Jacqueline Brooks on Funding Equestrian Sports in Canada

Jacqueline Brooks and D Niro / photo from horsesport.com

Jacqueline Brooks She is a dressage rider who has represented Canada at two Olympic Games (2008, 2012), two World Cup finals (2007, 2013) and a team silver medal winner at the Pan American Games (2003). The athlete constantly performs at international tournaments in North America and is the winner of the annual John Perry Award for outstanding sporting achievements.

Recently, Jacqueline commented on the decision of the British Prime Minister and Minister of Culture to allocate a record amount to support the country’s athletes and prepare for the 2024 Olympics:

“Funding is the support that the state can provide to its potential Olympic medalists. And we have many talented riders and horses. So it’s time to borrow the idea of ​​funding with funds received from state lotteries.

Dressage not a popular sport in Canada, therefore, it is not given due attention. Dressage is most developed in Florida. Therefore, to achieve a high level, it is necessary to train there. And in order to become a top rider and be competitive, you have to ride in Europe.

Funding for Canadian top athletes, in most cases, comes from their own horse business. As a rule, the one who has the opportunity to work in Florida or has a sponsor. There is not enough money for young promising riders. They do not have the opportunity to pay for a good coach or travel to competitions.

Funding to allow some of our athletes to compete outside of Canada will help build a well-rounded national team. All members of the current Olympic team have made the decision to leave their horses in Europe after the Tokyo Olympics, as they will compete in the Nations Cup in Aachen. And all this at your own expense! They figured that, with or without funding, the experience would take them to the next level. And I’m sad that our state does not support them.

When we choose a sport such as equestrianism, we must be aware that financial responsibility rests entirely on our shoulders, but our team needs help before the Olympics. That is why I believe that the Olympic lottery should be returned – people should be able to voluntarily support athletes.

On July 12, 2021, the Canadian Olympic Foundation launched a lottery Team Canada 50/50. Lottery proceeds in a certain province must be invested directly in the respective provincial and territorial sports systems. Each lottery winner takes home half of the winnings. The rest is invested in sports. This is a great start, but not a solution to the problem.

I am sure that the problem exists not only in Canada, but in many countries claiming Olympic medals, the situation is similar. In addition, we cannot hold high-level tournaments in our country – the territory is too large, and the leading riders are based far from each other.

It would be more logical and more promising to bring them together and send them to a more competitive environment – Europe or Wellington.

The bottom line is that it is wrong to allocate funding based on the results of performances. First you need to support the riders and only then will they be able to win Olympic medals.