Ottawa, Ontario-Victoria Andrew of Nepean, ON, was honoured with the 2007 Jump Canada Volunteer of the Year Award in recognition of her dedicated support of Canadian show jumping.
She was selected as the recipient of the prestigious award for her countless hours spent working with Equine Canada, Jump Canada and the Coaching Association of Canada on the transition to competency based education and training for the national coaching certification program.
The transition to the competency based coach education structure requires the coordination of industry experts in the establishing of standards for evaluation, training and piloting to ensure that all tools developed to support this program are efficient and reliable in delivery and evaluating a national standard. Andrew has been instrumental in ensuring this process has been successful for equestrian sport.
Andrew is a Course Conductor, Examiner, author of ‘Stable Management in Canada’ and gives workshops and clinics across Canada on teaching strategies and communication skills. She is currently a Senior hunter, equitation and hack judge and is presently working on her Senior jumper judge status. As well, Andrew has been actively involved in therapeutic riding programs.
As a Level 2 coach, Andrew has been involved with hunters, jumpers, dressage and event horses since the early 60s. She has ridden and shown western pleasure and trail horses, driven Hackneys and pleasure ponies and bred Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds and Sport Horses. As one of the first certified coaches in Canada, she has been closely involved with the coaching certification program.
“We are so fortunate in Jump Canada to have dedicated volunteers who are passionate about our sport,” said Elizabeth Bordeaux, Chair of Jump Canada. “Vicky Andrew combines her passion with her teaching expertise in her field of coaching, and we are lucky to have her unravel the mysteries of the new coaching system.”
In its inaugural year, the 2001 Jump Canada Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Alan Chesler of Orangeville, ON, while Mark Samuel of Toronto, ON, was honoured in 2002 for his dedication to Canadian show jumping as the first Chair of Jump Canada. In 2003, Chesler was once again named the recipient based on his dedication to the success of the FEI Children’s Final held in Calgary, AB. In 2004, Craig Collins of Loretto, ON, was recognized for the hundreds of hours of volunteer service given to both Jump Canada and Equine Canada as a whole. Claudia Cojocar was the recipient in 2005 for the countless hours she devoted to the development of coaching standards. The Jump Canada Hall of Fame Committee was honoured with the award in 2006 in recognition of their dedicated support of Canadian show jumping.