Sonia Dantu has served as the Executive Director of the Alberta Equestrian Federation since 2007. It can be a challenge to work for organizations whose main purpose is to do something other than make a profit, so her secret to success is, “It is not about the money; it is about being dedicated and committed to the social cause of those that support your organization and working toward collective goals.”

The current climate is a tough one for the AEF. “Given the current economic situation in Alberta, recent changes in provincial government and the announcement of $1.5M in cuts to Sport in Alberta, the main goal is to continue to ensure we are delivering services and membership without increasing fees to the membership.”

In the face of this downturn, Sonia was responsible for one particularly notable achievement in 2019 in securing a young athlete development fund that was pitched by John Anderson of Rocky Mountain Show Jumping. Sonia explains, “Canada does not have a skills-based jumper medal series at this level. This is important, not only to help identify athletes who have the potential to become Canada’s next high performance athletes, but also fills the gap in the alignment for a continued pathway for athlete progression in the discipline of show jumping and overall long-term equestrian development. As this medal program is essential in the athlete development pathway, bursaries are awarded for Canadian athletes to use toward furthering their development throughout the following year.

Advertisement