With only a few months to go before the world descends on Paris for the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, the equestrian community has been joining together to support and encourage the teams.
Dressage enthusiasts recently gathered in celebration and fundraising in Florida and eventing fans have been supporting and learning through a series of online webinars with Canada’s top eventers.
DRESSAGE
Spearheaded by Lisa Von Martels, the Red and White Road to Paris event held on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at Swank Farm in Loxahatchee, FL was a resounding success, raising almost CAD$190,000! 250 attendees enjoyed incredible food, raised significant funds for the Canadian Dressage team heading to the Olympics, and had such fun doing it, that next year’s date has already been set!
Many dressage riders and owners were in attendance and those who have represented Canada wore sashes highlighting their international accomplishment. The evening was complemented by many creative minds coming together and included live music, a 360 degree photo booth, offered a plethora of fresh and delicious creations, and was MCed by Canadian television personality Melissa Grelo (of The Social). The entire Swank Table Team and Sarah Negrin were wonderful in their coordinating and delivered an amazing night on the farm.
Immense gratitude goes to Von Martels in addition to organizing co-chairs Sue Bundy and Joanne Kohen along with committee members Denielle Gallagher, Mathilde Blais, Chris Von Martels, Brittany Fraser, Jill Irving, Justin Ridgewell, Erin Ugolini, Camille Bergeron, Lindsay Kellock and Naima Moreira Laliberté.
Everyone involved share their great appreciation for all the sponsors that were instrumental in making the event a success. Thank you to:
- Massa Horses (Home – Massa Horses (elevagemassa.com))
- Massa Wine (Les Vignobles Massa)
- Jill and Robert Irving
- The Nicol Foundation
- Trubar (TRUBAR – Home – TRUBRANDS)
- Wellington Lifestyle Partners (Wellington Lifestyle Partners)
- JTWG All Equestrian Surfaces
- Meadowbrook Horse Transportation Inc
- BFL Canada (Commercial insurance solutions/risk management planning | BFL CANADA)
- Hive2o (Hive₂O | Home Of Hard Honey – Hive₂0)
- Moosehead Beer (Moosehead Breweries)
- The Andersons (The Andersons, Inc. – The Andersons (andersonsinc.com))
- Mark Samuel, Kevin Sanford and Family
- CF Construction
Thank you’s are further extended to all attendees and donors for their incredible support of the Canadian Olympic Dressage Team! All funds raised at the event will be put towards expenses for the Dressage Team heading to Paris in July. Here’s to the power of a community coming together to support the dream.
EVENTING
Over the past four months, EC’s Eventing High Performance Advisory Group organized a four-part webinar series entitled, “Conversations with Team Canada.” The webinars were coordinated in support of the Canadian Team’s “Pathway to Paris” campaign. Throughout the series, 15 Canadian eventing athletes took part in the series, where they delved into the world of high-performance eventing. Hundreds of enthusiasts took part in this exciting journey and witnessed the dedication, skill, and camaraderie that defines Team Canada.
An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the team’s journey that led them to victory at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.
Insights into the personal training and preparation of the four women who represented Canada at the 2023 Arville CCI4*-S Nation’s Cup in Belgium.
Exploration of philosophies and development techniques with young horses for the eventing discipline.
An inside perspective of our Canadian eventing athletes’ personal journeys to high performance.