QUEENSLAND and Australian dressage lost two great people in past weeks.

Eleanor Russell, great coach, wonderful character and author of some of the best dressage instructional books published in Australia, died on Sunday in Queensland.

A strong character, passionate about horse sport and horses, she was a devotee of the teaching of the master trainer Nuno Olivera, and worked with him for some time overseas.

One of the pioneers of dressage, Judy Mackay, died on January 13.

Judy lived inland from the coast, on the Queensland-NSW border and travelled many thousands of kilometres to compete.

Judy was often the only competitor at Grand Prix level.

She was one of the first Australian dressage riders to train horses to grand prix level and among of the first to venture overseas on a home bred and trained horse.

Judy began training dressage horses at a time when few Australian horse people knew what the sport was about. She inspired so many.

story: Fran Cleland www.weeklytimesnow.com.au