Toronto, ON, Nov. 4, 2019 – Kim Morrison of Calgary, AB, was honoured with the title of 2019 JC Official of the Year in recognition of more than a quarter century dedicated to strengthening and improving the state of show jumping in Canada and beyond.
A former grand prix show jumper, Morrison decided to become an official to give back to the sport that gave her so much as an athlete. She has achieved that goal many times over, building a distinguished career that has covered a variety of roles including Judge, Steward and Ground Jury Member. With Morrison’s current designations of FEI Level 4 Jumping Judge and EC certified Senior Jumper Judge, her expertise allows for the smooth and safe running of competitions at every level. Furthermore, her exemplary character and tremendous skill have made her a leader and pillar of Canada’s show jumping world, as well as an outstanding representative of the maple leaf on the world stage.
Morrison has been selected as a Member of the Ground Jury at prestigious events around the globe, including five World Cup Finals, the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2010 Lexington World Equestrian Games. Most recently, she acted as Jumping Ground Jury President at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games in Peru.
Despite her busy schedule, Morrison always finds time to contribute to educational and mentorship initiatives: In fact, she spent hours teaching an EC Jumper Judges Clinic at The Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON, on Nov. 3, right before accepting her JC Official of the Year Award at the Jump Canada Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala later that evening. Morrison’s long and celebrated career is a testament not only to her professional excellence, but also to her complete devotion to the sport and the people that comprise it.
“Kim has dedicated herself to a sport she truly loves and respects,” said Lisa Osachoff, an FEI Level 3 Jumper Judge and EC Senior Judge in Jumper, Hunt and Hunt Seat Equitation who co-taught the Nov. 3 clinic alongside Morrison. “This comes through in how she conducts herself as an official, and how she has supported other professionals that would like to start to judge or those who want to develop as officials. Kim has been able to achieve many milestones during her judging career. I think if you asked her about some of her favourite moments it would all come down to the horses and the people. Working with the organizing committees, stewards, riders, announcers and her fellow jury members, along with watching and appreciating the talent of all the truly amazing horses, is really why she does this.”
Morrison added, “In the almost 30 years of acting as an EC and FEI official, I have been extremely fortunate in the experiences I have been given. I have travelled all over the world, witnessed amazing sport, learned from the best, mentored young judges and tried to make a positive impact. I am very thankful for the recognition from EC for my contributions. It is an honour to be named JC Official of the Year for 2019.”
This is the second JC Official of the Year title for Morrison, who was also presented with the award in 2013. EC is pleased to once again have the opportunity to recognize the immense value that Morrison brings to both the organization and the sport of show jumping worldwide.
First introduced in 2004, the JC Official of the Year Award was created to shed light on the talented and knowledgeable officials who help ensure EC sanctioned competitions are safe, fair and fun for all participants. Morrison is part of a list of distinguished award recipients, which includes Eric Ratledge (2018), John “JT” Taylor (2017) and Michel Vaillancourt (2016). For a full list of recipients, click here.
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PHOTO – The award for 2019 JC Official of the Year was presented to Kim Morrison (left) of Calgary, AB, by Pam Law, Chair of the EC Jumping Committee, at the Jump Canada Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala, presented by BMO Financial Group, held on Nov. 3, 2019, at the Liberty Grand in Toronto, ON.
PHOTO CREDIT – Michelle C. Dunn