BC Equestrian Eventing Association

Eventing, also known as Horse Trials or Combined Training, is an exciting sport in which horse and rider must safely and successfully complete three different phases of competition.

 Announcement: Planned competiton and BCEA clinic calendar is posted now.

Event Locations in BC

Maple Ridge Equi-Sports Centre

A family orientated equestrian facility in the heart of Maple Ridge. MREC supports a variety of disciplines including four Horse Trials, Hunter/Jumper shows and a variety of schooling shows throughout each season. MREC has five all weather sand rings, an 18-acre cross country field, 100 covered show stalls and fully licensed Pub on site.

Chase Creek Eventing

Located in the Southern Interior of BC, Chase Creek is a beautiful equestrian center for eventing with a good balance of rolling and flat terrain. There are two large water complexes, many natural jump sites and a great mix of treed and open areas. Our cross-country courses are big, bold, straightforward tracks which are designed to give horses confidence and riders a feeling of accomplishment.

We will not be running the Mustang Powder Horse Trials any more but hope to be able to host clinics from time to time.

Campbell Valley Equestrian Society

The Campbell Valley Equestrian Society (CVES) is a non-profit organization that is run by volunteers with all revenue generated being put back into the facilities at the park.

CVES built and maintains the riding ring, cross-country jumps and the corrals at the park under an agreement with Metro Vancouver Parks. Beyond maintaining the facilities, CVES organizes Dressage, Jumper and Cross-country schooling days and the exciting the 3 Day Horse Trials in August.

Island 22 Equestrian Park

Island 22 is a regional park located along the edge of the Fraser River in Chilliwack, British Columbia. It is a very diverse park with a boat launch, a bike park, an off-leash dog walking area, and the equestrian park on the other side of the dyke.

The equestrian park has become one of the main training grounds for riders in the Fraser Valley. It is a safe, affordable and beautiful site for all users to enjoy. The park has been around for over 30 years and has lots of history with the equestrian community.

BCEA Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

[email protected]

JULIE JOHANNSON

President

Co-Chair - Selection Committee
Chair - Governance and Nominations
Treasurer - Adult Rider Program

DEBBIE DOROSH

Vice President

Chair - Education

IAN MACLEAN

Treasurer

JAN MILLS

Secretary

Chair - AGM/Banquet
Treasurer - Young Rider Program

MARILYN GREGORY

NON DIRECTOR CONTACT

Memberships
Media & Communications

DIRECTORS

MAEVE DREW

Director

YR Coach Leader

LYNDA RAMSAY

Director

Co-Chair - Organizers
Chair - Safety & Rules
Chair - Expansion Working Group

CAROL MCDONALD

Director

Chair - Scholarships
Omnibus Coordinator
Co-Chair - Organizers
Co-Chair - Selection
Chair - Membership

NICOLE KOVACIK

Director

Chair - Media & Website
Chair - Champs/Teams/Awards

BOB MASON

Director

BRANDY SAUNDERS

Director

Chair - Young Rider Program

SARAH MACKENZIE

Director

MELISSA REIMCHE

Director

KATY OSTBERG

Director

KATHLEEN WEARE

Director

Chair - Sponsorship Committee
Chair - Funding

 

SARA SELLMER

Director

Chair - Adult Rider Program

A History of Eventing in BC

Eventing in BC. the ‘70s

A memory trip on when and where it all started

Eventing arrived in BC in 1970-71. Pam Arthur had invited Albertan Pip Graham to come and look at property and possibly help design a XC course. Pip had brought eventing to Alberta at his Graham Ranches property in Black Diamond and his wife Nikki and daughter Juliette were keen riders.

This led to the first official recognized competition in BC. at “Livingston Park”, a property in Langley owned by Errol Fisher and managed by Pam Arthur. In the same year in Maple Ridge at “MREC” then manager Zolton Stehlo also hosted MRECs first recognized eventing competition. At these original BC competitions, the lowest division offered was the Training division level which was the lowest level national division offered when eventing started in Canada.

MREC has now annually hosted a recognized eventing competition for over 50 years.

In 1971-72 the first recognized eventing competition on Vancouver Island was held at “Pine Paddocks”, a property on the Island Highway just south of Duncan managed by Dave and Pat Bowron. Today the original Training division rock wall XC jump still stands in their driveway fence line.

In the same early 1970’s time frame the first BC Interior South Okanagan recognized eventing competition was held in Oliver, hosted and managed by David and Rosemary Holmes-Smith. The competition base was the Oliver Fairgrounds where Dressage and Stadium Jumping phases were held, and the XC course was located several kilometers away at “Sea Crest Park” which meant trailering horses to the park for their XC phase and then back to the fairgrounds for stabling.

The BC Young Rider program also began in the early ‘70s and in 1974 for the first time the North American Young Rider Championships (NAYRC) came to Canada and was held at a farm called Jokers Hill, in southern Ontario, about a half hour drive from Toronto. BC organized a team and with Ron Trickett driving a leased 12 horse van, hauled the first YR team to Ontario with Pam Arthur as coach. In those early days NAYRC was run at the Intermediate division level. Team members were Nick Holmes-Smith on Country Yucca, Holly Wells on Mr.WW, Marion Thomas on High Piece, Lindsay Joyce on High Voltage and Sloan Hammond on Bird Watcher and the team came home with 2nd place and the silver medal.

The original name for eventing in Canada was the “Canadian Combined Training Association” (CCTA) and BC followed suit with the provincial organization named BCCTA and it remained so until 1979 when BC was incorporated under the BC Societies Act and the name was changed to Horse Trials BC (HTBC) which again followed the national name change to Horse Trials Canada. (HTC).

The 1970’s also produced BC’s first eventing officials with Pam Arthur becoming a recognized eventing XC course designer and eventing coach, and myself BC’s first recognized Technical Delegate (TD).

BC Competitors at World Events

1980 Olympics - Moscow

Nick Holmes-Smith

1988 Olympics - Seoul

Nick Holmes-Smith
David Wilding-Davies

1990 World Equestrian Games - Stockholm

Nick Holmes-Smith
Therese Washtock
David Wilding-Davies

1991 Pan Am Games - Georgia

Nick Holmes-Smith

2004 Olympics - Athens

Hawley Bennett-Awad
Bruce Mandeville
Ian Roberts

1992 Olympics - Barcelona

Nick Holmes-Smith

1994 World Equestrian Games - The Hague

Chelan Kozak
Bruce Mandeville

1996 Olympics - Atlanta

Chelan Kozak
Therese Washtock

1998 World Equestrian Games - Rome

Karen Brain

2000 Olympics - Sydney

Bruce Mandeville

2002 World Equestrian Games - Jerez de la Frontera

Bruce Mandeville

2006 World Equestrian Games - Aachen

Ian Roberts

2008 Olympics - Beijing

Samantha St Jacques

2010 World Equestrian Games - Lexington

Hawley Bennett-Awad
Rebecca Howard
Steph Rhodes Bosch

2011 Pan Am Games - Guadalajara

Hawley Bennett-Awad
Rebecca Howard

2012 Olympics - London

Hawley Bennett-Awad
Rebecca Howard

2014 World Equestrian Games - Normandy

Hawley Bennett-Awad

2016 Olympics - Rio de Janeiro

Rebecca Howard

2018 World Equestrian Games - Tryon

Hawley Bennett-Awad
Lisa Marie Ferguson

2019 Pan Am Games - Lima

Dana Cooke

Bursaries & Scholarships

Jordan McDonald Young Rider Bursary

We offer this bursary in honor of Jordan’s memory and the McDonald family hopes his story will inspire BC young riders and help give them just a little ”leg up”.

Congratulations to Lee-Anne Rhead for your deserving win of the 2023 Jordan McDonald Young Rider of Distinction award!!

BCEA/Mary Swanson Educational Scholarship

The Scholarship is given in memory of Mary Swanson in recognition of the huge contribution that she made to eventing and BCEA over many years. The aim of this scholarship is to assist BCEA members or their immediate family (spouse, child or grandchild) when pursuing post-secondary education.

 

The 2023 Mary Swanson Scholarship goes to Jessica Spoletini. Congratulations Jessica!

 

Sponsors

Mustang Powder Lodge is a Snowcat skiing operation located in the remote Monashee mountains northwest of Revelstoke. From December to April we offer 3,4 and 5 day all-inclusive ski holidays.

It is a guided skiing or snowboarding program in powder snow. Guests are treated to gourmet meals, massages, hot tub etc.