Equine Canada

Equine Canada
EC
Sport Equestrianism
Formation date 1977
Affiliation International Equestrian Federation, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee
Headquarters Ottawa, Ontario
Location Canada
Chairman Michael Gallagher
Chief Exec Akaash Maharaj
Secretary John Harris
Coach Robert Dover, Dressage; Torchy Millar, Jumping; David O'Connor, Eventing; Andrea Taylor, Para-Equestrianism
Sponsor Agriculture Canada, Canadian Heritage, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, DFAIT Canada, Own the Podium, Sport Canada
Official website
www.equinecanada.ca

Equine Canada (French: Canada Hippique), commonly known by its acronym, EC, is Canada’s comprehensive national governing body for equestrian sport. It is the executive branch of Canada’s national equestrian teams; the national association and registry of Canadian equestrian athletes; the national regulatory body for equestrian coaches, competition organizers, and judges; and the national federation of Canadian horse breeders and Canadian breed registries.

In this role, EC governs Canada’s official relations with the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), as well as Canada’s equestrian relations with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee. It also governs relations between the government of Canada and Canadian equestrian athletes and professionals.

Contents

Equestrian sport in Canada

EC governs eight FEI disciplines: dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, paraequestrian, and vaulting.[1] Two of the FEI disciplines have remained independent of EC: horseball[2] and tent pegging.[3]

EC also governs the following non-FEI disciplines: hunt seat, pony club sports, saddle seat, and some breed-specific sports. It does not regulate the non-FEI disciplines of classical dressage, horse racing, polo, or rodeo sports.

The organization serves recreational riders by certifying riding coaches and instructors, publishing national riding tests and standards, and encouraging public participation in horse sports.

EC acts as the representative of Canada’s horse breeders and breeding registries to Canada’s federal government. It also promotes Canadian-bred horses internationally.[4]

History

EC was created through the merger of the Canadian Equestrian Federation (CEF), which governed domestic equestrianism, and the Canadian Equestrian Team (CET), which represented Canada in international competition. The CEF was itself the result of an earlier merger between the National Equestrian Federation of Canada, the national domestic equestrian sport organisation, and the Canadian Horse Council, the national equestrian industry association.

Recent results

EC’s teams at the 2008 Olympics won one gold and one silver medal.[5] EC’s team at the 2008 Paralympics also won one gold and one silver medal.[6] This represents the highest Canadian equestrian achievement at any Summer Games in the history of the Olympic movement.[7]

Controversies

Damagingly in a bilingual and multicultural country, equestrian sport is often perceived in Canada as a captive of white, anglophone, social climbing classes, for which money is more important than talent or good sportsmanship.[8] EC has fought against this perception with mixed results.

EC has supported the right of horse owners to euthanize animals that are untreatably ill or injured. This has caused conflict with the Canadian movement to ban horse slaughter.

References

  1. ^ Equine Canada Sports, retrieved 7 February 2008
  2. ^ Horse-Ball Canada, retrieved 7 February 2008
  3. ^ UNICEF Team Canada Tent Pegging, retrieved 7 February 2008
  4. ^ EC Export Strategy, retrieved October 19, 2008
  5. ^ Equestrian medal results, retrieved October 19, 2008
  6. ^ Canada at the 2008 - Beijing Paralympics on paralympic.org
  7. ^ Canadian medal results by sport, retrieved October 19, 2008
  8. ^ "Stop subsidizing the horsey set", National Post, 18 August 2004

External links