Canadian Dressage Athlete, Coach & Trainer
To Train, Coach, Inspire…..
Maya Markowski is a Canadian Grand Prix Dressage Professional based in Guelph, Ontario – a skilled dressage trainer and coach focused on the development of horses and riders through all levels of dressage. With her resilience and dedication, Maya has realized many career successes in the dressage arena in Canada and across North America including being selected twice to represent Canada at the Nations Cup in the United States.
Over that last 10 years, I have worked with Maya during my visits to Canada. She has always exhibited a committed work ethic and has been continuously focused on her improvement. During this time, not only has she illustrated her commitment to her own horses but also to her colleagues and clients. Maya treats her horses, and the horses for which she is responsible, as partners. To me this shows the character of a person. I always say that a horse without a rider is still a horse, but a rider without a horse is just a person. I would consider Maya an excellent candidate for support and/or sponsorship. I wish her great success in the future.
Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg, Former First Chief Rider of the Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School), Vienna Austria
Maya’s passion for horses began at a very young 4 years of age and with the support of her parents she learned to ride a variety of horses and ponies in the hunter/jumper ring. In her 14th year, Maya’s family re-located to Germany where she became exposed to the world of dressage. At the time, little did she know how fortunate she was to learn in one of the leading countries in equestrian sports, but now she ties much of her career success to the solid foundation and theory she learned during her tenure in Germany. After returning to Canada Maya began to create her own footprint in the horse industry with her business Equest Dressage, specializing in young horse development, behavioural rehabilitation, and re-training.
Spending many years developing her craft, Maya has trained with some of the best names in the Canadian Dressage world including Alex Reinfels, Olympian David Marcus, two-time Olympian Jacqueline Brooks, and six time Olympian Cindy Ishoy.
As a true testament to her dedication to skill development, she has trained all her upper-level horses from the beginning – including her beloved horse Lumiere who took her to the International dressage stage representing Canada in the Nations Cup.
Beyond the tremendous training skills Maya has cultivated over the last 22 years, she has also developed a honed ability to create connection – in both horses and people. Steadfast in her approach to building confidence along with her insistence on the quality of fundamental development, Maya’s passion also lies with bringing out the very best in all her students – horses and people alike. Her values and core beliefs are unwaveringly tied to inclusivity, positive mindset and hard work, believing everyone can not only chase but realize their dreams. So strongly tied to a sense of belonging and community, she’s created an environment within her circle that has embraced ‘Teamwork makes the Dream work’ (J. Maxwell) as their barn slogan.
Giving back to the dressage community, Maya volunteers as Vice President and Head of Public Relations for Caledon Dressage, a not-for-profit organization that brings safe, fun, and competitive dressage shows to Ontario.
Maya demonstrates a deep commitment to the field of classical dressage; she thinks beyond what is good for our own farm to what is good for the discipline in general. I recommend her to you with much enthusiasm.
The Right Honourable David Johnston, Canada’s 28th Governor General
Today, Maya continues to develop her string of horses and coach riders, fuelled by helping others on their journey but also laser focused on her own dreams of representing Canada at the Olympics. Her goal is to be part of the team that has Canada standing on the medal podium in dressage sport.
Maya embodies the spirit of the grass roots athlete, is the creator of her own future and knows unequivocally the kindness of others has contributed to her success over the years. The road to success has not been easy but she has remained firmly rooted in the belief that through hard work, dedication, and support of the community, she will achieve her goals.
EQUEST DRESSAGE 