Equine Canada (EC) provided a sneak preview of its re-branding to the attendees of the 2016 EC Annual Convention on Friday, April 22, 2016, during the EC Awards Gala at the iconic Dalhousie Station, home of Cirque Éloize, in Montreal, QC. The new brand was greeted enthusiastically, garnering a standing ovation from a clearly impressed crowd following the presentation.

The official launch of the new brand, including a new and revitalized EC website, will take place in June 2016.

EC began the process of creating a fresh, exciting and impactful new brand in September 2015, working closely with Hulse & Durrell, an award-winning, Vancouver-based design firm that develops brands, products and films for values-driven organizations around the world.

The end result of the rebranding project is a name, emblem and unified identity that truly reflects EC’s vision, mission, and values.

“From the name to the emblem to the look, feel, and voice of the organization, the new branding truly represents a new era for EC,” said EC CEO, Eva Havaris. “We have a powerful story to tell about the federation and our equestrian community in Canada, and the new brand provides us with the vehicle to deliver our message to the world.”

After performing market research and finding that the word “equestrian” is far better understood outside of the industry than “equine,” EC will officially stand for Equestrian Canada as of June 2016. The new name of the organization translates seamlessly info French (Équestre), and evokes the true partnership between horse and human, reflecting EC’s fundamental values of advocating for the horse, rider and industry in Canada.

In addition, EC, as well as all disciplines, teams, programs and initiatives will take on a new and unified look that utilizes the new emblem, featuring the distinctive horseshoe and maple leaf that has represented the Canadian Equestrian Team since the 1950s.

“With Equestrian Canada, we needed to balance a sense of heritage and prestige, but for the next generation of riders,” explained Greg Durrell of Hulse & Durrell, whose client history includes the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Canadian Olympic Team, and the International Olympic Committee. “The new emblem sheds the ornamentation of previous incarnations, but preserves and amplifies this iconic image.”

Stay tuned for the official EC brand launch in June 2016. Questions and comments regarding the new branding can be directed to  communications@equinecanada.ca.