Equine Canada
March 12, 2010
Three Canadian Para-Equestrians
Carry 2010 Paralympic Flame
Ottawa,
ON—Paralympians Lauren Barwick of Aldergrove, BC, Karen
Brain of Saanichton, BC, and Jennifer McKenzie of Maple Ridge
were selected as torchbearers for the 2010 Paralympic Games.
The 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, presented by the
Government of Canada, was a 10-day celebration highlighting and
sharing the stories of inspirational individuals: their achievements,
their passions and their courage. The 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay
began in Ottawa on March 3rd, 2010 and concluded at the Opening
Ceremony in Vancouver to signal the start of the Paralympic Winter
Games on March 12th, 2010.
"The torch relay was completely amazing! The
high energy, crowd enthusiasm and community appreciation for both
the Paralympic Torch relay and each of the torch bearers themselves
was electric. The experience easily compared to my first Paralympic
Games Opening Ceremony in Athens when I first walked into the
stadium; an over whelming sense of pride to be Canadian and to
be a fellow Paralympic athlete filled me completely,” said
Brain, who won a bronze medal in para-dressage at the 2004 Paralympic
in Athens, GRE. “I am grateful to have been given this opportunity!
It was a fabulous reminder of the Paralympic spirit!"
“It's incredible to have been selected to
carry the Olympic and Paralympic torch in my home country,”
said Barwick, who was the city of Langley’s torch bearer
for the 2010 Olympic Games on February 8. “It was once in
a life time experience.”
All three athletes were members of the Canadian
Equestrian Team at the 2008 Paralympics in Hong Kong in para-dressage,
where Barwick was a double medalist—individual gold and
silver. Both Barwick and Brain also represented Canada at the
2004 Paralympic in Athens, Greece.
As official sponsor of the Canadian Para-Equestrian Team, Viterra
Inc, a global food ingredients company headquartered in Canada,
is proud to recognize these Paralympians. Viterra operates grain
handling and marketing, agri-products and processing businesses,
including custom mills and operations throughout Canada, the U.S.
and New Zealand that provide premium quality feed products and
nutritional advice to the equine industry.
About Viterra
Viterra Inc. provides premium quality ingredients to leading global
food manufacturers. Headquartered in Canada, the global agribusiness
has extensive operations across Western Canada, Australia, and
New Zealand, with Adelaide, Australia as the base for Viterra’s
Southeast Asian operations. The company’s growing international
presence also extends to operations in the United States, and
offices in Japan, Singapore, China, India and Switzerland. Driven
by an entrepreneurial spirit Viterra operates in five interrelated
business areas: grain handling and marketing, agri-products, food
processing, feed products and financial services. Viterra’s
expertise, close relationships with producers, and superior logistical
assets allow the company to consistently meet the needs of the
most discerning end-use customers, helping to fulfill the nutritional
needs of people around the world. TSX: VT ASX: VTA
About Para-Equestrian Canada
Para-Equestrian Canada is the Equine Canada committee responsible
for developing programs for athletes with a physical disability,
and implementing the Para-Dressage high performance program. Para-Equestrian
is one of Canada’s most successful international disciplines,
achieving an individual gold medal and an individual silver medal
at the 2008 Paralympic Games, as well as two individual bronze
medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games.
About Para-Equestrian Sport
Para-Equestrian sport provides riders with a physical disability
the opportunity to compete against other riders with similar abilities.
Riders are given a “Grade” based on their functional
ability, and are judged on their riding skill against other athletes
of the same Grade. There are five grades of competitions in dressage,
with Grade IA representing the more severely impaired riders,
and Grade IV representing the least severely impaired riders.
Many Para-Equestrian athletes also compete alongside able-bodied
competitors in Equine Canada competitions. At the grass roots
level, Para-Equestrian encompasses a number of different disciplines,
while the international stream focuses only on Para-Dressage.
For more information, please visit www.equinecanada.ca/para-equestrian.
About Equine Canada
Equine Canada is Canada’s national governing body for equestrianism.
A member-driven, charitable institution, it is the executive branch
of the Canadian Equestrian Team, and the national authority for
equestrian competition; the national voice for recreational riders;
and the national association for equine welfare, breeding, and
industry. Equine Canada is recognised by the Government of Canada,
the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the Canadian
Olympic Committee as the national organisation representing equestrian
sport and equine interests.
For more information about Equine Canada, please
visit www.equinecanada.ca.
Julie Cull
Equine Canada
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator
Tel: 613-248-3433 ext 136
Email: jcull@equinecanada.ca
2685 Queensview Dr. Suite 100, Ottawa,ON K2B 8K2
