From his formative years riding in Pony Club, to winning bronze at the North American Young Riders’ Championships, to representing Canadian at the 1982 Barcelona Olympics with Risky Business II (finishing as top-ranked Canadian at 22nd), to his 2018 induction into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, Rob Stevenson has remained passionate about eventing.

Despite a busy career as a cardiologist, Stevenson serves as chair of the EC Eventing High Performance Advisory Group, Canadian National Safety Officer, and as a member of the FEI Eventing Risk Management Steering Group. His medical expertise has helped EC develop concussion protocols, including return-to-sport protocols. He and wife, Suzanne, run Foshay South Eventing in Hampton and Foshay Farms in Lower Jemseg, the site of the Foshay International CCI***.

This passion is also obvious when he discusses the future of all equestrian sport, and what needs to be done to allow it to grow and flourish in this country. “I’d love to see easier access and participation with horses, as I realize that our sport is still only enjoyed by a fraction of those that might enjoy time with these animals,” he says. “I will continue to believe that greater work among the disciplines will bolster the performance of all of our teams.”

Foreseeable Future

“Goals for 2020 are multi-faceted; certainly, as chair of high performance for the eventing team, I do hope for a very strong performance in Tokyo. Although we will likely be sending two individuals, I anticipate that we’ll see continued improvement in a number of riders under our technical advisor David O’Connor’s direction.

“At home, this will be the third annual Foshay International CCI run at our family farm in Jemseg. We’d like to see over 60 entries in 2020! And finally, I do hope to get several students to FEI events and perhaps even do some competing myself.”

Mission Possible

“I’d like to see a well-supported national team consistently performing within the top six to eight spots in the world. We’re planning for Foshay to be an annual fixture on the eventing calendar – by then, hopefully 100-plus entries up to the three-star level. I expect that I will have handed the reins over to my own children to compete, although I hope that I’ll still be riding every day.”