By Chris Gould / CWHBA
Photography: Peter Llewellyn and archive material

The passing of Eve Mainwaring on June 9, at the grand old age of 98, marks the closing of a chapter in the history of the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, although recognition of Eve as a major influence in equestrian sport in Canada is universal.

Much has been written about her life, coming from Estonia, her war experiences, and her rise to prominence in sport and coaching – especially her involvement with Big Ben and life-long friendship with Ian Millar. However, Eve’s impact on the Warmblood breeding industry is no less important. Her immense knowledge and experience was generously shared for over thirty years.
In 1988 Eve was recruited by Jennette Coote, at the time a fellow Trakehner breeder, to attend the inaugural meeting of the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association. Eve accepted the position of vice chair and soon after was the founding president of the Ontario chapter.
Travelling year after year across the country with international judges, she served as the backbone of the inspection team. Eve gained the respect and lasting friendship of Manfred Lopp, Ingvar Fredriksson, Fritz von Blottnitz, Hakan Whalman, and several others, who brought international standards of excellence to the process. Her translation skills and role as a mentor to junior judges ensured everyone worked as a team, and it’s impossible to measure just how important she was in bringing consistency and impartiality to the stallion performance test, as the permanent member of the judging commission from its inception in 2000 to 2010... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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