The provincial equestrian organizations of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland & Labrador are proud to announce the incorporation of a new national alliance of equine organizations under the provisions of the Canada Corporations Act. The name of the new organization is pending approval of Industry Canada and a further announcement is forthcoming.
The Alberta Equestrian Federation, the Saskatchewan Horse Federation, Fédération équestre du Québec, Nova Scotia Equestrian Federation, the Newfoundland Equestrian Association, and the Island Horse Council, have been working together for more than a year to explore ways to promote and protect the interests of their members and of horse enthusiasts everywhere.
The six founding member organizations of the new alliance have for many years been leaders in the delivery of local programs and services to the equine sector, and have been supported by growing individual memberships reflecting the diversity of the equine community from coast to coast. The six organizations represent more than 30,000 Canadians. It will be the mission of the alliance to harness the collective assets of member organizations to develop, strengthen and promote horse‐related initiatives that respect this diversity. In particular, the alliance aims to invest in sport, recreation and industry development at the local and grass‐roots level, assisting traditionally under‐represented or under‐served horse people and organizations to achieve mutually‐identified goals. The overriding aim will be to protect and promote the horse and horse welfare, whether in sport, agriculture, or a family companion.
In its first year of business, the alliance will be communicating its aims and objectives widely, in the hope that horse people and organizations will join with it to build a national organization that is a clear reflection of the diversity and richness of horse life in Canada. The six founding members recently met in Alberta to formulate their priority objectives for 2011, and once its corporate name is approved a more detailed announcement will be published. At its first meeting, a board of directors consisting of the six presidents of the founding members was established, and Dixie Crowson of Vauxhall Alberta will serve as its first President.
1 thought on “A New Canadian Horse Alliance”
I am glad to hear of an alliance that will focus on the grassroots level. This is definately an area that requires more representation, and assistance for getting educational and competitive programs up off the ground. EC has seemed to focus more on national and international level competitions and exposure for the industry, and its provincial affiliates have been slow to return correspondence at the entry levels. I wish the new alliance much success, and hope they do not lose their focus as time goes on. I will be following this development closely, as I run a small stable in NWO that introduces riders to the sport at the schooling level, with some upward moving into Trillium…. EC may have somthing to learn with a shift in its focus from national events to the beginners who want affordable entry into the sport and the related healthy lifestyle horses can bring us.