Equine Canada Now Accepting Nominations for 2009 Annual Awards Gala

Ottawa, ONâ€”Equine Canada is excited to once again present our Annual Awards Gala. Featured as part of the Equine Canada Annual Convention, this prestigious event will be held Saturday, February 7, 2009 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Ottawa. Guests will enjoy a full plated meal during the awards presentation followed by an evening of dancing as part of this fantastic evening that acknowledges the Canadian equestrian accomplishments of 2008.

As our competition season begins to draw to a close, we would like to remind everyone of the criteria of our prestigious Equine Canada awards and the importance of nominating those you feel are worthy of such recognition. We would also like to proudly introduce you to the new Equine Canada / Just Add Horses Environment Award.

Official award criteria and nomination forms can be found on Equine Canadaâ€™s website www.equinecanada.ca or by calling 613-248-3433 x 111. The deadline for all nominations will be 4:00 p.m. EST, Friday November 28, 2008.

THE DOCTOR GEORGE JACOBSEN TROPHY â€” Equine Canada Equestrian of the Year

In 1995 Equine Canada announced the creation of this trophy in honour of Doctor George Jacobsen, D.Sc., O.C., F.A.I.N.A., P. Eng. The Equine Canada Equestrian of the Year Award is given annually to the equestrian who has demonstrated superior sportsmanship, dedication and the pursuit of excellence in equestrian competition for the current year. Each winner holds the trophy for one year and receives a plaque.

To be nominated, the candidate must

Â· hold a valid EC Sport Licence.

Some proof of Canadian Citizenship or Landed Immigrant status may be requested.

2007 Recipient: Eric Lamaze

THE GILLIAN WILSON TROPHY â€” Equine Canada Junior Equestrian of the Year

This trophy was created in 1993, in honour of Gillian Wilson who was the Technical Director of Canadian Equestrian Federation (now Equine Canada) from 1977 until her retirement on December 31, 1992. The Equine Canada Junior Equestrian of the Year Award is given annually to the junior competitor who has made outstanding contributions to equestrian competition and who has exemplified exceptional talent, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport. Each winner holds the trophy for one year retains a plaque and receives $1,000.

To win the Gillian Wilson Trophy, the candidate must

Â· hold a valid Equine Canada Sport Licence with Canadian Citizenship or Landed Immigrant Status,

Â· have paid their Equine Canada Sport Licence fees at the start of the year before their first competition to be eligible,

Â· willingly abide by Equine Canada rules.

Â· be polite to all officials,

Â· show talent as a rider or driver,.

Â· have shown successfully, not necessarily winning, but demonstrating improvement throughout the year,

Â· accept winning and losing gracefully, and

Â· show concern for and kindness to their horse or pony at all times.

2007 Recipient: Billie Derouet

EC VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes annually an outstanding volunteer who has contributed to equestrian sport and Equine Canada. Volunteer services may include years of participation, administration, contribution, innovation or the advancement through media coverage. This award is presented to an individual who has dedicated themselves to the ideals of Equine Canada, who has worked tirelessly for the improvement of the organization and who has had a notable impact on the sport.

All nominations will be considered under the following criteria.

The nominee must

Â· be active in the current year,

Â· be an equestrian volunteer, in any capacity, at the national level, and

Â· hold a valid Equine Canada membership, either through a provincial federation or Equine Canada recognized member association, and have, through their volunteer activities, made a special and significant contribution to equestrian sport.

2007 Recipient: Corlin Bordeaux

SUSAN JANE ANSTEY MEDIA AWARD

Susan Jane Anstey was a valiant champion of Canada’s development in international equestrian sport. As a long-time supporter of the Canadian Equestrian Team, Anstey recognized that the ride to the podium for Canadian competitors begins in the barns and paddocks at home. Amongst her many volunteer and industry sponsorship contributions, she chaired the task force that resulted in the creation of Jump Canada, and established the Horse Sport Young Riders Scholarship Fund in 1998 to recognize the top Canadian performers at the annual North American Young Riders Championship in the three Olympic disciplines. As that rare combination of publisher and working journalist, Anstey provided a dedicated Canadian journalistic presence at World Equestrian Games and Olympic Competitions from 1984 through to Greece in 2004. Through her work with the FEI Media Advisory Committee and her leadership of the International Alliance of Equine Journalists, Anstey built a bridge that linked Canadian horse sport to the rest of the world. Through publications such as Horse Sport, Horse-Canada and Canadian Thoroughbred, Susan Jane provided a national voice for the Canadian equestrian community, and a forum for a national dialogue on the issues that have affected and defined our sport. In memory of Anstey, and in recognition of her invaluable contributions to Canadian equine interests, Equine Canada will present the Susan Jane Anstey Media Award to an exceptional individual who has delivered outstanding media coverage that served to enhance the image of Canadian equine interests to the Canadian public. This award promises to become one of Equine Canadaâ€™s most prestigious awards and will mirror the same class and dignity that Anstey brought to the equine industry and those she knew and loved.

Nominations for this prestigious award will be considered under the following criteria:

entries are open to works in all areas of equestrian interests;

consideration will be granted to individuals only;

types of media under consideration includes individual work or contributions to

print media publications,

Internet,

television broadcast, and

photography.

Recognized submissions can be

one specific story or event,

an on-going story or event, and

overall outstanding effort for the year.

entries must clearly demonstrate a clear focus of enhancing the image of equestrian interests to the Canadian public;

all submissions must have been published or aired for the first time between December 1, 2007, and October 31, 2008;

print and photography submissions must have been published in a viable publication, paid-circulation, member-based, non-profit, or similar, or on the Internet at a site that is a same-name affiliate of a print or broadcast news organization; and

television entries must have aired in at least one broadcast in Canada, or otherwise have been made available to Canadian households through public television, satellite or cable.

All entries must be submitted with an Official Nomination Form for the 2008 Susan Jane Anstey Media Award. Entries must originate with the author (article), editor (publication of the year, website), producer or reporter (broadcast submissions), or photographer. All entries must include a brief cover letter, signed by the author (or other, as outlined above) stating his/her desire to enter his/her materials, with accompanying contact information. In cases where two or more people are submitting their work jointly, all parties submitting must sign the cover letter. Editors or managers may submit print materials on behalf of authors, provided such submissions include the cover letter described above, signed by the actual author. All other third-party submissions will be rejected.

The Equine Canada Awards Committee reserves the right to determine the eligibility of all entries, and to disqualify entries if necessary. The Equine Canada Awards Committee also reserves the right not to bestow the award based on the quantity or the quality of submissions.

2006 Recipient: Francis Litzinger (CBC Country Canada)

EQUINE CANADA LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Equine Canada is proud to open for nominations the Equine Canada Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes an individual whose contributions to the Canadian equestrian (equine) community are considered exceptional by their peers and whose long-term service and dedication have contributed directly to the ongoing growth and development of Canadian equine sport and industry.

Please note that the Equine Canada Lifetime Achievement Award will not be awarded posthumously.

This prestigious award will be reserved for individuals of the highest exception and therefore will be awarded when warranted and not necessarily awarded on an annual basis.

2007 Recipient: Jack Pemberton

NEW! Equine Canada / Just Add Horses Environment Award

Equine Canada and Alex Milne and Associates have partnered to offer this award to recognize a member of Equine Canada who practices and promotes outstanding and environmentally-friendly stewardship practices at their equine facility.

Areas of environmental awareness and conservationism can include, but arenâ€™t limited to

water (quality and quantity),

manure and pasture management,

energy efficiency,

dust and odour management, and

biodiversity and beneficial management practices.

The â€œJust Add Horsesâ€ line of products was created by Alex Milne and Associates and was developed specifically by equine professionals and enthusiasts to improve the Health and Environment of horses, riders, trainers and staff.

The winner of this award will receive a plaque and be commemorated on the Equine Canada / Just Add Horses Environment Award.