Jill Irving’s first experiences in the equestrian world were a far cry from the glitz and glamour of Wellington, Florida, where she now competes against North America’s best throughout the winter season. Back then, her mount was a $75 backyard pony named Coco; her competition was her fellow members of the Sudbury Pony Club. In those early days, she couldn’t have imagined that a passion for horses and a teenage friendship would some day lead her to a place among Canada’s elite dressage athletes.
“We were first introduced to dressage through Pony Club. I could never remember the tests and always wanted to be jumping instead,” Irving says, laughing. “At first I showed in the pony hunters and then took up eventing. I always had good dressage results while eventing, so when I went to university I began to focus more seriously on dressage.”
The lure of jumping led Irving back to the hunter ring as an adult amateur, where she enjoyed training and showing for several years with her daughters, who are heavily involved in the sport. She returned to dressage in 2008 and has worked her way to the top of the sport with the guidance of her long-time friend, former Canadian Olympian Ashley Holzer.