Spruce Meadows
Spruce Meadows has been the largest equestrian facility in the world since 2003. It is located in Calgary , Alberta , Canada .
Construction of Spruce Meadows began in 1973 and the equestrian center was opened in 1975. In 1976, the first horse shows took place there, including the Spruce Meadows Masters , today's Nations Cup tournament in Canada. Every year the facility hosts the world's most valuable show jumping competition, the $ 1,000,000 CN International, which was won by German show jumper Ludger Beerbaum on Goldfever in 2002. Every year, six large outdoor tournaments and eight indoor tournaments take place in Spruce Meadows. The indoor tournaments are known as the "Nakoda Series" and are intended for junior and amateur riders. The outdoor tournaments begin with the "Summer Series", a five-week tour that includes the following tournaments:
- CSI National Tournament (June)
- CSI Continental (June)
- The Skyliner (a junior and amateur tour that has been taking place since 2006) (June)
- CSI Canada One (June)
- CSI North American (July)
- CSIO Spruce Meadows Masters (September)
The outdoor season ends with the CSIO Spruce Meadows "Master" tournament in September. Each tournament is well known and attracts a wide variety of athletes from around the world. In 2001/2002 and 2003/2004, Spruce Meadows was the number one show jumping facility worldwide. Spruce Meadows is a year-round facility; conferences, trade fairs, as well as jumping and dressage events take place on the site. The stable is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, south of the Canadian city of Calgary , covers 360 hectares and is at an altitude of 1,100.43 m.
There are 400 permanent and temporary 616 horses in Spruce Meadows. There are two riding halls and six tournament areas. There are also six sand arenas. Approximately 500,000 people visit Spruce Meadows each year. The riding stable is supported by ten sponsors. The current President of Spruce Meadows is former Canadian show jumper Linda Southern-Heathcott , daughter of the founding couple Ron and Margaret Southern and participant in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta . Spruce Meadows breeds, trains and sells Hanoverian horses and organizes the " Name the Foal "competition in which three foals are selected and given a name by the public. Spruce Meadows has a television production that produces the Spruce Meadows Chronicles, which broadcasts in over 100 countries.
Web links
- Homepage of the Spruce Meadows riding stable
- "Spruce Meadows" - a family saga - information about the history of Spruce Meadows
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 50 ° 53 ′ 6 " N , 114 ° 6 ′ 2" W.