Eve Mainwaring, an integral fixture in the Canadian equestrian sport and breeding industry, has passed away at the age of 98 on June 8th. She leaves a legacy following an impactful lifetime contributing as a breeder, coach, owner, trainer, and mentor.
Born in Estonia in 1925, Eve’s family were Baltic Germans who had to flee Estonia in 1945 when the Russians invaded. In an interview with the Brockville Recorder & Times on the occasion of her 95th birthday, Eve commented, “I grew up in a time when there were no cars, no tractors, no trucks. People rode horses to get from one place to another. Everything was horse-drawn.” The family actually escaped the country with a horse-drawn wagon and horses hitched to pull their car, as they had no gas.
Eve eventually emigrated to Canada, working in Prescott, ON and later settling in Brockville where she met and married Robert (Bertie) Mainwaring, The pair established St. Alban’s stable, where Eve bred and trained horses and ran horses shows. Robert passed away at the age of 88 in 2005.
Eve was one of the original members of the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA) and was the first president of its Ontario chapter. She judged at countless breeding shows and was been named a CWHBA Honourary Director for her efforts promoting a comprehensive breeding system in Canada.
When Eve met Ian Millar they quickly formed a friendship and business partnership that took them to Belgium in search of a top jumping mount for Millar. The horse they chose was Big Ben.
Millar expressed his condolences on the Team Millar Facebook page, writing in part:
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Eve Mainwaring … She lived a life full of horses, adventure, generosity, and dedication to sharing her knowledge with everyone around her. Eve was one of my first coaches and always believed in me – I taught my first-ever clinic at her farm in Brockville, Ontario. Years later, Jonathon and Amy would teach their first clinics at her stable as well.
“As our friendship grew, we began to work more closely in training and she began to support my dreams by becoming a co-owner of several horses, most notably Big Ben … I am so thankful that I crossed paths with Eve many years ago and that we were able to remain close. Millar Brooke Farm would not have become what it is today without Eve and she will be greatly missed.”
Read more about Eve here.
More from News:
