35 years and counting...
The Honorary Membership is awarded to those individuals who have contributed significantly to development of ECAHO, Arabian Horse Events and/or the Welfare of the Arabian Horse in direct relation to the activities of ECAHO. Any Member can propose an individual that fits the description to the Executive Committee in writing through a submission form available on the ECAHO website. This form needs to be stamped and signed on behalf of the proposing Member organization.
The following prerequisites are required to be considered for the ECAHO honorary membership:
The Honorary Membership is awarded at the Annual General Meetings. Normally one individual will be honored per annum. The Executive Committee may deviate from this number in extenuating circumstances.
2019
Mrs. Ursula Roberts (1921-2021)
Coming from a hunting family, she´s been involved with horses all her life. She began judging in 1945 and, for the next fifty years, assisted in running various horse shows. She was on the Judges’ and Disciplinary Panels of ECAHO. In 1983 she was asked to be Chairman of ECAHO’s newly formed Show Commission and remained in that position her resignation in 1998. The aim of the Show Commission was to form an acceptably level method of judging throughout Europe that could be understood and enjoyed by everyone. As breeder, she has always been very supportive of using Arab blood to improve Anglo-Arab and Part-bred horses, and especially the ponies. In 1991 she helped start the UK International Show at Towerlands, which is now the UKIAHS. In 1994 she was asked to run an International Show for Arab horses in the Middle East, in Qatar. This she did for several years, and now the Qataris themselves run that show.
Mrs. Izabella Pawelec-Zawadska (1937-2015) - IN MEMORIAM
Izabella inherited her lifelong passion for horses from her father, a former cavalry officer. In 1972 she started to work in Warsaw in the Horse Breeding Department of Animex, and so her long association with the Arabian horses and State Studs of Poland began. Before long, Izabella was a highly respected international judge, something she thoroughly enjoyed for 35 years as she travelled all over the world, looking for the positive aspects in every horse she judged. After 25 years in the post of Breeding Inspector at the Polish State Administrative Boards of Horse Breeding, Izabella formally retired in 1998 but continued to work at the Polish Arabian Stud Book Registry Office as a Breeding Specialist and Consultant. A highly respected world authority on Arabian horse breeding, Izabella rose to senior positions in both ECAHO and WAHO, being involved with both from their foundation.
Major P.W.S. (Pat) Maxwell (1929 - 2010) - IN MEMORIAM
Pat Maxwell spent most of his teenage years in India. Later, he joined the army and worked his way up to the rank of a Major. He was a passionate horseman who, back in the late 1950’s, bred steeplechasers and rode in show jumping events. In 1967 he married his wife Joanna, who at the time already owned Arabians and introduced him to the breed. Together, and later supported by their daughter Emma, they were breeding and showing Arabian horses for more than 40 years. It was the Maxwells, who first introduced Spanish and Egyptian blood to Great Britain they were one of the most successful breeders in Europe having won seven Paris World Championships with horses that were bred at Lodge Farm Stud. When in 1983 some countries joined for the first time to create the European Arabian Horse Show Commission, he was with them. Two years later became the organization’s first President. ECAHO became his “baby” and he gave ECAHO a face. He was the driving force, and ECAHO grew steadily from 13 countries in 1985 to 28 countries in 2001 when he resigned for health reasons.
Mr. Peter Stössel (1944 - 2013) - IN MEMORIAM
Peter Stössel, longtime president of CSIO5* St Gallen, was born in 1944. Apart from his business interests, Peter Stössel was very involved in the social and cultural life of his native region. He was the founding member and longtime president of the Swiss Dialogue Marketing Association and organiser of the New Orleans Meets St Gallen Jazz Festival. For sport lovers he was perhaps best known as the president of one of the leading FEI events, CSIO5* St. Gallen, which he chaired for 25 years from 1987 to 2012. In addition to being an exceptional organiser (among other the European Championship for Arabian horses in Frauenfeld), Peter Stössel was also a passionate breeder of Arabian horses. He was one of the founders of ECAHO and longtime its Treasurer.
