Dressage Canada and Desi Dillingham, in her role as Special Advisor, have announced the appointment of the very popular and internationally experienced Victoria Winter, as the Chef d’Equipe to lead the Canadian Dressage Team heading for the World Equestrian Games in Normandy. Victoria is the first member to be appointed as part of the “Team of Experts” to help our riders reach their personal best scores in their world class campaign.

“Victoria is well respected, popular with the riders and has the perfect background to fill this role” stated Dillingham. Her international experience started when she groomed for Cindy Ishoy and Dynasty from 1986 to 1988 during their finest hours at World level ending with the Olympic team Bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. As a rider, Victoria won Individual and Team Bronze at the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina and represented Canada as a member of the Canadian dressage team at the World Equestrian Games in Rome (1998) and Kentucky (2010). In addition to this very impressive background, Victoria was Chef d’Equipe of Canada’s dressage team for the 2003 Pan American Games in TheDominican Republic, where Canada won Individual gold, and team silver.

Victoria is a partner with the Toronto based Law Firm, Beard Winter LLB and a member of the Board of Directors of the 2015 Pan American Games which will be held in Toronto, Canada. She has a seven year-old daughter and her husband Curt Harnett, is a four time Olympian in Track Cycling where he won silver and two bronze medals for Canada.

“I am honoured to take on the role of Chef d’Equipe for the Canadian Dressage Team for the 2014 WEG and look forward to working with our athletes to help them achieve their best ever performances and success for Canada” said Winter.