Jason Surnoski never dreamed he’d be a rider, let alone an FEI-ranked one working towards representing Canada on the international stage. Yet today that is where ParaSport Ontario’s Male Athlete of the Year finds himself, with his focus firmly set on making the Canadian para-dressage team for the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC.
Surnoski’s journey to FEI-level competition has been something of a whirlwind, considering he’s only been riding since 2010. Although he started simply for pleasure, he quickly discovered a passion for the sport and for competition.
“I started riding in the summer of 2010 just for fun, as something I could do with my wife [Jennifer Hardy],” the 35-year-old from Whitby, ON, recounts. “It was amazing and I was hooked instantly. My first riding coach, Nadia, never once saw me as disabled. She got me walking, trotting, and cantering around and in no time had me going to local hunter shows, where I discovered how much I loved to compete.
“When I learned about the sport of para-dressage I knew right away it was something I wanted to do. I made the difficult decision to leave my coach and move to a facility with experience in para-dressage, and that’s where I met my current coach, Kendra Flynn-Stronach.”
Surnoski went back to basic training, but quickly moved into the show ring. “I first started showing in Para-Equestrian Canada’s sea-to-sea video competitions,” he explains. “These are competitions where you film yourself at home doing a dressage test and then send them a video link. They judge your ride and you receive a ribbon and score sheet back from the judge. It’s a great way for people without access to shows offering para-dressage to still compete and get feedback from qualified judges.
“From there, I went to able-bodied competitions, competing in the walk-trot classes,” he continues. “Within two years of starting my para-dressage journey I found myself competing at gold shows and became a ranked rider. I’ve encountered some bumps in the road since then, trying to find the right horse after retiring my first horse, but still managed to stay listed through it all.
“In 2016, I did my first FEI competition on a horse I leased in British Columbia. We only had three rides together before entering the show ring and we still managed to walk away with respectable scores. The experience was amazing and I thrived in that environment.”
Surnoski is classified as a Grade II para rider, meaning he competes at walk and trot. The highly-technical FEI tests include lateral work, lengthened stride, and voltes as small as eight metres. Modifications to his tack and equipment – including enlarged rein stoppers to prevent the reins from slipping through his fingers, elastics around his feet to keep them in the stirrups, straps from the girth to the stirrups to keep his legs in place, a handhold on the saddle, and a whip – help Surnoski cope with the physical challenges his cerebral palsy presents. “I like to think that having cerebral palsy doesn’t affect my daily life, but I am in constant pain most of the time,” he admits. “My disability may prevent me from doing certain things, but I have always lived like this, so it’s just my normal; I don’t know anything different. Riding has helped me physically, improving my muscle strength and posture. Mentally, I can’t even being to tell you how much it has helped and changed me. I was a very angry man, due to my life growing up, and I was heading down a bad path and closing doors that I really didn’t want to shut. Horses and riding have made me happy and more patient. They made me realize I can do anything and that people and animals accept me for who I am and love me for who I am. Horses have changed the whole direction of my life and I will be forever thankful.”
According to Surnoski, the biggest obstacles to achieving his goal are not physical, but financial.
“I can’t afford my own horse, so I rely heavily on the very generous people who allow me to ride and compete on their horses. Every horse has been special to me in different ways; each one taught me something different and made me a better rider,” he says.
“Community Living has been a big supporter and I think they have seen the difference in me as a person and love the direction my life is going because of horses and competition. Our local tack shops have also been very supportive and I’m lucky to have some amazing sponsors: Equinety, Back on Track Canada, Butterfly Saddles, FUN Bonnets ‘For U’r Nag,’ HandsOn Gloves, and Brooks Feeds. I have also been lucky enough to be a recipient of Quest For Gold athlete assistance and funding from the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
“I believe that I have the ability and determination to achieve this goal,” Surnoski concludes. “The future looks bright and I can’t wait!”
To help offset the expenses associated with international competition, Surnoski’s supporters have set up a fundraising page at www.makeachamp.com/Jasonsurnoski.
