Gail Greenough rocketed to fame in the show jumping realm when in 1986 she became youngest-ever, first woman and only North American to win the World Championships in Aachen, riding Mr T. She had been a member of the Canadian equestrian team since 1983, qualified for three World Cup Finals, coached the team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, was a jumping colour commentator, stable owner and clinician. The former Jump Canada board member also was a selector on the High Performance Committee for over 20 years ‒ a position she has recently stepped back from.
In a Facebook post announcing the decision, Greenough recalled, “If memory serves me well, I first started with Torchy at the helm in 1997. About three years later I stepped aside as I had a horse, Lessandra, that was competing at the 4- and 5-star level. I believe I then stepped back into the role under Mark Laskin in about 2004. So 20 years later I believe it is time for some new and possibly younger ideas to add to the mix. It seems the right timing, as we are in good hands with Ian [Millar] as our captain.”
HorseSport spoke with Greenough about the move, what the job entailed, what she will miss, and what the future holds for her and the Canadian team.
“I really enjoyed the journey through the years,” she remarked of the career that was a literal journey, with stops at major show jumping events around the globe. Since last fall alone, she has been to shows to observe Canadian riders in Nations Cups in Spain, Portugal, and Peelbergen before heading to the Paris Olympics and then back home to Spruce Meadows. She regularly did “the circuit” ‒ Thunderbird, Spruce Meadows, Desert International Horse Park, and other West coast venues. “On the committee, it makes sense to have somebody from the West because geographically you can’t be all over the place at the same time.”
Colleagues on the committee Mike Lawrence, Marni von Schalburg and Ian Millar cover the eastern shows. “We watch countless videos, watch everything from Europe, and look at results and keep track of everybody globally because it’s a global sport and we have athletes everywhere.” She added that Mike and Marni “were a delight to work with and I will miss the banter! I feel we have navigated well the cards we have been dealt in the past few years.”
Greenough speculated what might be next for high performance in Canada. “I think we’re ticking along quite well and our depth is getting stronger, and that’s what I see in the future. I think they just need to keep going the way they’re going. I think that we’re in a positive territory and moving forward.”
The team’s less-than-ideal performance at the Paris Olympics might indicate otherwise. Greenough explained, “I’m looking at the bigger picture. I’m not basing it off of the one Olympic Games. I’m looking at the depth we have now, up-and-comers, the results we’re getting in Europe. Take Liz Bates, for example. She was double-clean in the Nation’s Cup at Peelbergen. She came second in the Grand Prix. It was a very big three-star and now she’s doing the Major League competitions and doing well with that. So that’s one example of the depth that’s coming up.”
Developing that depth has always been a major challenge for Canada. Greenough attributes the improvements to a number of factors. “I see the high performance riders, the five-star team, working on getting a layer of horses, eight-, nine-year-olds coming up that in three or four years will be ready. Everybody’s gearing up and working toward the next Olympics, and I see that as a positive.”
She continues, “There are quite a few interesting Canadian riders based in Europe that are quite talented and have good horses. Kyle Timm would be an example. Liz Bates, Kara Chad is there right now. She just won the Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez. Everybody’s trying really hard everywhere. Ben Asselin had some good results at the Masters. Samantha Beers in the Vancouver area has an interesting up-and-coming horse.
“Then, of course, our veterans are working on their next generation of horses. So we have experienced riders working on getting the next horses and we have an exciting layer coming up. So I see nothing but good things.”
And what’s next for Greenough herself? “Well, I am soon to be 65 years old, so I’m travelling a little bit,” she said. “I have a home in Calgary and a house in California; I just got back from checking on a few renovations and went to the Eagles concert at the Sphere in Las Vegas. So I’m just enjoying life, travelling a little bit more outside of the horses. I for sure have not left the sport – I still have a few athletes I work with.”
One of those athletes is Amy Millar. “I help out Amy a bit when Ian’s not around. I back her up with all her clients at the [Spruce Meadows] summer series, and I’m on the ground with her and Danny [Ingratta]. I wouldn’t even say it’s coaching, it’s collaboration. She’s brilliant; I listen to her, she listens to me. She’s a high-performance athlete, so it’s fun.
“I also have Shauna Cook and Alicia Gadban-Lewis, and there are a couple of coaches in Calgary that have clientele. I go in their yard every once in a while and have a session and then they pass that along to their students. So little bits here and there.” Greenough admits that lately, however, she has been “saying ‘no’ more than ‘yes’!”
Greenough concluded, “I stepped down in order to give the committee room to get other ideas in. I’ve been in it for a long time and I was definitely going to be the first one out. I’ve enjoyed my time and thank the riders for giving it their all. I think that change is sometimes really good … and I’m also only a phone call away…”