Keynote Speakers
KYRA KYRKLUND (FI)
Kyra Kyrklund is a world-famous dressage rider and trainer. She has participated in the Olympic Games six times and was also nominated to Sydney and Athens, but could not participate due to horse health issues. Kyrklund has trained several horses to international top GP-level. Kyrklund was born in November, 1951 in Helsinki, Finland. She is married to dressage trainer Richard White. They live in Coolham, Great Britain, where they run their own training center.
HARALD MÜLLER (DE)
Dr. Harald Müller, Director of Education and Standards Fédération Equestre Internationale FEI, has a solid and comprehensive background in sports development and management. He has acted as Senior Manager for Education at the International Association of Athletics Federation IAAF, where he oversaw the education of coaches, judges, and key officials. Harald received a doctorate from Cologne University in Sociology with a focus on sports development.
Lars Roepstorff is a veterinarian and Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry (AFB), Division of Anatomy and Physiology. He conducts research on the locomotion of horses. Using biomechanical methods, he develops and evaluates objective methods for clinical investigation of, e.g., lameness, rehabilitation, and riding. He also studies arena and racetrack surfaces for competition horses.
MARKUS SCHARMANN (DE)
Markus Scharmann is President of the Equestrian Educational Network. He is responsible for the vocational education within the German Equestrian Federation. His experience includes coordination of the German Equestrian Federation and leadership in the project Performance diagnostic for horses. His highest qualifications are Pferdewirtschaftsmeister and Diplom Trainer Reiten.
TUIRE KAIMIO (FI)
Tuire Kaimio is an animal trainer who works as an expert in various tasks regarding the training and behavior of animals. She teaches animal training and serves as an examiner for vocational degrees in this field. She has trained animal actors for movies, commercials, and theater for two decades.
MARIA GRETZER (SE)
Maria Gretzer is head show jumping coach for the Swedish national eventing team. She is a nationally and an internationally renowned show jumping coach and rider. Maria has participated in three Olympic Games and was the first Swedish jumper to win a World Cup. She has won several Swedish Championships.
Demonstrations
ISLAY AUTY (UK)
Islay Auty is a Fellow of the British Horse Society, a chief examiner, a riding coach, dressage judge and competitor. A freelance instructor, she has twenty years experience of training career students and competition partnerships, and teaches both in the UK and overseas. She is the author and consultant editorof several training manuals for the BHS, as well as Progressive Riding Exercises for Dressage and Jumping and Learn to Ride with British Horse Society.
Carsten Engelke comes from a German family of riders. He is a former professional rider and a banker, who owned an equestrian equipment store Reitsport Engelke until 2012. He now runs a saddle specialist company SaddleMe and develops innovative saddle designs. He has led the technical development and design of Prestige Saddles since 2011. He collaborates with the Universities of Hanover and Leipzig on research about equine biomechanics and the effects of saddles and other equipment on the horse.
Paraller Sessions
MIRJAMI MIETTINEN (FI)
Mirjami Miettinen is a veterinarian currently specializing in equine diseases. She is particularly interested in the dental care of horses and bit fitting, on which she has conducted clinical research.
HELI HYYTIÄINEN (FI)
Heli Hyytiäinen is a broadly trained physiotherapist who works at the Equine and Small Animal Hospitals of the University of Helsinki Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Her interests include foals, the biomechanics and musculature of horses, functional anatomy, and assessment of pain in horses. She is active in research, and holds a Master’s degree in Veterinary Physiotherapy from Royal Veterinary College, London, and a doctorate from the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
Tuulia Luomala is a physiotherapist with specialties in manipulative treatments and animal physiotherapy. She has expanded her mind with numerous short courses in Finland and abroad, ranging from pilates to acupuncture and kinesio taping. She has treated both humans and animals in her private clinic since 2000, when she completed her first physiotherapy degree at Tampere Polytechnic. She has been a keen rider since the age of 11.
Sanna Mattila-Rautiainen has worked as a riding therapist and riding therapy teacher since 1990. She holds the degree of Master of Health Sciences with specialty in sports medicine and is currently a doctoral student at the Department of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. She is President of HETI, Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy International.
MARKKU SAASTAMOINEN (FI)
Markku Saastamoinen is an internationally acknowledged equine scholar with specialties in horse nutrition and breeding. He is a frequent expert presenter in Finnish equine events and has published multiple research articles in international scientific journals. Dr. Saastamoinen works as a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland.
PAULIINA RAENTO (FI)
Pauliina Raento is a broadly trained social scientist whose interests focus on the study of politics, culture, and leisure. She is Principal Investigator of the Horse in Finland research project, funded by the Kone Foundation. She works as a Professor of Regional Science at the University of Tampere and holds a degree in Stable Management from Ypäjä Equine College. Her interests include foals, Finnhorses, equine education, trotter racing and wagering, and syndication of horse ownership.
Moderators
ULF WILKEN
Ulf Wilken is level III Instructor/Fellow of the Swedish EquestrianFederation. He is former Principal of the Strömsholm Equestrian Centre - retired but he still works for the Swedish Federation with education and as Examiner. He is a member of the IGEQ (The International Group for Equestrian Qualifications) Executive Committee since the Group was founded in 1992 and he was chairman of IGEQ 2004 - 2016.