AGDF Husband-And-Wife Team Jaimey And Tina Irwin Have Grown With Wellington’s Dressage Circuit BY JENNIFER WOOD
Canadian dressage riders Jaimey and Tina Irwin grew up riding in Ontario, Canada. As a husband-and-wife team, they have each been successful in the dressage world and are familiar faces at Wellington’s Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF). Tina’s sister, Sarah, and Jaimey ended up on the same Young Riders championship team, and Tina connected with Jaimey immediately when they met at a horse show. Their partnership began nearly 20 years ago, and a business relationship at Stoney Lake Equestrian began soon after. Jaimey and Tina were both born into families involved with horses and quickly took to the sport themselves. Jaimey’s family ran the Irwin Inn resort on Stoney Lake in Lakefield, Ontario, where Jaimey got his start teaching lessons and leading trail rides. Tina’s mother, Ute Busse, was a successful dressage rider in her own right, so Tina competed at local shows around Ontario from an early age. The Irwins first came to Wellington in 2006 after a client found the young couple a six-stall barn in Palm Beach Point to operate out of for the winter. They brought with them six horses to train and compete and lived in the
barn’s small apartment.With no support staff, the Irwins did everything themselves. “We knew about Florida, but we just didn’t think it was possible for us until a client pushed us and said,‘You can do this,’” Jaimey recalled. At the time, the Winter Equestrian Festival hosted both hunter/jumper and dressage competition, and additionally there were dressage shows at Littlewood Farm and the White Fences Equestrian Center. Wellington was still evolving toward what it is today. But even then, Wellington’s grandeur was a lot for the Irwins to take in. As Jaimey noted, it was “like Disneyland for horse people.” “It was a little overwhelming at first,” Tina added. “Our first experience was very eye-opening.” Wellington has grown dramatically in the past 15 years, and the Irwins’ careers and Stoney Lake Equestrian business have as well. They balance their own competition schedules with the training of clients and the marketing of sales horses. From Canada, they arrive with a full barn of 20 horses, their own as well as horses belonging to clients in training with them. Being in Wellington allows the Irwins to simultaneously operate their busi-
ness, continue toward their personal goals, and keep an eye out for new, promising equine talent. In addition, the mild Florida climate helps keep the Irwins and their horses in the best possible shape, giving them valuable months of making progress and advancing their careers. AGDF itself provides seven international events during the three months of their stay in Wellington, giving them the opportunity to earn scores to be considered for championship teams. “We wouldn’t be able to qualify for some of the major competitions like the World Cup Finals and the Pan American Games. I don’t think our careers would be where they are without Wellington,” Tina explained. “It’s unfortunate we don’t have indoor competitions at home at the beginning of the year, and the deadline for qualification happens so early in the year. It’s not really possible most years to qualify only in Canada,” Jaimey added. “If you are trying for a team, then you do have to come to Florida. Without AGDF, we wouldn’t have been able to do what we’ve done.” In 2011, Tina represented Canada at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, riding Winston and brought home a team silver medal.
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