Our featured Volunteer of the Month is Holly Gordon!
Most of you may know Holly as a long-standing instructor at Lancers. On top of her teaching hours, Holly always tries to put in some extra time as a volunteer. Holly has been riding since she was 5 years old, she joined Lancers at the age of 13 when her family moved from Montreal to Halifax. She became an instructor when she turned 16 a couple of years later. After some time away working at other barns, Holly moved back to Halifax in 2018 and started riding and teaching at Lancers again!
Holly has been heavily involved at Lancers since the beginning, as a volunteer and staff. While growing up at Lancers she did lots of showing and volunteering at horse shows. Holly rode in the Musical Ride and did her Pony Club level testing up to her C-2. On the weekends she would stable hand to help pay for horse shows, and then spent every spare minute she had at the barn trying to learn and just be near the horses. This was before we had barn monitors so Holly would often help younger riders get ready for their lessons. “Lancers has always felt like home, which makes it a completely different volunteer experience — it feels like helping family. Volunteering time outside of teaching is also a nice way to get to know the students better (and their families!), and to help the barn continue to be such an essential part of the city.” You can often find Holly at our training shows the and Downtown Horse Show running the in-gate or coaching in the warm-up ring! Holly also helps with our open houses, pony rides and August cleanup.
Holly has had many special lancer horses in her life including Lola, Moonbeam, Ariel, and Ellie Mae. Right now she is enjoying riding and becoming friends with Bear. When Holly is not at the barn or working at her busy full time job, she enjoys hiking, camping, and swimming in the summer with her dog Millie. And when she is not outside she also sews quilts and clothing.
“Lancers has made me a better person: more responsible, thoughtful, and hardworking. It taught me leadership skills as a teenager (though I think that was a rocky road!), and how to have a loving and respectful relationship with horses. I'm forever thankful that I've spent so much of my time at Lancers — and having spent time at a number of other barns during my years teaching and riding, no other place compares to it.” Holly plays an important role in helping to build better lives for so many, just as Lancers did for her growing up. Holly shows her appreciation for Lancers and the Horses of Halifax, regularly and we are so grateful she continues to make Lancers a priority.
