With her historic 1986 World Championship win in Aachen, Germany, Gail Greenough immediately became a show jumping legend.

Having won the first two selection trials and finishing as runner-up in the third, the young woman from Edmonton, Alberta, was chosen to represent Canada at the World Championships with her nine-year-old horse, Mr. T. While the Canadian team of Ian Millar (Big Ben), Jennifer Foster (Lavandel) and John Anderson (Goby) finished just out of the medals in fourth position, Gail became the first woman to ever advance to the ‘final four’.

In the ultimate test of horsemanship where each of the ‘final four’ competitors completes the course on all four horses, 26-year-old Gail was the underdog. Great things were expected from her three opponents - Pierre Durand of France, Conrad Homfeld of the United States and Nick Skelton of Great Britain, all legends in their own right. However, as Gail proved, they had underestimated the ability of this determined amateur woman, as well as the complexity of Mr. T. Of her competitors, only Homfeld was able to produce a clear round with the temperamental gelding who considered himself to be ‘a one-woman horse’.

Cheered on by the predominantly German crowd that had adopted the Canadian as their own in the absence of German representation, Gail emerged victorious to claim the title of World Show Jumping Champion. In the blink of an eye, Gail was a superstar with her photo splashed across the front page of newspapers throughout Europe and Canada. Hiring an agent, she secured sponsorship deals and was invited to compete at every major show in Europe.

Since that glorious weekend in Aachen, Gail, who was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1988, has continued to demonstrate her skill and determination in the competition arena, winning numerous Grand Prix events. Outside of the ring, she has volunteered her time to the sport including having served on the Jump Canada Team Selection Committee. Gail continues to be an excellent coach, a great judge of young equine talent, and a charming and gracious ambassador for our sport.

To this day, Gail remains the only woman, and the only North American, to have ever claimed the World Championship title.

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