Pierre M. Paquette

I have been an OADG member for the past 8 years or so when I ended my personal career as a rider/hunter and began managing the destinies of my daughter Isabelle in the dressage field. I have been deeply involved in sports activities and their administrations, namely golf and curling and still am as president of the Rivermead Golf Club. This is my first involvement in the field of riding and dressage in particular. I opted to join the OADG direction in order to promote the advantages of the sport and to ensure that willing and capable riders reach their peaks in the field of dressage with reasonable monetary costs and close access to develop competition abilities especially if they are promising but still dependant on their parents.

I personnally started my true riding career at the late age of 45 and trimmed hard since I had to compete with an opposition which in almost every case was 30 years younger than I. Far from stopping me, it forced me to persevere even more and led me to hunter and jumper competitions at the Trillium level. My horse at the time was Lady Grey, a quarter horse who had lots of talent and spirit as well as patience to be able to support me the way she did. In 1999, I had a bad spill and my age started to show on the recovery side. That’s when I decided to ask Isabelle to ride Lady Grey and she opted for the dressage field. They both did very well but Lady Grey developped leg problems and I had to replace her. In June 2003, I became the owner of a 17.2 hh 8 year old, bay, Hanoverian/ Belgium warm blood mare, named Serenity. Isabelle and Serenity have since creeped up the ladder of. the dressage field, to the point that she will be competing at the 4th level this coming year and soon we hope at the Royal Winter Fair.