2012 Awards Nominees...

We are pleased to announce the nominees for the 2012 HCBC Awards. The winners will be presented with their awards at the HCBC Awards Gala on January 19, 2013 at the Kamloops Convention Centre. 

Join us and our host, Equestrian Paralympic Athlete Ashley Gowanlock, for the evening to help celebrate the Best in BC!

The Nominees for 2012 are:

Lifetime Achievement Award

Bob James Volunteer of the Year 

Coach of the Year

Athlete of the Year

Horse Industry Professional of the Year

Horse of the Year
Non-Competitive
Competitive

Lifetime Achievement Award

• George & Dianne Tidball
• Read their Bio's in the Awards Gala Program to be handed out on January 19, 2013 at the Awards Gala!
• Jody Sloper
• Read Jody's Bio in the Awards Gala Program to be handed out on January 19, 2013 at the Awards Gala!

Bob James Volunteer of the Year

• Janice Spenst
• Janice has been the District Commissioner (leader) of the Mt. Cheam Pony Club since the mid-1990's. With nothing to gain personally, Janice has ensured that Mt. Cheam is consistently one of the strongest Pony Clubs in the BC Lower Mainland region.  Outside of Pony Club, Janice is one of the backbones of Island 22 Equestrian Park and personally heads the two big events that are hosted on that site annually, the Mt. Cheam Pony Club Season Opener and the Island 22 September Event. Beyond running those events and overseeing much of Mt. Cheam Pony Club's and Island 22's activities Janice took on new roles in 2012. Janice hosted and ran the 2012 Canadian Pony Club National Dressage Championships at MREC in August, was part of the ground jury at the big Campbell Valley Event, ran the BC Championships and Island 22's 25th Anniversary as well as hosting another large competition at Island 22, the BC Lower Mainland Pony Club Regional Dressage Championship.  Janice sees all developing riders and horse lovers as the future of our sport. She encourages these riders to continue on in sport and to give back as they advance.
• Margot Vilvang
• Margot is an instructor at Southlands Riding Club, has competed for Canada in the Prince Philip Games and has also coached members of the Vancouver Pony Club to the games national finals. She fulfills the very definition of ‘volunteer’. She is a community leader, a youth leader (Pony Club), an advocate for therapeutic riding for young people with disabilities, (PRDA) helps take care of sick or lame horses (until the vet or farrier arrives) and lays her life on the line for a horse in crisis,  especially with her heroic efforts in ditch rescues. Her helpfulness transcends age, ability and even species. I believe Margot could have been nominated for this award based on just one of her volunteer activities but cumulatively, her involvement in our horse community cannot be matched.
  Margot gives so much on a daily basis and is the first person to call in a crisis. It is rare to find a volunteer who not only does good deeds but adds cohesion and lightness to a community and is unmatched in her ability to deal with horse related emergencies
  
• Darcey Woods
• Darcey was elected President of the Barriere and District Riding Club in 2011 and has been the driving force behind the majority of the new horse shows and events held in her hometown of Barriere, BC.  Along with bringing the Western Heritage shows back to the area after a long absence, she is also the convener for the North Thompson Fall Fair Light Horse Show.  Darcey works tirelessly campaigning for show sponsors, preparing for the event and organizing the days.  She set up a circuit show with 100 Mile House Riding Club and has created a network of contacts that look to Barriere for a great place to come and put on their clinics and competitions.  Enthusiasm abounds at all the events – Darcey has put fun and excitement into the horse shows and gymkhanas with her enthusiastic and inventive ideas that encompass and encourage age, youth, novice and advanced.  Darcey set up six B.C.B.R.A. qualifier barrel races for the 4D series this past season.  She worked an incredible number of very long hours helping rebuild the rodeo grounds horse barns, and rounding up volunteers to get the Fair grounds ready for the barrel racing finals and having them ready for the Barriere and District Riding Club Shows.  This was a huge undertaking, working together with the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association.
• Marcy Emery
• The New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society has faced many challenges over the last few years but has consistently overcome all obstacles.  Much of our success is due to the leadership of President, Marcy Emery.  Marcy took over marketing; handling all the social media, mainstream media, and website functions.  Marcy’s goal was to deliver one consistent message: horse racing is good fun, responsible and, of course, it was always “horses first”.  Her efforts generated many positive news stories about New Stride as well as horse racing - something the industry appreciates. Marcy led New Stride through reorganization, changing the incorporated name to one that better reflects the direction of the organization.  She was instrumental in revamping policies and procedures, paving the way to a more transparent, practical business model that put New Stride in partnership with the racing industry.  This resulted in a new funding initiative called the “check off program”, proposed and managed by BC TOBA, that allows an optional diversion of 0.5% of owners’ W/P/S purses to New Stride.
• Cathy Glover
• Cathy is the backbone of the Delta Riding Club (DRC). Cathy organizes the Show Program, attains sponsors for the club, updates and maintains the club website, she even takes most of the photos to be put on the websites gallery.  Cathy oversaw the upgrades to the DRC clubhouse as well as numerous other little things that seemed to be "magically" added.  Cathy puts her own love of showing on hold to manage DRC's Western and English shows.
• Ybo Plante
• During Ybo’s four years as Chapter Chair for the BCHBC SVI chapter, membership has more than doubled going from 33 members at the end of 2009 to a current roster of 73. Many people in her Chapter credit Ybo with much of this growth as she has created an environment that encourages ducation, partnership with other trail groups, safety on the trail and pure horse-back riding enjoyment.  In particular Ybo has been instrumental in bringing awareness of the equine use of trails through working with the CVRD (Cowichan Valley Regional District), RDN (Regional District of Nanaimo), CRD (Capital Regional District) and local land managers such as Timberwest. She doggedly attended meetings, provided input and made phone calls and through her efforts trail use groups began to take notice of the needs of equine users and began to include BCHBC in their discussions.
  

Coach of the Year

• Fionna Christensen
• Fionna is a wonderful coach who has the ability to train and coach riders with disabilities. She is very well loved by all of her students.  Fionna literally works from dawn to dusk working with her own horses, disabled riders, and helping others with their horses.  She organizes trail rides, ground handling clinics and jumping sessions for senior riders.  Fionna also founded a dressage drill team called "Breeze Way Buddies".  They have performed at the Mane Event and the Maple Ridge Fair.  Fionna has so much patience and gives of her own time to ensure that all her students are successful.
• Leslie Steele
• Leslie is a great example of hard work and discipline.  Leslie is proud of her students and holds them to a high standard to which they are more than happy to try to achieve.  Leslie supports and encourages her students with such passion that she is usually found with family cheering from the sidelines for her students.  She inspires her students to not only be better horse people, but be better people in general.
  

Athlete of the Year

• Ashley Roe
• Ashley is a young adult rider from Duncan, BC.  This year Ashley trained and competed for the tryouts for the Team Canada Saddleseat World Cup 2012.  Ashley spent much of her time raising awareness about Saddleseat competition and fundraising for the tryouts in Edmonton, Alberta.  Although just falling short of making the Team Canada Saddleseat Team she was able to raise awareness about Saddleseat riding as an internationally competitive discipline.  No previous riders have made it onto the team from BC before and Ashley is setting  her sights on being the first from BC to join the team next year.
• Alisa Schmidt - Anema
  
• In 2012 Alisa won a bronze medal for Canada at CVI Woodside in California. Later, on home turf at CVI Chilliwack, she won the new Pacific Cup Award for the female vaulter with the highest aggregate technique score from the two FEI events held on the Pacific coast.  She is the highest ranked Canadian vaulter on the FEI ranking list for 2012.  In October Alisa finished off the season by retaining her title as the Canadian National Women’s Vaulting Champion for the third consecutive time.  When not competing herself, Alisa is the head coach for the Cheam Vaulters, where she brought six of her students to the FEI competitive level this season. Alisa and her students collectively won 8 FEI medals for Canada in 2012, including the gold medal won by Team Radiance at CVI Chilliwack. This was the first time that Canada has ever entered vaulters in an FEI squad event.  Even with all those accomplishments, the highlight of this past season was when Alisa married her lunger Joshua Anema shortly after their gold medal win together at CVI Chilliwack.
• Brian Morton
• Brian lead the FEI World Cup standings for BC riders, accumulating points by winning the Tommy Bahama Grand Prix FEI World Cup Qualifier at Thunderbird Show Park CSI2* in August.  One week later he placed fourth, the top Canadian rider, out of a field of 35 International and Olympic riders in the Canacord FEI World Cup Qualifier at Thunderbird.  He then went onto Spruce Meadows CSIO*5 Masters in September to win the welcome Grand Prix over a very difficult course against some of the best International riders in the world.  With these results Brian is leading BC Athletes in points for the Western Division of the 2013 North American World Cup Final to be held in April 2013.

Horse Industry Professional of the Year

• Dr. Robyn Kopala
• Dr. Robyn Kopala, a veterinarian, took on a challenge this year that other people did not have any hope for.  Dr. Kopala went above and beyond the call of duty for a client by bringing her difficult to handle horse to her own clinic and working with her everyday.  This horse had been given the option by other people within the horse industry to 'get rid of her' or put her down.  The owner of this horse, Shelley Cogger, was devastated and turned to Dr. Robyn for help and advice.   In the words of Shelley, "Without Robyn's dedication, I am quite sure that I would have given up riding and have missed what has been one of the only positives in a very, very challenging year."  Dr. Robyn has also taken care of many critical care situations in 2012 and always does so in a gentle, but realistic manner.
• Karen Robinson
• Karen is a prolific journalist with two extremely popular blogs, "Straight Up" and "Low Down".  Karen also runs a business designing freestyles for just about every serious dressage competitor in BC.  Karen kept many of us well informed about this year's 2012 Olympics both 'on stage' and 'behind the curtain'.  Karen also covered other major equestrian competitions and the day-to-day ups and downs in the equestrian sport industry.

Horse of the Year

• Kasey
• Kasey spent his life teaching many people how to ride.  He was a gentle soul and always tried his best for his riders.  Kasey competed at many hunter/jumpers shows in the province and took many people to their very first shows.  As Kasey aged he started being used as a Therapeutic Riding horse because of his kind and friendly nature.  He soon became the barn favourite with people requesting him by name.  He spent his life dedicated to the many people in it.  Sadly, Kasey passed away earlier this year and his nomination is to celebrate the remarkable, but short life he had.
• Alex
• Alex, aka 'Cheeky Monkey' aka 'Pretty Boy', is an outstanding therapy horse at Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities (formerly Pacific Riding for the Disabled).  Alex was named PRDA's Horse of the Year at the 2012 Phae Collins Memorial Horse Show. Alex came to PRDA thirteen years ago when he was eight years old after a short career as a three-day eventer.  At the beginning Alex was very energetic and he was ridden regularly by Greg Honour, one of the Para-equestrian/ sport riders at PRDA.  Ashley Gowanlock, who is a member of the Canadian Para Equestrian Team and has competed in the 2008 and the 2012 Para-Olympics developed much of her riding skill on Alex.  She rode at PRDA for many years starting as a therapy rider.  Her first forays in to the realm of international competition were on Alex at the Pacific Rim Competition in Vancouver.  Alex is used almost every working day at PRDA with riders at every level.  Beginning riders and those who are more advanced ride him. He works with side walkers and on a lead line.

• Rosewyn Sierra
• Sierra placed in the ribbons and championships at the BC Championships and BC Heritage Circuits this year. This 19 year old 15.3hh bay mare also helped qualify one of her riders for Team BC for the Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championships in Bromont, Qu.as well as taking the same rider to the BC Summer Games in Surrey, BC.  Sierra and her rider also won 2nd Level Champion at this years Rising Stars Competition in Chilliwack.Sierra started life as a school horse and now competes in third level dressage.
• Strait of Dover
• This 3 year old Thoroughbred had an amazing year. Sitting in post position 4 with 7/2 odds matching the favourite, the roar of the onlookers stilled as the gate opened to the thundering hooves and thundering cries of Woodbine. With a quick break, early speed, and forwardly placed Strait of Dover set the pace at the first quarter. An honest pace kept Duncan and his rider Justin Stien leading in 47.3 at the half way post. Down the back stretch Stien harnesses Strait of Dover's speed and opens up by 3. With the field inching ever closer Woodbine roars as Strait of Dover comes thundering home to win the most prestigious race in Canada; The Queens Plate in record time by a powerful two lengths. The horse with modest history and a race with extraordinary record came together to bring about an inspirational story.
• Lady in Lights
• Flicka is a chestnut coloured high strung OTTB owned by Alexis Strohmaier.  Flicka went from being an underfed, unsound rescue horse to competing and winning Provincial Jumping Championships with her 13 year old rider around the province and in Alberta.  Their journey was difficult, as Flicka was and still is "not an easy horse to ride" according to Alexis.  Flicka taught Alexis everything she knows and is truly a great horse.
• Ima Class Of My Own
• Joey, as he is known, is a wonderfully minded stallion who has been competing in horse shows for many, many years.  He has won numerous high point awards with his rider and competes in both English and Western disciplines.  Joey qualified his rider 2 years in a row for the Canadian Interprovincial Equestrian Championships.  Joey even saved his rider from falling off as she started passing out from sunstroke by doing his best to get underneath her.
• Lexington
• This big 17hh blood bay Canadian Sport Horse named Colby has developed from a young, baby green horse to a consistent winner in the 3’ and 3’3” hunter and equitation divisions for the past several years. He holds the exceptional record of being Division Champion at almost every show in which he has been entered for the past three years and has qualified for the Canadian National Finals at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto for the last three years running. Lexington had a sensational show year in 2012, culminating with being the BCHJA Provincial Adult Amateur Hunter Champion for the third consecutive year.  Colby is a true Canadian horse with Timbits being his snack of choice!
• Spitfire
• Spitfire is a 17 year old Selle Francais gelding owned by Equimark Equestrian Inc.  Spitfire had a banner year taking his rider, Brian Morton, on to win the $25,000 Tommy Bahama Grand Prix World Cup Qualifier at Thunderbird Show Park in August.  Spitfire and Brian went on to win $30,000 at the Spruce Meadows Masters in September.