20 SIDELINES JUNE 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Kim MacMillan
The home page of Jacqueline Brooks’ website greets you with a
quote by Walt Disney, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Meeting
her for the frst time, you can see why Walt’s words of wisdom
appeal to her. Her infectious smile makes her approachable and
her strong work ethic and optimism easily comes through as she
speaks with you.
The two-time Canadian Olympic dressage team member (Hong
Kong 2008 with Gran Gesto and London 2012 with D-Niro) started
riding seriously much later than most top-level competitors. After
fnishing a degree in Humanities from the University of Western
Ontario in 1990, Jacquie lucked into a job grooming the Trakehner
stallion Kronjuwel for Canadian dressage rider Ashley Holzer at
the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba. During that time, at
age 22, she began riding dressage. Ashley has been her coach
and friend, ever since. Jacquie says that the experience was “a
determining factor” for her in choosing an equestrian career.
“It is an interesting story about how we met. My best friend
since we were ten was grooming for Ashley and was supposed
to go to the Pan Am Games with her. But, my friend ended up
getting a full-time job in downtown Toronto and I got a call from
e
Canadian Connection
her asking if I would fll in as Ashley’s groom. So, I met Ashley as
the ‘sub’ groom. She asked me if I knew what I was doing and I
said, ‘Absolutely, I’m perfect for this job.’ But, I really had no idea
– I learned on the job like crazy. I was asking people, ‘How do you
braid? What’s this brush for? How do you muck out?’ I was staring
at other grooms watching what they were doing and then doing it!
Honestly, that was ‘seat of my pants’ grooming. Then she ended
up moving to New York City and I still travel down to train with
her there. I also train with her the entire three months we are in
Florida,” Jacquie explains.
In 2003, Jacquie and Gran Gesto, a1996 Oldenburg gelding
by Grannox, owned by Brinc Ltd. and Anne Welch, represented
Canada on the silver medal team at the Pan American Games in
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. They were also the second
reserve pair for Canada for the 2004 Athens Olympics, were
members of the Canadian team at the 2006 World Equestrian
Games in Aachen, Germany, and competed in the World Cup
Dressage Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2007. Also in 2006, at
the prestigious Dressage at Devon show in Pennsylvania, it was
no surprise that Jacquie was awarded the inaugural John
Perry Memor ial Award for outstanding spor tsmanship.
After the London Games last year, Jacquie and her D-Niro,
a1999 Swedish Warmblood gelding by D-Day, out of Alitalia by
Napoleon 625, won the Grand Prix Freestyle at the Dressage at
Devon CDI-W show in September with a 74.31 percent. This winter
on the Florida circuit they have continued to take top ribbons in
tough competition, often competing against many of their fellow
Olympians.
Jacquie, 46, owns and operates Brookhaven Dressage, a
training and lesson facility in Mount Albert, Ontario, which is in
Cedar Valley. Jacquie’s parents, Eric and Mary Brooks, live in the
farmhouse on the property and are a large part of her support team
helping her to purchase horses and cheering her on. Jacquie’s
brother James is a software developer, and although he is not a
horse person, he and his wife Lara and their three boys are also
some of Jacquie’s biggest fans. Jacquie’s constant companion,
a Labradoodle named Tucker, and a number of “spoiled” barn
cats round out the Brookhaven crew. She still has her frst
horse, Finnegan, an Oldenburg gelding who is now 25 years old.
Finnegan is still occasionally ridden in lessons as a schoolmaster
for riders needing to “feel” what is like to do piaffe or passage.
How did you get started in your riding career?
I always wanted to do horses, but I lived in the city in Toronto
and there were no horses available in the city. So, I begged to go
Jacqueline Brooks:
Dream It! Do It!
Jacqueline and D-Niro showing their tempi changes in the Grand
Prix Special CDI5* at the 2013 World Dressage Masters.
Photo by Allen MacMillan/MacMillan Photography
Oh, Canada! Jacqueline Brooks shows national pride following
her great fnish with D-Niro at the 2013 World Dressage Masters.
Photo by Shelley Higgins/MacMillan Photography