| Gail Greenough | |
| Fullname: | Gail E. Greenough |
| Discipline: | Show jumping |
| Birth Date: | 7 March 1960 |
| Birth Place: | Edmonton, Alberta |
Gail E. Greenough, (born March 7, 1960) was a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team for show jumping.
Gail Greenough was born on March 7, 1960, in Edmonton, Alberta. She began to learn equestrian skills when she was eleven. In 1983, she joined the Canadian Equestrian Team. She had gained some experience competing at a few World Cups.[1]
When Greenough competed with Mr. T, they competed for 5 days where they produced many clean rounds. In the final, however, she had to ride 3 of 4 rounds riding her competitors' horses. She rode cleanly and managed to incur no penalty points, thus taking the title and the $23,000 prize for first place. On July 13, 1986, Greenough won the 1986 World Show Jumping Championships in Aachen, West Germany, riding a Hanoverian horse named Mr T. She was the first woman, the first North American, and the youngest person to win this championship, and she was the first rider to do so with zero faults in the competition. Also at the 1986 World Cup, she put on display her best show jumping while competing against 72 athletes. The odds were against her, but she finished four Finals without knocking down a rail or making any violations.[2]
In June 1987, at the Loblaws Showjumping Classic, she took the victory, which qualified her to compete in the August 1987 Pan-Am Games and the World Cup competition. After these competitions were over, Greenough continued to compete for a while with moderate success. After failing to secure a position on Canada's Olympic Equestrian Team in 1992, she retired.
After she stopped competing, she provided commentary for events on CBC Sports. Greenough participated in Prince Edward of the United Kingdom's charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament in 1987. She became a member of the Canadian Show Jumping Team selection committee. In 2001, she made a return to the grand prix ring. She won several events. She also won the highly favored Chrysler Leading Canadian Rider Award at the Spruce Meadows Masters tournament. In 1990, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.
Source:
Greenough has her business now, Greenough Equestrian, in Creekside Farm near Calgary, Alberta. It is a clinic where she trains and teaches equestrian skills.