The Ontario Equestrian Federation (OEF) is now accepting applications from riders and coaches who want to represent their province at the Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championships taking place in Blainville, QC, from Oct. 3-5, 2014.

“We had a team of exceptionally talented riders who turned in outstanding performances last year. We want to continue to build on that momentum,” says Dianne Graham, the executive director of the OEF. “This is a great opportunity for riders to get a taste of national competition and we encourage everyone who meets the requirements to apply.”

Competitors interested in declaring for Team Ontario in Jumping, Dressage or Reining must submit a completed Athlete Declaration Form and official class results to the OEF by Aug. 18, 2014. Each team per discipline will have a maximum of two junior and two senior riders.

Equine Canada certified coaches who are interested in applying for a position as team discipline coach are asked to submit their application by June 6, 2014. One coach for each of the three disciplines represented at the competition is needed to prepare the team before and during competition. As well, one of the discipline coaches will also be named Chef d’Equipe for Team Ontario.

The Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championships is a collaborative event between the national and provincial sport organizations governing equestrian competition. A multi-discipline competition represented by Jumping, Dressage and Reining, it is a key event in the development of the next generation of national, international and world champions.

Last year, Ontario took home gold medals in team competition in both Jumping and Dressage and also secured a bronze in reining. In individual competition, Ontario’s riders also made it to the podium, scoring enough points to win a silver medal for Ontario in the overall standings.

For more information, visit www.cec-en.ca. Athlete declaration forms and discipline coach application forms for Ontario riders and coaches can be found online at www.horse.on.ca