Dec. 2015 Issue_ August 2013a 2015-11-23 6:26 PM Page 34 34/ DECEMBER 2015 THE RIDER The Balancing Act


By Hayley Picard For young competi-


tive equestrian riders, find- ing balance is key. Balanc- ing academic pursuits with the demands of training and caring for their eques- trian partners while main- taining their emotional and physical health can strain the limits of even the strongest athlete. It has been an ongoing learning experience for 17 year old Kassidy Keith of Nanaimo, BC who attends the only school in Canada with an on-campus fully integrated equestrian program. Keith is in her Grade


12 year at Queen Mar- garet’s School (QMS) in Duncan, BC. QMS offers an environment where stu- dents who love to ride are supported by faculty and staff. “I have been riding longer than I have been able to walk,” laughs Keith. “My mom is a pro- fessional coach, so my love for horses is in my blood.”


In fact, Kassidy’s mother, Cheryl Keith, is the Head Coach of the Equestrian Program at QMS. This led to an exciting opportunity for the young rider during her Grade 7 school year. “My mom asked me if


I wanted to apply for QMS for my high school years so that I could really focus on improving my riding, building my confidence, and really chase my eques- trian dreams,” remembers Keith. “She made it clear from the start that QMS would help me strike a bal- ance between school and equestrian training, but that I would still need to work really hard, both in the classroom and in the arena.” “Queen Margaret’s


School’s equestrian pro- gram provides opportuni- ties for riders of all levels,” outlines the school’s Equestrian Program Direc- tor, Jodine Buydens. “Kas- sidy is certainly unique in


that her drive to attain the highest level of riding she can achieve has really pushed her development. She trains almost every day, attends clinics and competitions year round and cares for her equine partners. Kassidy is also responsible for ensuring she meets the high academ- ic expectations of our school. Her passion for excellence can be seen in her results.” Since enrolling at


to do with that receiving that award.” Kassidy Keith’s work


QMS, Kassidy’s riding prowess has been gaining attention across the coun- try. Winning champi- onships, medals and scor- ing high in her equitation events earned her the pres- tigious Diane Tidball Lega- cy Scholarship in 2014, worth $25,000. “I was hon- oured to receive that award,” says Keith. “That money went right back into my horses, entry fees and transportation costs. My success this year has a lot


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in the saddle throughout 2015 culminated in her earning positions at the Royal West in Calgary, the ASPCA Maclay Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky, and the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto. The demanding schedule meant that Kas- sidy would be away from QMS for over a month. The school has developed a system to support its high level athletes and their competition schedules. “My teachers and I devel- oped a learning plan for my time away and scheduled online learning each week for my math studies. I couldn’t have undertaken this journey without their support.” For her competition


tour, Dr. Jolene Benham, a QMS Alumna, loaned Kas- sidy her favourite horse, Wallabee. At the Royal West Show, the pair came first in the Junior Hunter, won the Junior Amateur Hunter Classic and Reserve Champion in the RMSJ Medal before departing for the Maclay Nationals. In Kentucky, Kassidy and Wallabee performed strongly and placed just outside the top 30 (there were 153 riders in her divi- sion). “The competition at Lexington was like nothing I’ve experienced before,” says Keith. “I learned so much and took that with me to Toronto.” Keith’s performance


at the Royal Winter Fair was everything she and her head coach had hoped for. They won the Junior Hunter Stake and achieved Reserve Champion in the Junior Hunter Division in their first days of competi- tion. The Jump Canada Medal was an incredibly challenging event, yet Kas- sidy and Wallabee pulled through to win. What is ahead for


Kassidy after graduating from Queen Margaret’s School? “The sky’s the


Cheryl Keith, Kassidy Keith and Wallabee win at Royal Winter Fair


Kassidy and Wallabee at Royal West


Kassidy on Wallabee at Thunderbird Park


limit,” she says. “I believe I achieve anything I put my


mind to, and thanks to my time at QMS, I have devel-


oped the skills to do just that.”


The Jockey Club Of Canada Joins


Coalition For Horse Racing Integrity Leading Canadian racing group announces support for reforms to medication testing and enforcement in American Thoroughbred racing


October 26, 2015 – The Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity announced today the Jockey Club of Canada (JCC) has joined as a member. The JCC is the second international rac- ing group to join the coalition, bring- ing additional support from another jurisdiction which has already imple- mented the type of uniform, high standards for medication testing and enforcement that supporters seek to achieve in the United States. “The border between Canada


and the U.S. is one crossed by thou- sands of racehorses each year,” said Jeff Begg, Chief Steward of the Jockey Club of Canada. “The mem- bers of the Jockey Club of Canada are eager to see medication reforms in the U.S. that will provide certainty and a level playing field no matter what state or track they’re headed to.”


which would authorize an indepen- dent, racing-specific, non-govern- mental and non-profit organization to create uniform, high standards in drug and medication testing and enforcement for Thoroughbred horse racing. The coalition’s membership


The Jockey Club of Canada


oversees the Thoroughbred breeding registry and graded stakes racing in Canada, and is responsible for the annual Sovereign Awards program and the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee. JCC represents Canada at the annual International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities Confer- ence. The Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity supports the Thoroughbred Horseracing Integrity Act of 2015,


includes major racing organizations, animal welfare groups, racing and wagering facilities and a grassroots organization with over 1,100 owners, trainers, breeders, and racing profes- sionals. Additional information, includ-


ing a list of coalition members, sto- ries from supporters and ways to contact Congress to express support for this legislation, is available at www.horseracingintegrity.com.


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