Erynn Ballard

 

Erynn Ballard

 

Erynn Ballard is a highly accomplished Canadian show jumper with a long and evolving international career marked by notable victories, championship appearances, and consistency at the sport’s highest levels. Born on September 13, 1980 in Oakville, Ontario, she began riding at age five and quickly distinguished herself in multiple disciplines - hunters, jumpers, and equitation - becoming only the second Canadian to win the prestigious ASPCA Maclay National Championship at Madison Square Garden in 1998 and then capturing individual gold at the 1999 North American Young Riders’ Championship.

Ballard made her senior Nations Cup debut in 2006 at the Spruce Meadows Masters, helping Canada to its first victory in the event’s history, and was named Equine Canada “Equestrian of the Year” that same season. Over the past decade she has been a fixture on Canadian teams at major championships, including the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, 2019 Pan American Games, and the 2022 FEI World Championships, and she competed at the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals.

In recent years Ballard’s competitive success has grown with her 5* performances on the North American circuit. In 2024 she won her first CSI5 Grand Prix*, taking the $340,000 Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix of Vancouver aboard Nikka vd Bisschop — her first victory at the sport’s highest level. She has also posted other top results, including winning FEI5* speed classes at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala, topping a CSI5* speed class aboard Her Game Ball PG, and scoring international wins in classes at events like the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival and Royal Horse Show in Toronto.

Ballard’s career reached a new pinnacle with her selection to represent Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, her first Olympic appearance, where she competed both individually and as part of the team. Known for her adaptability across horses and formats, she remains a leading figure in Canadian show jumping and one of the sport’s most experienced contenders on the international stage.