Sandra Kathleen Sillcox, Equine Canadian official, volunteer and industry pioneer, died March 26 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 74.

Mrs. Sillcox, of King City, Ont., was a member of Equine Canada, when it was known as the Canadian Horse Shows Association, since 1959. In addition, she was an Equine Canada Senior National and Fédération Equestre Internationale steward. She was accredited as an FEI-X steward for all the FEI disciplines of combined driving, eventing, jumper, dressage, vaulting, endurance and reining.

Mrs. Sillcox’s lifetime commitment as a steward began when she created Equine Canada’s steward program and developed the FEI steward program in Canada. She has been the chairman of the EC National Stewards Committee and the head of the FEI Steward program in Canada.

She was the chief jumping steward at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the overall chief steward at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Mrs. Sillcox acted as the chief dressage steward. She was also the first National Steward General appointed from Canada to the FEI.

“Sandra was the mother and creator of stewarding in Canada. She also had a huge impact and was a major contributor to stewarding at the FEI level,” said her friend of 42 years and fellow EC and FEI steward, Robert Smith. “Much, if not all, of the Equine Canada rules for stewards and stewarding are Sandra’s. She was a great person and a real supporter of all types of equestrian activities from jumper to trail riding to dressage. This is a terrible loss for everyone involved in equestrian sport in Canada and around the world.”

Mrs. Sillcox’s survivors include her husband Robert Sillcox; three children, Scott, Dana and Paige; seven grandchildren; and a brother Clay Powell.

Memorial donations may be made to the Southlake Regional HealthCentre Foundation, Cancer/Palliative Care Unit, 615 Davis Drive, Suite 304, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada L3Y 2R2.