Gayle Ecker, Equine Industry Vision Award Winner for 2015

Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph, has been awarded the prestigious Equine Industry Vision Award for 2015.

The award, presented at the American Horse Publication Tally-Ho at the Alamo Seminar in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, June 19, 2015, recognizes Ecker’s innovation, vision and commitment to the equine industry.

Sponsored by Zoetis, the award is intended not only to recognize outstanding leadership, creativity and service to the horse industry, but also to benefit the industry by inspiring these qualities in others.

“This award represents an amazing achievement for my dedicated staff who stay focused on the Equine Guelph vision of developing programs to support horse health and welfare for Canada and beyond,” says Ecker. “The recognition from our peers in the horse industry in North America is amazing to have and it is also thanks to the support from the Advisory Council members, our wonderful sponsors and donors, and the passionate volunteers who help us move forward with our vision. I would also like to thank the American Horse Publications Group and Zoetis for developing such an award to recognize achievements in the horse industry in North America and it is an honour to receive this on behalf of Equine Guelph.”

Equine Guelph, a not-for-profit Centre at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, serves the horse and its industry through education, research, healthcare promotion and industry development. Founded in 2003, Equine Guelph is supported and overseen by equine industry groups and is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of horses.

Ecker received the distinction of being ‘short-listed’ for the Equine Industry Vision award from a record number of 25 nominees to one of four finalists. The other three finalists included: EQUUS Foundation, a charitable foundation providing financial support and services to equine charities across the United States; Jim McGarvey, Chairman of the Board, Back Country Horsemen of America; Juli S. Thorson, Editor-at-Large, Horse & Rider.

The AHP Board of Directors, plus a Zoetis representative, select the award winner based on their performance related to their achievements, and demonstration of key attributes, including vision, innovation, leadership, commitment, dedication and willingness to serve, original and effective ideas, services, and programs, as well as high professional standards.

The Equine Industry Vision award has been presented thirteen times since its inception in 2002 to top industry professionals and equine institutes. AHP director, Chris Brune says, “It represents that these individuals and organizations are being recognized for making a real difference in the horse world.”

Ecker has been with Equine Guelph since its inception, and played an instrumental role in its birth. She has dedicated her energies to advancing the equine industry through education and communications of research findings. Ecker and her team have been leaders in equine education, developing award-winning programs, including over 20 online courses supporting health and welfare, as well as courses in business development – all part of the Equine Studies Diploma. Another award-winning program, the popular “EquiMania!” has proven to be a favourite with youth and family. This interactive exhibit, promoting safety, welfare and career opportunities was a popular feature at the World Equestrian Games in 2010. Other feature programs include large animal technical rescue training, horse owner online tools, equine welfare assessment training, promotion of the new Equine Code of Practice and several other innovative programs.

Many congratulations go out to Ecker from her peers, supporters and the multitude of horse lovers that have been inspired, educated and motivated by her tireless efforts and contributions to the horse industry through her work with Equine Guelph.

Comments are closed for this blog post

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Crop Report for The Period June 16 to 22, 2026

Seeding in Saskatchewan is nearly finished with 99 per cent completed. Attention has shifted to in season activities, including haying operations, herbicide applications and monitoring for pests and diseases. Over the past week, most regions in the province received significant rainfall. While these rains were welcomed in some areas, excessive precipitation in others has led to saturated fields. Combined with periodic high winds, these conditions have delayed in-crop spraying operations in several regions. The Foam Lake area recorded the highest rainfall at 110 millimetres (mm), followed by Hillsborough with 77 mm. Both Elfros and Lacadena reported 68 mm of rainfall. Rainfall significantly increased topsoil moisture, with surplus conditions increasing in most areas. Cropland topsoil moisture is: 20 per cent surplus; 77 per cent adequate; and Three per cent short. Hayland topsoil moisture is: 15 per cent surplus; 77 per cent adequate; Seven per cent short; and One per cent v

BCRC and CCA Statement on Funding for Federal Scientists at University of Guelph

The Beef Cattle Research Council and Canadian Cattle Association are pleased with the recent announcement that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will fund the salaries of Dr. Óscar López-Campos and Dr. Nuria Prieto at the University of Guelph for a two-year period. This funding will help reinvigorate the University’s meat science program, maintain ongoing industry research and provide valuable training opportunities for students and future beef researchers. This was one of the key requests made by the CCA and BCRC when the AAFC cuts were announced in late January, and we acknowledge the efforts made by the University, AAFC and Drs. López-Campos and Prieto to achieve this result. Dr. Óscar López-Campos has led industry efforts to continuously improve beef carcass grading technology, as well as the recent harmonization of the Canadian and U.S. yield grades. He is also well-known and respected for engaging young producers with the importance of carcass merit through annual 4-H cl

Revolutionizing Canada’s food and fermentation sectors with new AI technology

Canada’s ability to create more value from its agricultural resources is taking a significant step forward. Today, Protein Industries Canada announced a new project with Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs to develop a revolutionary AI-enabled fermentation platform that uses existing industrial sensors and advanced machine learning to continuously infer fermentation conditions, food safety indicators, energy performance and process health in real time. By transforming conventional fermentation from a manually managed process into an intelligent, autonomous system, the technology has the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption, improve product consistency, increase production efficiency and unlock new value from agricultural byproducts, creating a new model for smart and sustainable food manufacturing. “With support from Protein Industries Canada, one of Canada’s global innovation clusters, Crush Dynamics and its partners will use AI-driven innovation to strengthen Canada’s

USRSB Hosts 2026 General Assembly, Driving Progress in Beef Sustainability Through Science & Stewardship

The U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) convened for its 2026 General Assembly Meeting, bringing together stakeholders from across the beef value chain to advance the theme “Science & Stewardship: Driving Progress.” This year’s event welcomed members and non-members alike to Tampa, Florida, and highlighted the power of collaboration and innovation through engaging main stage sessions, interactive breakout discussions, and beef sustainability-focused tours. “More than 145 industry stakeholders joined us this year to explore critical topics ranging from food waste and supply chain innovation to grazingland conversion and water stewardship,” said Samantha Werth, PhD, executive director of the USRSB. “I am proud of the work our membership is pursuing to drive progress across all facets of the beef value chain.” In addition to robust discussions and networking opportunities, which included an evening rooftop reception and option between two pre-meeting Beef Industry Sustai

Family diversifies tricentennial dairy farm

Meet Robbie and Shannon Dygert, 13th-generation dairy farmers of Dygert Farms in Palatine Bridge, New York, an operation that has been in the family for more than 300 years. The original farmstead was deeded to the family in 1723 by the British royal family and has been run as a dairy ever since. Robbie and Shannon took over ownership of the farm in 2009 to steer it into the fourth century of operation. Robbie and Shannon started milking 50 cows in a tie stall barn. Since then, they have gradually expanded the operation to milking 250 cows, housed in two freestalls, and converted the old tiestall barn into a double-eight parallel milking parlor. Looking for ways to diversify the farm, the Dygerts established Dygert Farms Creamery in 2015 with the hope they would one day bottle and sell their own milk. In the early days of the creamery, Robbie and Shannon bought and distributed milk to local businesses and through home delivery, which also allowed them to build their customer base. Th

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service