Dayton Gorsline Permanently Suspended by Equestrian Canada Following Safe Sport Investigation

Dayton Gorsline, a longtime figure in Canadian equestrian sport, has been permanently suspended from all Equestrian Canada (EC) activities following a ruling by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC). The June 11, 2025 decision declared Gorsline permanently ineligible to participate in sport due to findings of “Prohibited Behaviour,” including boundary transgressions, grooming, physical maltreatment, and sexual maltreatment.

The suspension will come as a shock to the equestrian community as the Alberta-based coach, clinician, and competitor played a prominent role in Canadian show jumping for decades. Based in Okotoks, AB, Gorsline first made a name for himself as a professional rider at Spruce Meadows in the late 1980s before joining his wife, Lisa Carlsen, in operating Trademark Stables in 2002.

Over the years, Gorsline’s influence extended deep into the national athlete development pipeline. He was instrumental as a selection committee member and chef d’equipe of Canada’s young jumping talent who attended the North American Youth Championships (NAYC). In 2019, he was appointed Equestrian Canada’s Jumping Youth Development Program Advisor, succeeding Beth Underhill. He also served on the board of CAN Jump, a Canadian jumping development initiative.

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The OSIC investigation into Gorsline was carried out under the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), a framework adopted by national sport organizations across Canada. EC confirmed that the incidents leading to the sanction fall within OSIC’s jurisdiction and were investigated, decided upon, and sanctioned entirely by the independent body.

“On June 11, 2025, Equestrian Canada was notified by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, known as OSIC, that Dayton Gorsline had been declared permanently ineligible to participate in sport,” the national federation said in a statement. “We have suspended him from all Equestrian Canada activities. To ensure the immediate enforcement of the decision we notified key partners — including the FEI, Provincial and Territorial organizations, and the United States Equestrian Federation — as well as our internal staff, Jumping Committee and High Performance Advisory Groups. As a result, the judgement is being implemented across our sport. Equestrian Canada has terminated all contracts with Dayton Gorsline, who had been working as a Youth Technical Advisor since March of 2019.”

As a result, Gorsline is barred from coaching, teaching, or participating in any competition or competition venue under the Canadian sport system. This restriction applies not only to national and international competitions, but also to private facilities. Any breach of this ineligibility would need to be reported directly to OSIC for enforcement.

Equestrian Canada emphasized that while they enforce the outcome within the sport, they are not involved in the investigative or decision-making process. “The investigation, decision-making, and sanctioning process were entirely conducted by OSIC,” EC noted. “Since we were not involved in the investigation, Equestrian Canada has no additional insights into the process or grounds for the decision. Any inquiries regarding OSIC’s procedures or the specifics of the ruling should be directed to OSIC.”

EC further confirmed that Gorsline’s had previously passed all required screening protocols, including police checks, a vulnerable sector search, and completion of the Foster Healthy Equestrian Environments training.

Gorsline retains the right to appeal the decision, and all parties involved are therefore limited in what they can publicly disclose. His 21-day window for appeal started June 11. EC stated that it remains committed to upholding the integrity of the Safe Sport process and encourages all participants in Canadian equestrian sport to report concerns directly through the appropriate channels.

As of this writing, there have been no additional complaints or actions reported to Equestrian Canada. “EC has a robust SafeSport reporting program. Because reports are filed directly with the ITP we would not be made aware if there are any additional actions processed,” said EC’s High Performance Director, James Hood, “but we’ve had no indications that there are.”

Gorsline was contacted for comment, but none was received before this item was posted.