FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aldergrove, BC – February 7, 2025 – Horse Council BC Announces Withdrawal from BC Summer Games

After much deliberation and consideration, Horse Council BC, in consultation with the BC Games Society, has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the BC Summer Games. This decision comes in response to the rising costs associated with attending the Games, a continued erosion in our provincial sport funding, a lack of cost-feasible venues within the Games site regions, no National support for the Games system (Equestrian Canada does not participate in the Canada Summer Games), and ongoing challenges within our community to meet the Games participant and volunteer requirements.

Craig Cherrett, Executive Director of Horse Council BC, shared: “While we remain committed to the growth of equestrian sport, the rising costs, challenges to access appropriate facilities within the host communities, and the lack of our national body participating within the Games structure have made it increasingly difficult to justify our participation in the BC Summer Games. As much as we value the spirit of provincial competition, we feel that there are other options that better align with the current realities of our sport to support and cultivate high performance equestrian athletes from British Columbia. This decision also reflects a larger trend that impacts many sports, and we remain hopeful that future funding solutions will help ease these challenges for all involved.”

We also want to take a moment to express our gratitude for the long-standing partnership we’ve built with the BC Games Society. Alison Noble, President and CEO of the BC Games Society and her team, understand the cyclical nature of sport participation and that priorities can shift over time. Her commitment to fostering a positive environment for sports, even during times of fluctuating participation levels, has been greatly appreciated.

“Equestrian has been a valued part of the BC Summer Games, and we are grateful for the dedication and commitment HCBC has shown in supporting young athletes over the years. We sincerely appreciate the positive working relationship we have shared and the collaborative efforts that have contributed to the success of past Games. While we are disappointed to see Equestrian step away at this time, we hope to stay connected for future opportunities via the Core Sport program.” – Alison Noble, President and CEO, BC Games Society.

We deeply value our partnership with the BC Games Society and have thoroughly enjoyed our time spent with the Games. The working relationship with Games staff has been exemplary, and we are immensely grateful for the efforts and collaboration experienced in past events.

We also would like to take this opportunity to thank all the participants and volunteers that have made our past participation in the Games so memorable. Thank you for your commitment to the sport and the Games program.

While this decision was not made lightly, we believe it is in the best interest of all parties at this time. The staff at HCBC have already begun working on a new high-performance and advanced athlete support program for BC and we look forward to bringing details of this initiative forward to the BC Equestrian Community in the near future.

Click here to download the full press release

For further information, please contact:
For HCBC:
Jocelyn Plasman
Advisor, Marketing and Communications
[email protected]
604-856-4304 ext. 1003

For BC Games Society:
Andres Marquez-Velasco
Marketing Coordinator
[email protected]