Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

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.

Views: 91

Comments are closed for this blog post

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

Competition Bureau looking at Canada’s food supply chain

The Competition Bureau plans to look at Canada’s food supply chain through three lenses.

Ag in the House: June 8 – 12

A Bloc MP had questions related to Bill C-30 and crop protection

U.S. Spring Wheat Condition Rises; Winter Wheat Harvest Accelerates

The condition of the 2026 U.S. spring wheat crop improved over the past week, while the winter wheat harvest advanced rapidly and crop ratings remained far below last year. Monday’s USDA crop progress report rated 55% of the national spring wheat crop in good to excellent condition as of Sunday, up 3 percentage points from the previous week but 2 points below the 57% rated good to excellent a year ago. In North Dakota, the largest spring wheat-producing state, the crop remained at 61% good to excellent. Minnesota improved 4 points to a strong 90%, while South Dakota slipped 2 points to 50%. Montana recorded the largest improvement, with its spring wheat rating climbing 9 points to 19% good to excellent. However, 70% of the state’s crop was still rated only fair and another 11% was poor. Spring wheat emergence reached 95%, up from 87% the previous week and ahead of both 88% last year and the five-year average of 89%. Six per cent of the crop was headed, compared with 4% last yea

Alberta Crops Catch Up After Widespread Rains, But Seeding Delays Persist in Northern Regions

Provincial seeding reaches 97%, soil moisture improves across Alberta, and crop emergence continues despite cooler conditions Frequent, soaking rains across Alberta over the past week have delivered a welcome boost to soil moisture reserves and crop emergence, although the moisture has also slowed the final push to complete seeding in some northern areas. According to Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation’s latest Crop Report, provincial seeding progress for major crops has reached 97%, putting growers within striking distance of the five-year average of 100%. The South and Central regions have completed seeding, while producers in the North East, North West and Peace regions continue working around wet field conditions. Moisture Improves Across Most of Alberta The widespread rainfall has significantly improved soil moisture conditions across much of the province. Surface soil moisture ratings are now well above normal in many areas, helping support crop emergence and early-season dev

EMILI explores how AI-powered agtech increases sustainability, efficiency

AI is a powerful, multi-purpose technology that has the potential to hyperoptimize on-farm activities to a more precise level than ever to help farmers reduce costs, manage data, and increase productivity. Of the 30+ equipment and technologies being demonstrated and tested on EMILI’s Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert in 2026, a third involve AI.  By deploying technology in a fully-operational Manitoba farm setting, EMILI is able to validate what works and provide innovators with feedback on areas of improvement.  “Ground truthing the technology is critically important to ensure it is solving a problem for farmers and providing accurate data insights,” said Koroscil. “AI models don’t always get it right. Our team spends hours in the field counting weed populations, checking soil moisture levels, evaluating environmental conditions, and collecting agronomic measurements to provide boots-on-the-ground validation of what works and what doesn’t.” Evaluating AI-powered technology in p

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service