Ottawa, ON, March 30, 2022 – Mark Rein and Tara Dow-Rein have been named the “Owner of the Year” for 2021 by Equestrian Canada’s Jumping Committee, the national body overseeing Canadian hunter/jumper sport from the grassroots to the Olympic level.
Rein and Dow-Rein, both originally from the Greater Toronto Area and now living in Raleigh, NC, have been long-time supporters of Canadian show jumping sport. They first became involved as owners of high-performance horses when they invested in Zucarlos, the grey stallion that Jay Hayes rode at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. With a long career at the international level, Hayes and Zucarlos, a horse that was often remembered for his signature buck while on course, represented Canada in several Nations’ Cup team competitions including winning back-to-back Bank of Montreal Nations’ Cups at Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 1990 and 1991.
For the past five years, the Rein family has supported Canadian Show Jumping Team veteran, Harold Chopping, who served as the alternate for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. They currently own four mounts for Chopping including the international-level horses Fast Forward, Gerderieka II VI, and Quadrant 3. At the 2021 Tryon Fall VII tournament in Tryon, NC, Chopping won the $25,000 Tryon Resort Grand Prix riding Gerderieka II VI and placed third with Quadrant 3, marking a successful class for the Rein family’s horses.
Since becoming involved with Canadian Olympic champion Eric Lamaze and his Torrey Pines Stable two years ago, the Rein family has furthered its involvement at the international level. Owning approximately 10 to 12 horses at any given time, the Reins partner with Lamaze on sales horses and maintain a top string for Beth Underhill, who currently rides for Torrey Pines Stable and who was also a member of the Canadian Show Jumping Team at the 1992 Olympics Games. Top mounts currently campaigned by Underhill under the Rein Family LLC and Torrey Pines Stable banner include Dieu Merci van T&L, Casino Calvin, and Nikka van den Bisschop.
“We are thrilled to be recognized with this award and thank the EC Jumping Committee for the honour,” said Dow-Rein on behalf of Rein Family LLC. “Both Mark and I grew up riding in Ontario, and my family has a long history of involvement with equestrian sport. My father, Carl Dow, competed in eventing in the era of Jim Elder, who became a life-long friend, and was asked to be the reserve rider for the 1964 Olympic Games, although he declined due to the young age of his horse. We are excited to continue his tradition of involvement with high performance equestrian sport in Canada.”
Dow would go on to compete in the open jumper division as well as act as Whipper-in for the Toronto and North York Hunt on that same horse that had been spared a trip to Tokyo, Japan, for the 1964 Olympics. He also served as the District Commissioner of the Eglinton Pony Club, signaling a life-long involvement in horse sport that he passed down to his daughter. Dow-Rein is herself an active competitor in the hunter divisions, and two of the three Rein children also compete in the hunter/jumper divisions.
First introduced in 1995, the EC Jumping Committee “Owner of the Year” Award was created to recognize the exceptional level of dedication, commitment, and generosity that owners demonstrate when supporting Canadian Show Jumping Team athletes. Given their longstanding support of Canadian show jumping sport, the Rein family is a deserving recipient of the Jumping Committee “Owner of the Year” Award for 2021.
For a full list of past award recipients, click here.
Tara Dow-Rein and Mark Rein have been named the 2021 recipients of the EC Jumping Committee “Owner of the Year” Award.
Photo Credit: Starting Gate Communications, www.startinggate.ca