Dane Rawlins Named Australian Dressage Chef d'Equipe
Decades Of Championship Experience
Dane Rawlins has taken up the role of Chef d'Equipe, the title given to a national team's manager and selector, for the Australian Dressage programme, a position confirmed through the current Olympic cycle to Los Angeles 2028, as Equestrian Australia continues to build its leadership structure ahead of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Championships now under way in Aachen, Germany.
Equestrian Australia confirmed Dane Rawlins as Chef d'Equipe for the Australian Dressage programme through the current Olympic cycle to Los Angeles 2028, with the appointment announced as the FEI World Championships in dressage got under way in Aachen, Germany, running from 11 to 23 August 2026.
Rawlins brings extensive international experience to the role, having served as Chef d'Equipe on numerous occasions for English teams before taking on the Australian appointment. He competed at elite level for Ireland, including at the 2013 European Championships in Herning, and remains active as a judge and coach across both dressage and show jumping. His background in event organisation includes involvement with major international fixtures, among them the All England Jumping Course at Hickstead, where he was founder and dressage show organiser for 27 years.
The appointment forms part of a wider series of Chef d'Equipe confirmations announced by Equestrian Australia across dressage, jumping and vaulting, aimed at providing continuity and support for Australian combinations through the current championship cycle. The federation said the appointments reflect a combination of international experience, technical expertise and long-standing service to the sport, positioning Australian teams ahead of upcoming world championships and the road to LA28.
Timing Meets Aachen Championships
The confirmation lands as the FEI World Championships in dressage get under way in Aachen, running from 11 to 23 August 2026, a fixture regarded as one of the sport's most demanding tests of team strength and championship management. Rawlins's role will see him support Australian combinations both on home soil and at international fixtures as the federation works to build depth ahead of the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.
A Career Spanning Germany And Canada
Rawlins's coaching and judging background spans a career that took him from working as a student in Germany under George Theodorescu to training in Canada with Christilot Boylen, before returning to the United Kingdom to focus on competing and coaching at the top level. His experience organising championship-standard events, alongside his history in the Chef d'Equipe role for English squads, was cited by Equestrian Australia as central to his suitability for a position that combines technical oversight with team management across multiple international fixtures each year.
Equestrian Australia's Chef d'Equipe appointments also included a dressage counterpart with recent championship experience dating to the 2022 World Championships in Herning, alongside separate confirmations across jumping and vaulting, as the federation looks to consolidate its leadership team well ahead of the Los Angeles Games. With Rawlins now in place through the LA28 cycle, Australian dressage enters the Aachen championships with its team management structure settled for the seasons ahead.