Ottawa, Ontario-Equine Canada has named Billie Derouet the 2007 Junior Equestrian of the Year.
The Gillian Wilson Award is given annually to the Junior Equestrian of the Year in recognition of a junior competitor who has made outstanding contributions to equestrian competition and who has exemplified exceptional talent, sportsmanship, and dedication to the sport. Billie Derouet of Bromont, Quebec, demonstrates excellent examples of each of these qualities.
At the age of 15 Billie qualified for the 2007 national final of the Kubota Cup Canadian Show Jumping Series at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. She finished in fifth place by tackling the technical 12-jump course designed by Canadian Olympian Michel Vaillancourt.
In addition to her success at the Kubota Cup, Derouet was a member of the silver medal Quebec Junior team at the 2007 North American Young Riders’ Championship in Lexington, Virginia. She was also the overall reserve champion of level eight show jumping in Quebec, and won both Jump Canada Talent Squad qualifiers at the International Bromont and Blainville Jumping International. Billie finished in third place at the National Talent Squad Final at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto and was named to the 2008 Jump Canada Talent Squad.
“This is a really big honour to win Equine Canada Junior Equestrian of the Year, and I am very excited to be in Calgary to receive the award,” mentioned Derouet. “I work really hard, and I appreciate the recognition.”
At the Equine Canada Annual Awards Gala, on Saturday February 10, 2008, in Calgary, Alberta, Derouet will be awarded with the Gillian Wilson Trophy, created in honor of Gillian Wilson, who was the Technical Director of Canadian Equestrian Federation (now Equine Canada) from 1977 until her retirement on December 31, 1992. Each winner holds the Trophy for one year, retains a plaque and receives $1,000.
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