Mark Samuel - Giving back to the sport he loves

“I do think sleep is overrated,” says Mark Samuel with a laugh as he mentions yet another organization of which he is, or has been, either the chairman or a member.

His passion for the sport of show jumping is reflected not only in a competition record that includes the 2002 World Equestrian Games team and the 2003 Pan American Games, but in the fact that Mark is one of the most active volunteers in Canada’s equestrian community. His life is a balancing act of multiple responsibilities, from the family business to his own growing family, from competing as a rider to contributing as a volunteer at a level that is nothing short of extraordinary. “I’m hard-wired to believe there should be a solution and a way to get it all done,” he says. “You just have to keep applying yourself and finding the balance.” Apparently sleep isn’t much of a factor.

Family man

When Mark was appointed chairman of Samuel, Son and Co. Limited in 2006, the family business became a five-generation enterprise. The Samuel family is famous in Canada for building one of the country’s most successful businesses (in steel manufacturing and distribution), but the Samuels are at least as well known as philanthropists and volunteers in the community. The Samuel family also has a long history with breeding and owning horses, in both racing and show jumping. Sam-Son Farm has produced five Queen’s Plate winners and two Breeders’ Cup winners over the past four decades, as well as numerous awards for breeding excellence. Mark’s parents owned Canadian Club, the ex-racehorse Jim Day rode on Canada’s gold medal-winning Olympic Show Jumping Team at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

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Mark began his riding career at the age of six, and as a child he was influenced by many of Canada’s most respected trainers. “When my parents built our first farm, I trained under a who’s who of the jumping community,” he says. “Jim Day became the professional-in-residence at Sam-Son Farm. Dave Ballard, Barb Mitchell, Bobbie Reber and Hugh Graham all taught me over the years.”

When the Samuels decided to separate their breeding and racing operation from the show horses, Mark and his sisters Tammy and Kim went to train at Joker’s Hill for a time. It was there that Mark first met Mac Cone, the man he has called his trainer for nearly 30 years. “Right from the outset Mac and I had a good personal chemistry,” he says. “We enjoyed more than our share of successes with horses like Killer Tom and Look Twice, two of Canada’s preeminent hunters.” Mark has always appreciated Mac’s professionalism, integrity and sense of humour. “We have found some great horses over the years, and we have had fun in and out of the show ring. I’ve never really had any desire to change that.”

Mark’s greatest competitive success as a show jumper was on Darius V, the horse with which he was the travelling reserve for the 2002 Canadian WEG team in Spain. A year later, Mark and Darius finished 14th individually at the Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic. In total they partnered for six Nations Cups for Canada. These days, riding is shoehorned into a very busy schedule, and Mark says he relies on his relationship with Mac more than ever to keep his current top horse, Amor van de Rostal, fit and competition-ready.

When Mark and Mac found Amor in Florida in January 2012, Mark rode him a couple of times to confirm that this was the right horse for him, and then he handed over the reins to Mac while other commitments kept him from riding for almost a year. “I didn’t get on his back again until this past Christmas,” says Mark, who competed lightly with the 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding in Florida this winter. In the meantime, Mac competed on two Canadian Nations’ Cup teams with Amor. “The horse has turned into everything we thought he’d be, and more,” says Mark. Schedule permitting, he hopes to compete with Amor and with an exciting new eight-year-old, Canberra, through the 2013 season.

Despite all his activities in the equestrian community, Mark places highest priority on his family. He has suffered more than his share of family loss; both his parents have passed away, as has his older sister, Tammy. A father of four, Mark recently married his long-time partner, Kevin. “I come from a very close family,” he says. “We all derived love, education and strength from our family. I love spending time with my kids and helping them to develop as people.” Another value Mark inherited from his family is his sense of duty toward the community. “I look at the example set by my parents Ernie and Elizabeth in giving back to the community that had given them so much.”

Making time to make a difference

Jokes about not needing sleep aside, Mark says the secret to fitting all his volunteer activities into his life is quite simple: “I’m willing to sacrifice my evenings to sit in front of a laptop and move the important issues forward.” Mark has been on the board of the Ontario Equestrian Federation, and was a founding member of the Ontario Hunter Jumper Association. He was a member of the EC board when it was still called the Canadian Equestrian Federation. A co-founder of Jump Canada, he was its first chairman, and he has continued to be active in one capacity or another ever since, including his current role as a board member-at-large.

Mark also co-founded and chairs the Jump Canada Hall of Fame, which was a true labour of love. “There are so many great stories, builders and champions in our past and they are our shared legacy. I’m very proud of what we created with the Hall. It reflects well on the inductees and on the organization. We’ve connected the industry with their legacy, and perhaps inspired some younger athletes to see what they could accomplish in the future.”

Mark is currently co-chairing an EC Limb Sensitivity Task Force which is working on recommendations to improve the FEI’s Limb Sensitivity Protocol. Most recently, he began a four-year term as chair of FEI Group IV (Canada, USA and the Caribbean) at the 2012 FEI General Assembly. The role requires him to represent all FEI disciplines, not just show jumping, but Mark never takes something on if he doesn’t feel qualified to do a good job. “Every step for me has been a logical progression,” he explains. “Jump Canada gave me exposure to Equine Canada and its Sport Council. I’ve always had an awareness and sensitivity to the other disciplines, and I’ve always connected well with them. I’m familiar with the players and the issues. When Canada was looking for its next Group IV representative, I decided I could be a reasonable voice.” Now that he has been elected by the members of Group IV to be their chair, Mark’s voice represents 11 nations and eight disciplines within the FEI.

Mark will be 50 in June, but he says the pull of the show ring is still strong. “I am a competitive person and there is still the thrill of the field of play and pushing myself to be the best I can be.” Love of the horse comes first and foremost, however. “I enjoy the hack out in the field as much as the show ring. I’ve been around horses all my life, and I can’t imagine a life without them in it.”

Mark also loves the community which has become such a central part of his life. “It’s great to be involved in a sport I love – people I enjoy and respect, a history I admire and a future I would like to contribute to. I’ve been blessed with some business and interpersonal skills that translate well into the volunteer arena and I am honoured that others have placed their trust in me to make a difference.” Referring again to the generous example set by his parents, he says, “To me it’s honourable – the right way to live one’s life.”