian federation in Germany) will be employed at the 2025 Stuttgart German Masters for the first time. The aim of the project is to make equestrianism more transparent for spectators and to foster the understanding of processes, rules and decisions in the sport.

The Info Stewards will be acting as a direct point of contact at the warm-up sites during the horse show. They will answer questions about everything to do with the pre-competition phase, the classes and on the topics of animal welfare, the rules or processes. It means they will form a bridge between riders, officials and people in the audience.

“For us, the Info Stewards stand for the things we wish for as organisers. Dedicated to promoting a very real dialogue, they create a sense of closeness between equestrian sport, horses and the audience. It boosts the acceptance and enthusiasm for our sport,” stressed Carsten Rotermund, a Stuttgart German Masters Horse Show director.

“We don’t see ourselves as another supervisor but as a part of the horse show’s team that would like to collectively guarantee fair competition in keeping with all aspects of horse welfare,” explains Thies Kaspareit, director of FN’s training and development department. He himself has often acted as an Info Steward.

The project has been continually expanded ever since the introduction of the Info Stewards. These days it is an integral part of various horse shows and is highly appreciated by riders and officials alike. Info Stewards have been present for years now at the CHIO Aachen – both at the dressage warm-up ring and the one for jumping. CHIO Aachen marked the birth of the Info Stewards and now the tried and trusted concept will go a stage further in Stuttgart, an important indoor horse show. This year, the Info Stewards were also in attendance for the first time at the “Al Shira’aa Bundeschampionat” equestrian event in Germany – and were met with a highly positive response.

At the Stuttgart German Masters from 13 to 16 November, they will be acting as an additional point of contact for the first time at a World Cup horse show. In addition to communicating knowledge, the Info Stewards will also relieve the pressure on the FEI Stewards who are in direct contact with the riders. Their work fosters the common understanding of all stakeholders – in keeping with transparency, fairness and real animal welfare.

Thanks to the long-term support of the “Stiftung Deutscher Pferdesport” (German Equestrian Sport Foundation), the project can be expanded further – as a real example as to how dialogue and education play a part in strengthening trust and acceptance in equestrianism. fn-press/sag