Michel Vaillancourt, Individual Silver Medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, will be inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame on Sunday, November 8, 2009. Photo Credit - Courtesy of Horse Publications Group

August 11, 2009 – Toronto, ON – Jump Canada is proud to announce this year's inductees into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala, presented by BMO Financial Group, will be held on Sunday, November 8, 2009, at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, ON.

The Jump Canada Hall of Fame was created in 2006 to recognize outstanding contributions to hunter/jumper sport. To date, 24 champions have been welcomed into the Hall of Fame. This year's celebrated inductees will be:

Jumper Horse – Canadian Club, Individual Gold and Team Bronze Medals at 1967 Pan
American Games, Team Gold Medal at 1968 Olympic Games, Team Gold Medal at
1970 World Championships with James Day, owned by Ernie and Elizabeth Samuel
Rider – Michel Vaillancourt – Individual Silver Medalist at 1976 Olympic Games
Media – Terry Leibel, CBC Sports Anchor
Builder (Individual) – Bob Ballard,
former Canadian Equestrian Team member and chef d’equipe
Builder (Organization) – George and Diane Tidball,
founders of Thunderbird Show Park
Hunter Horse – War Bond, owned by the Cudney family
Pony – Farnley Melanie, owned by the Tattersall family

“Now in our fourth year, we are proud of what the Hall of Fame has come to represent,” said Mark Samuel, Chairman of the Jump Canada Hall of Fame. “This year's inductees represent the achievement of excellence across the country, and across many different decades.”

The fourth annual Jump Canada Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be part of a black-tie gala and dinner to be held in the Concert Hall of Toronto's Royal York Hotel. The event has quickly grown into an annual favourite and has been a sell-out in each of its first three years. Friends and associates will be on hand to present the distinct Hall of Fame awards, making for a very special evening recalling the sport's greatest memories.

Tickets for the Jump Canada Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony are $200 per person and can be purchased individually or in tables of eight. To purchase tickets, please visit the Jump Canada Hall of Fame website at www.jumpcanada.ca. For more information, please contact Jennifer Mahoney, Equine Canada, at tel: 613 248-3433 ext. 101, e-mail: jmahoney@equinecanada.ca.

The Jump Canada Hall of Fame committee is comprised of Mark Samuel (Chairman), Jennifer Anstey, Evie Frisque, Muffie Guthrie, Dalene Paine and Jennifer Ward.

Jump Canada is a committee of Equine Canada responsible for all hunter, equitation and jumper activities in Canada from the grass roots to the international level. Jump Canada is governed by a board of directors, the majority of whom are elected by the stakeholders in the sport. For more information regarding Jump Canada programs and activities, visit www.jumpcanada.ca.