Ottawa, Ontario— Equine Canada is pleased to announce that Mark Samuel of Toronto, ON, has been named the 2006 Equine Canada ‘Volunteer of the Year’, sponsored by B.F. Lorenzetti and Associates (Ontario) Inc.

 

The Equine Canada ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Award annually recognizes an outstanding volunteer who has contributed to equestrian sport and to Equine Canada (EC).  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 him or herself to the ideals of EC, who has worked tirelessly for the improvement of the organization and who has had a notable impact on the sport.

 

Samuel is an ideal candidate for this award given his impressive contributions to the equestrian community including being co-founder and past president of both the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association and Jump Canada.  Samuel gives generously of his time and effort on many Equine Canada committees in addition to Jump Canada, and works tirelessly for the improvement of our sport.  Also, by sharing his extensive business knowledge and considerable equestrian expertise, Samuel is helping to make the national federation stronger.

 

Samuel’s most recent accomplishment in the Canadian equestrian community came in November of 2006 when he turned a dream into reality with the creation and launch of the Jump Canada Hall of Fame.  Samuel has always believed in recognizing the pioneers and heroes of hunter and jumper sport, and as Chair of the Hall of Fame Committee, he made that recognition possible.  The inaugural Jump Canada Hall of Fame Induction Gala was the product of an incredible amount of time and effort, and was a resounding success with over 340 supporters attending.  With the help of his Hall of Fame committee members, Samuel ensured that every detail was looked after, from obtaining sponsorships, to creating video vignettes, to securing the design of the award by one of Canada’s most distinguished artists.

 

The launch of the Hall of Fame brought Canada’s show jumping accomplishments to the attention of horse enthusiasts everywhere, and as EC President Al Patterson noted, Equine Canada and the whole world of equestrian sport benefited from this exposure.

 

A life-long horse enthusiast, Samuel’s family operates Sam Son Farms, one of Canada’s most successful Thoroughbred racing operations.  As a Grand Prix show jumping competitor, Samuel has proudly represented Canada on several Nations’ Cup teams, and was a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team at the 2003 Pan American Games.  A graduate of Harvard University, Samuel is the President of Manu-Tech Inc., a steel-related products company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

 

At the annual Equine Canada National Awards Banquet on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2007, in Ottawa, ON, Equine Canada was proud to present Samuel with the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ Award.