Name: Gina Smith
Date of Birth: November 11, 1957
Place of Birth: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Height: 5’9″
What type of books do you like reading?
Anything my niece buys me for Christmas. What are you currently reading? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Are there any TV shows you can’t miss?
Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, and I get hooked on shows like Survivor, So You think You Can Dance and American Idol.
What’s on your iPod?
Only my freestyle music.
Who’s #1 on your speed-dial?
Franklands Farm
What’s your favourite meal?
A crunchy green mixed salad, roast pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, ice cream and chocolate sauce for desert.
If you won $50 million in a lottery, what would you do with the money?
My family would be taken care of, I would pay my mortgage and renovate my 1860 triplex, I would get a good financial advisor.
What’s your on-line addiction? (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Spider Solitaire
What is the coolest place you have ever visited?
Salzburg, Austria. Not just the show grounds but the city.
Where do you want to see yourself in five years, not only in regard to horses?
Healthy, my mortgage paid, my students successful.
Tell us about your first horse or pony.
My first horse in pony club in Saskatoon was leased. He was a palomino gelding named Pal-O -Mine. He was a super character and perfect for my beginner year.
Is there someone you consider your mentor?
I have had several mentors along my journey, my parents and several instructors but my biggest mentor is Faith Berghuis.
What is your favourite show venue, and why?
Aachen is absolutely unbeatable in my mind, the venue, organization, all the disciplines, horse friendly, people friendly, the closing ceremonies is spectacular.
If you could be granted one wish, what would it be?
The earth’s environment would become more normal again and stop changing for the worse.
What is one of your worst habits/faults?
Being too hard on a working student when I want them to do well.
Do you have any good luck charms or superstitions that you live by?
Me and my family have always had good luck with 13, anything that adds up to 13 or multiples of 13. Numbers play an interesting part ie Malte was 13 the year we won the bronze medal in ’88. His bridle number in Seoul was 138. We were 12th individually 1+3+8=12. I also believe in ghosts. That is a very long story!
Do you have a cat or dog?
We have 3 cats at the farm, one in the house and 2 in the barn, I have a German shepherd dog. Does it go to shows with you? He does not go to shows, he has a much better life staying home on the farm keeping track of my working students, sleeping on their couch and in their beds with them. He does not go on the couch or in bed at my place.
What are your biggest pet peeves?
Unsafe practices in the stable, poorly mannered horses, impatient riders, dirty anything.
If you couldn’t ride anymore, what would you do with your life, besides coaching?
I would like to write a book and hope to show how my journey led me the way it did with sticking to long term goals. Learn more about ghosts.
Who is your favorite non-equestrian celebrity?
The couple of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have used their celebrity to help others all over the world.
What was the scariest experience of your life?
2 experiences come to mind, an almost head on collision while driving with my friend Nancy MacLachlan on our way back west from a summer in Ontario with a 2 horse trailer, Nancy handled it perfectly. Flying home from the Pan Am Games in Cuba with the horses and experiencing a rapid decompression with the plane because the seal broke on the cargo door. We went from 38,000′ to 10,000′ in less than a minute.
