Jump Canada Hall of Fame: Celebrating Greg Greenough

On November 3, 2019, three new inductees were welcomed into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame. Since its inception in 2006, a total of 60 champions have been honoured for their contributions to Canadian hunter/jumper sport, including 21 horses and ponies, 31 humans, six organizations, and six teams. In this issue, we look back on the enormous contributions of Greg Greenough, past president of the Canadian Equestrian Federation, who was inducted in the category of Builder during the 2019 Hall of Fame Gala.

Builder (Individual): Greg Greenough

Greg Greenough of Edmonton, AB, has been a staunch supporter of Canadian show jumping for decades. While many know him as World Show Jumping Champion Gail Greenough’s supportive father, his long tenure of volunteer work behind the scenes is richly deserving of recognition.

An athlete himself who played hockey at the university level, Greg fully supported his daughter’s riding career. He owned many horses that represented Canada internationally, including Mr. T, the horse Gail made history with by becoming the first woman and only North American to win the World Championships in 1986.

Scroll to continue with content

His support and generosity extended far beyond his own family. He organized syndicates to keep top horses for Canadian athletes including Damuraz, the horse Mark Laskin rode to a team gold medal at the 1980 Alternate Olympics in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He also supported other members of the Canadian Show Jumping Team, including Dayton Gorsline and Olympian Jonathan Asselin, as they began their professional careers.

His foray into sports administration began in 1980 when he became Chairman of the Edmonton Northlands Horse Show. He is credited with modernizing the event to such a standard that it hosted Team selection trials shortly thereafter. In 1981, he was elected President of the Alberta Equestrian Federation. That role led him to the national federation, where he served as President from 1984 to 1992. During his time at the Canadian Equestrian Federation, Greg instituted discipline committees, recognizing that success would come if each equestrian discipline focused on its own needs. This would pave the way for the later formation of Jump Canada to manage the hunter/jumper discipline from grassroots to podium.

Inducted as a Builder – Individual, Greg Greenough (left) received his Jump Canada Hall of Fame trophy from John Weir. (Michelle C. Dunn photo)

Greg’s accomplishments soon caught the attention of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and, in 1990, he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Finance Committee, a position he held until 1998. He was also the Canadian representative to the FEI from 1984 through 1995.

In addition to the numerous roles he has played in equestrian sport, Greg has a long history with the Canadian Olympic Committee. From 1991 through 2005 he held various positions including Vice President (1993-1995) and Chairman (1998-2001). He has been actively involved in several Olympic Games in varying capacities, including being a Director of the successful Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation. He was also instrumental in securing the Pan American Games for Canada in 1999, acting as a member of both the Bid Committee and the Organizing Committee for the Winnipeg, MB, edition.

His vast contributions to sport were recognized when he was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder in 2001 followed by the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

Given all that Greg Greenough has done to lead, improve, and enhance equestrian sport, the Jump Canada Hall of Fame warmly welcomes him in its Induction class of 2019.

Award Sponsored by Sam-Son Farm

For a full list of Jump Canada Hall of Fame inductees, as well as tribute videos, visit here.