Less than a year since becoming the chair of Equestrian Canada’s Eventing Committee, Nicholas Austin has resigned his post.
Austin has been a long-time volunteer in eventing having attended many competitions with his mother, Minna Renz. A strong believer in supporting the community, Renz would volunteer her son for various duties at the show when she was competing. His roles have increased over the years and he’s been a fence judge at the Atlanta Olympics, as well as controller at Bromont CCI3* and during the 2015 Pan Am Games. Austin joined the Eventing Committee in April 2020 and became Chair in February, 2021 when the previous Chair, Ruth Allum, resigned.
In a recent article about the state of Eventing in Canada, Austin voiced his concerns about how the sport was being managed by Equestrian Canada. Those concerns escalated and caused him to resign.
“I’ve resigned for three main reasons. First, Equestrian Canada has treated the volunteers with disrespect. Second, [EC] is making changes to the sport without consultation with the committee. And third, there is little evidence to show they actually comprehend the ramifications of any of their decisions as it relates to Eventing.”
The path forward for the Eventing Committee is not clear. Riders and volunteers remain confused over the direction of the sport and who will be responsible for deciding on and guiding that path.
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