Glen Oro Looks Forward to 2025 Season

Glen Oro Farm, one of Canada’s premier Eventing venues and a leader in Ontario’s Eventing community, has launched an exciting 2025 season — one that is already underway despite the powerful ice storm that swept through the region in late March.

Just days after power was restored and following countless hours of work to repair storm damage, Glen Oro Farm — in partnership with the Ontario Eventing Association (OEA) — hosted a highly anticipated and hugely successful cross-country masterclass with Lucinda Green on April 29–30. The event introduced an innovative clinic model designed to elevate both riders and coaches in the cross-country phase of the sport. Over 150 participants, including auditors, attended the two-day clinic led by Green, a world champion, multiple European champion, and six-time winner of the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials.

The clinic was a prototype, developed to deliver an immersive learning experience for coaches alongside riders, marking a transformative step in the professional development of XC coaches in Canada.

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The clinic reached capacity and one of the close to 30 coaches who attended, Karen Briggs (EC Level II Competition Coach/Level I TD), said that having followed Green for years, “I was struck by just how deeply Lucinda’s teaching has influenced my own, and how many of her concepts and phrases I have passed on to my students such as: you are in charge of the line, the pace, and the canter you create for the approach — the horse is in charge of his feet.” Briggs added how she “appreciated the opportunity to approach this clinic from a coaching point of view and hear what has worked for Lucinda over the course of her long career” and would welcome the chance to do it again.

A first of its kind for both Green and Glen Oro — this ‘coaches coaching coaches’ model is, indeed, unlikely to be the last clinic of its kind. The legendary eventer departed with great praise for Glen Oro owner, Leslie May Saila, for her vision and courage in making this type of clinic possible and for opening up her exceptional cross-country facility as the first venue.

Looking ahead, the 2025 competition season officially kicks off on May 11, when Glen Oro Farm hosts Ontario’s first EC-sanctioned horse trials of the year — launching a season steeped in tradition and excellence. This year also brings heightened anticipation with the return of FEI-sanctioned competition to Ontario, featuring a CCI1*-S and CCI2*-S. This marks a major milestone for the province’s eventing community and reaffirms Glen Oro’s dedication to high-performance sport and offers a renewed momentum for the sport of eventing in Ontario and in Canada.

The FEI classes will run at Glen Oro Farm on July 26, drawing elite riders and horses from across Canada and beyond. It promises to be an exciting showcase of skill, athleticism, and the spirit of eventing at its finest.

“We’re thrilled to reopen our grounds for competition,” said Leslie May Saila. “After months of planning and preparation — and a true community effort to recover from the storm — we’re proud to once again offer riders a world-class venue and the opportunity to compete at the international level here at home.”

Three-time Olympian, five-time Pan American Games medalist, and one of Canada’s most successful event riders, currently ranked 39th in the FEI Eventing World Athlete Rankings, Jessica Phoenix knows firsthand the importance of having FEI-level events on home soil. Fresh off a third-place finish in the CCI4-S* and 14th in the CCI5-L* at Kentucky, she shared, “Having FEI events literally in our backyard is an amazing opportunity for both riders and their equine partners to gain valuable experience at the upper levels of eventing,” said Phoenix. “It builds our national program, strengthens our international readiness, and inspires the next generation.”

Glen Oro Farm continues to blend equestrian heritage with innovation, vision, and leadership — providing a flagship stage for both emerging talent and seasoned competitors in the sport of eventing. If the start of the 2025 season is any indication, the months that follow hold out the promise of unforgettable sport, true camaraderie, and the enduring spirit of horse and rider.

About Glen Oro

Glen Oro Farm was first settled in 1841 by Scottish immigrant Duncan Clark. The Clark family shaped the land over generations, leaving behind historic buildings and stump fence lines that reflect their pioneering spirit.

In 1967, William and Marion Saila purchased the farm and moved their family north from Toronto. Their youngest child, Leslie Saila, dedicated her life to horses and transformed Glen Oro into the Equestrian Event Centre it is today. Now joined by her sons, Luke and Phil, the farm continues to grow—honouring its rich heritage while becoming a premier destination for eventing and glamping.