Spruce Meadows

Story by Bruce Barker
Photography by www.viewcalgary.com

From a small cattle feedlot in 1971, the Southern family has built Spruce Meadows into the #1 ranked show-jumping facility in the world.

WALK ONTO THE GROUNDS AT SPRUCEMEADOWS at any time of the year and there’s a mystique that is hard to explain. Strains of show jump music play over the outdoor speakers. The smell of fresh-cut grass lingers along with the echoes of cheering crowds.Hopeful junior riders put their horses through training and school visits provide children with their first taste of agriculture.

But the best time to visit is during a Spruce Meadows tournament, when crowds of 50,000 collectively hold their breath, then erupt in ovation as horse and rider first approach the intimidating Devil’s Dyke at Spruce Meadows and then clear it. Only then does it become apparent how much the founders, Ron and Marg Southern have built and contributed to the local community, the province, the country, and indeed the world.

Marg Southern says that much of their success can be attributed to the greater community. Over 500 volunteers work at Spruce Meadows over the year and along with the corporate sponsors and friendly, professional Spruce Meadows staff, Spruce Meadows is the result of a community effort.

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME

Marg says that Spruce Meadows started out as a more modest vision than what has evolved today. Originally, she says that they wanted to build a venue that would contribute to the Calgary community. As Ron and Marg’s two daughters, Nancy and Linda became involved in show jumping and few venues were available in Western Canada for show jumping, the idea for Spruce Meadows germinated.

“We didn’t build it for our girls because we didn’t know if they would stay involved in horse jumping. But we saw that there was a lot of value for young people to be involved with horses and thought that Spruce Meadows could give back to the community,” says Marg. Plus, both Marg and Ron have deep roots in agriculture that helped them appreciate the connection that Albertans have with horses.

After two years of planning,which included visits to world-famous show-jumping sites in Ireland and England, construction began in 1973 with the official opening in 1975.

The first show-jumping tournament was held on June 3, 1976 with about a dozen spectators on the sidelines. But it was here that the tradition of the Victory Ride was born – the clapping of hands to the classical Radetzky’s March (the only march ever composed by Johann Strauss) – to salute the winner.Who knew it would ever grow so large?

The defining tournament for show jumpers is the Masters. The first Masters tournament was held in 1977 and is today the most soughtafter, and highest paying international showjumping competition in the world.

THE MAGIC OF THE HORSE

While Spruce Meadows is a spectacular facility built on rolling foothills land with the Rocky Mountains providing a breathtaking backdrop, there’s something about the horse that provides the irresistible draw. It is a draw big enough to attract show-jumping fans in numbers that rival professional sports teams in Canada.

“Horses do have a power, especially in Canada where our roots are still close to the farming community,” explains Marg. “I think there is a beauty to the animal that draws people.”

No horse had a greater impact on showjumping at Spruce Meadows, and indeed in Canada, than Big Ben. The team of rider Ian Millar and Big Ben became a crowd favourite that lasted for the 11 years that Big Ben competed at Spruce Meadows culminating in Big Ben’s tearful farewell tour.

“You need idols in any sport, and Big Ben became an idol,” says Marg. “We had people phoning us up all the time to find out when Big Ben was competing.”

Indeed, it is that love affair with the horse that drives a major Alberta economy. Alberta Sport and Recreation Studies show that 15 per cent of Albertans ride horses as part of their outdoor recreation – that’s about 450,000 Albertans who contribute $500 million to the Alberta economy.

With an estimated 310,000 horses in Alberta, about one-half are used on farms while the others are used recreationally. Alberta has approximately 35 per cent of the horses in Canada. Little wonder that Spruce Meadows has tapped into our deep bond with the horse.

Spruce Meadows maintains an active horsebreeding program focussed on Hanoverian cross breeds for show jumping. At any one time, they have 30 to 40 horses at different levels of training. Another 100 horses are stabled year round at Spruce Meadows.

Looking down the road,Marg is hesitant to say exactly what lies in the future for Spruce Meadows. She says that,“always, the future is unknown” and that they want to continue to keep Spruce Meadows and Calgary on the world stage.

A challenge for Spruce Meadows will be how it fits in with the City of Calgary as it grows out around them. She is hopeful that traffic and infrastructure can be built around Spruce Meadows to accommodate the facility.

“I think if you look at what makes a city special, it is lots of things.You need hockey, football, the Philharmonic, theatres, zoos, hospitals and schools. I think Spruce Meadows is one more asset that greatly enriches the community.”•

SPRUCE MEADOWS SNAPSHOT

• EQUI-FAIR, THE SPRUCE MEADOWS EQUINE TRADE SHOW, IS NORTH AMERICA’S PREMIERE TRADE SHOW WITH OVER 300 EXHIBITS.
• OVER 400,000 SPECTATORS VISIT SPRUCE MEADOWS ANNUALLY.
• IN 2003, ALL COMBINED, THE PRIZE MONEY TO BE HANDED OUT DURING THE SPRUCE MEADOWS TOURNAMENT SEASON WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $4 MILLION DOLLARS.

WEBSITE: www.sprucemeadows.com