It is not surprising that Mark Samuel chose a life path dedicated to horses and equestrian sport. As the son of Ernie Samuel, who began the Sam-Son Farm thoroughbred breeding and racing operation in 1972 in Milton, ON, he witnessed many champions in the winners’ circle wearing the stables’ red-and-gold silks. Mark became prominent on the hunter-jumper scene as a teen and was a frequent champion in both rings. His talent did not go unnoticed and he was named to his first Nations’ Cup team in 1999 and represented Canada at the 2003 Pan Am Games aboard Darios V.
As a supporter of the Canadian horse industry, he became a director of the Ontario Equestrian Federation and the Canadian Equestrian Federation (now Equestrian Canada); was a co-founder of the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association; Jump Canada co-founder, past chair and committee member; and chair of the Jump Canada Hall of Fame.
In 2012, Mark was elected FEI Group IV chair, representing Canada, the US, and eight Caribbean nations and promoting and coordinating the development of equestrian sport activities there. In 2016, he was tasked with chairing the FEI Working Group on FEI Officials. In 2017, he was elected as second vice-president of the FEI at the General Assembly, a position he currently holds.