Annual Awards Presented during Jump Canada Hall of Fame Gala

Running Fox, Brian Gingras, David Esworthy and Michael Lawrence were honoured as the 2012 Jump Canada award winners in a special ceremony held during the annual Jump Canada Hall of Fame Gala on November 4 in Toronto, ON.

Running Fox has been named as the Jump Canada Sponsor of the Year. Since 2000, Canadian owned Running Fox of Caledon, ON, a retailer of prestigious English riding apparel, has sponsored the CET Medal Regional Finals in four different provinces and the CET Medal Final at the Royal Winter Fair Horse Show in Toronto, ON.

Each year, Running Fox has provided Walsh grooming slips with a commemorative brass plate to the top four regional finalists in each of Canada’s four regional finals. At the CET Medal Final, a Luc Childeric saddle is presented to the overall champion, with wool trophy coolers to the champion and reserve. In addition, six monogrammed scrims to the competitors that finish third to eight place and Walsh halters with a commemorative brass plate to the top eight finalists.

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“It has been a joy and privilege for Running Fox to sponsor the CET Finals for the last 12 years,” said Debra Smith, co-owner of Running Fox.

Jump Canada has named Brian Gingras as the 2012 Owner of the Year. In 2009, Brian Gingras’ daughter Elizabeth started riding with Canadian Olympian Jill Henselwood. This new partnership forged the way for Henselwood to pursue her career with international caliber horses on the Canadian Show Jumping Team riding George, owned by B. Gingras Equestrian Limited, at the 2011 Pan American Games and the 2012 Olympics, while preparing Elizabeth to take over the reins and enter the international ring. Riding Avensis 4, IV Ever and George, Henselwood has been a force to be reckoned with each time she enters the Grand Prix ring. Recently, Henselwood and George finished in second place in the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson, held September 7-9, 2012.

“We are very pleased to be named as the 2012 Jump Canada Owner of the Year,” said Gingras, of Edmonton, AB. “It is quite an honour to be included in such exclusive company as the previous winners of this award.”

With an illustrious career as an FEI and Equine Canada judge and steward, David Esworthy of Langley, BC, was named as the 2012 Jump Canada Official of the Year. Esworthy has been described as a true horseman, in that he has served in virtually every role possible in equestrian sport: as a rider, judge, steward, clinician, horseshow organizer, horseshow chair, administrator and industry advisor. When the FEI established the Steward designation, Esworthy became an FEI Steward in all three Olympic disciplines. Concurrently, he followed his interest in show jumping and went from an Equine Canada Senior Status judge to FEI International Candidate to FEI judge. Esworthy was also one of about 15 individuals selected to go to Europe for an intensive seminar to become qualified to give courses and exams for international jumping judges and aspirants to the designation.

“It is a huge honour to be named official of the year when I think of all the highly skilled and respected officials that we have in Canada,” said an always humble Esworthy. “There have been so many events that have stood out during my career over the years from presiding at major CSIOs to giving a course in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, but the real highlight for me occurs when a competitor thanks me for officiating and being fair.”

Michael Lawrence of St Lazare, QC, was honoured as the Jump Canada Volunteer of the Year for 2012 in recognition of his dedicated support and development of the hunter and jumper sport. Lawrence became a member of the Jump Canada Competitions committee in 2007, and has chaired that committee with his leadership and guidance since 2008. In addition to his chair responsibilities, Lawrence is a member of the Jump Canada FEI Approval Committee, Jump Canada Levy Committee and was a member of the Jump Canada Competition Task Force charged with examining all aspects of the current Jump Canada Competitions Policy and recommending any changes to the current policy that they consider would better serve the sport of show jumping in Canada. In addition to his volunteer duties, Lawrence has a successful horse dentist practice Eastwood Equine and, in partnership, runs Eastwood Stables, and since 2004 has been running the popular back-to-back gold hunter/jumper competitions-the Pepiniere Spring Show and St Lazare Spring Show-each May.

“I feel very fortunate to win the Jump Canada Volunteer of the year award,” said Lawrence. “They are a great group of people to work with, and it is really quite surprising to get this acknowledgement. It is very rewarding to be involved with the sport and to volunteer. Everyone should try and do it.”

For a complete list of all the previous winners of Jump Canada awards, please visit the statistics section of Jump Canada website.