Canada's Top 50 Influencers in Equestrian Sport 2020: Victoria Winter

After serving as a groom for Cindy Ishoy and Dynasty from 1986-1988, Toronto lawyer Victoria Winter became an accomplished competitor herself, riding to individual and team bronze medals at the 1995 Pan Am Games and representing Canada at the WEG in Rome in 1998 and Kentucky in 2010.

In addition to serving as the Canadian dressage team’s chef d’equipe at the 2003 Pan Am Games and 2014 WEG, Victoria was a member of the Dressage Canada board from 1996-2008, a member of the executive committee of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and a member of the COC Athletes’ Council, including three years as chair.

As chair of Equestrian Canada’s Dressage Committee, Victoria holds one of the most influential positions in the sport today. Under her leadership, the committee is tasked with providing strategic guidance and counsel to EC management to support the development of dressage in Canada. That includes developing national operational strategies and performance targets for the sport, as well as working closely with the Canadian dressage community regarding programs, policies, rules, issues and opportunities to improve the sport and shape its future.

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Victoria’s combination of sports administration expertise and experience as an international dressage competitor is an ideal fit for the challenging role of leading Canadian dressage into this new decade and beyond.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the dressage community to get to a point where we will see our riders achieve another Olympic medal.”

Memorable Moment

“As a rider, my favourite career moment was winning the individual bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games. This was my first time riding for Canada at an international competition and I did not have expectations of medalling individually. My other favourite competition moment was grooming for Cindy Ishoy and the incomparable Dynasty at the 1988 Seoul Olympics where the Canadian Dressage Team won a bronze medal.”

Foreseeable Future

“On the international front, the goal of the Dressage Committee and High Performance Advisory Group for Dressage is to field the best possible team for the 2020 Olympic Games. We have a very strong group of grand prix combinations vying for the team and you should expect to see some great results from our riders. Our role is to work with the riders and their support teams to ensure they arrive in Tokyo ready to perform at their best.

“On the national front, we are planning for our fourth annual Dressage Levy Performance Advantage Symposium. This is an opportunity for national team training, talent identification, and free learning for Dressage Canada members who have paid into the dressage levy at competitions throughout the year. The Dressage Committee is also continuing to work on a revamped national awards program. The intent is to provide riders of all levels with competition goals which will not only help in their development, but also bolster attendance at our national competitions.”