Photo credit: Ian Woodley
I have always loved horses. I took a 20+ year break from riding to become an academic and a mother. I returned to riding in 2013. Somehow, my enthusiasm was contagious: my family bought our own little farm. We are animal lovers and strongly committed to providing the best health and wellbeing for our “herd”: a rescue horse, two retired Thoroughbred racehorses, a former equine-assisted therapy horse, and an adorable little miniature horse.
I am a life-long learner, in my personal life as well as my professional one. I have been coached by an Equestrian Canada (EC) high-performance coach trained at the famous Cadre Noir de Saumur, and currently work with a licensed EC coach who specializes in eventing. I compete in provincial-level eventing at the lower levels, but I am trying to become more of a barn mom or horse show mom to support junior riders’ development.
Pony Club
I am a member of the Canadian Pony Club (Horsemasters) and serve as the Assistant District Commissioner of the Windsor-Essex Pony Club. For fun, I competed in the 2025 Western Ontario Region Quiz at the A/B Level. I did not really have time to study as I am busy at work, but surprisingly, placed 2nd in the horse master division, and qualified for 2025 National Quiz to be held in Calgary, Alberta in October. My older daughter also qualified for this competition at the C Level, so it should be a fun mother-daughter trip!
Coaching, Certification, Licensing, etc.
When I have time, which is not often these days, I take courses towards obtaining my NCCP and EC Licensed Coach status. In 2022, I completed my my EC Rider Level 6, and a pre-requisite for becoming a licensed riding instructor in Canada.
Writing for Fun
Writing is also something that I love to do. You can read more about my passion in an article by Equestrian Canada and in Heels Down Mag. In addition to writing about my own experiences with horses, I write for equestrian athletes and friends. For example, I wrote press releases for an elite Canadian eventer, Lindsay Traisnel, the Team Gold and Individual Bronze Medalist at the the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games.