When it comes to rising stars, Canada’s top young dressage riders are shining brightly on the international stage. Pan American Games team members Megan Lane and Brittany Fraser are still in their 20s, while teammate Chris von Martels is just 32. A number of Canadians stood on the podium at the 2014 North American Junior & Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC), including the silver-medal winning Quebec team in the Young Rider division, the silver-medal winning Ontario team in the Junior division, and individual Junior double gold medallist Camille Bergeron of Quebec.

With such strong performances from our young riders at the elite level of competition, it seems the future is rosy for Canadian dressage. Visit a local show or dressage stable, however, and you might notice something missing: Where are all the kids?

Family ties

The future health of any sport depends on a steady stream of new athletes at the grassroots level. Sport governing bodies across Canada raised the alarm when a 2008 Statistics Canada report showed that sports participation of boys age 5-14 declined from 66% in 1992 to 56% in 2005. Over the same time period, sports participation of girls dropped from 49% to 45%.

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