Dressage Canada (DC) is pleased to name Gina Smith as the DC Volunteer of the Month for April.
As an accomplished dressage rider, Smith was first named to the Canadian Equestrian Team (CET) in 1984 and was the reserve rider for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Since then some of the highlights of her impressive career include representing the CET with Malte at the 1986 World Championships in Cedar Valley, ON, helping Canada earn the Team Bronze Medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, and riding Dutch Treat as a member of Canada’s Gold Medal Team at the 1991 Pan Am Games in Havana. In addition, partnered with Faust, she was part of the CET at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and in 2000 represented Canada at the World Cup Final in Holland aboard Fledermaus.
Since 1990, Smith has been training and teaching at Franklands Farm in Brockville, ON, developing young horses and riders for international competition. She has been a Level 3 Coach since 1991 and is a High Performance 1 Coach Evaluator.
With all this experience to share, Smith has been generous in giving back to dressage through volunteering. She is a past Chair of the DC High Performance Committee, and a former member of the DC High Performance Criteria Sub Committee, the DC Coaching Committee, and the DC Board. She has also represented dressage twice on the Own the Podium task force.
Additionally, Smith acted as Assistant Chef d’Équipe to the Canadian Dressage Team at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY, and as Chef d’Équipe at both the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, MEX, and 2012 London Olympic Games. She continues to be active in fundraising efforts for dressage and also looks after the organization and management of all team equipment for major games.
For all that she has done and continues to do for the sport, Smith is a deserving recipient of the DC Volunteer of the Month Award.
If you know of a volunteer who deserves recognition, nominations are quick and easy through the DC website. Nominations for the award are accepted until the 20th day of each month, making May 20 the next deadline to submit the name of a volunteer who has made a difference to the sport of dressage.
Questions and comments on the DC Volunteer of the Month Award can be directed to Christine Peters at cpeters@equinecanada.ca.
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