They threw a party the other day on the outskirts of Calgary to celebrate an anniversary.
It wasn't meant to mark the longevity of a couple's wedding vows or the landmark date on which a significant event occurred.
No, this anniversary, this fortieth kickoff campaign, if you will, was meant to celebrate the vision behind a place which has managed to flourish much longer than most people believed it could at the outset.
The festivities drew more than 600 ardent admirers of an idea. They were financiers, farmers, members of the military and just plain ordinary folks who gathered in a barn smack-dab-in-the middle of horse heaven.
They came to take in the enduring wonder of Spruce Meadows.
The concoction of equine enthusiasts and entrepreneurs Ron and Marg Southern, it began as a cattle-feed lot and opened its doors in April of 1975. They believed it could someday become a pretty good place for show jumping. They thought it might be a sort of oasis that offered city people the chance to appreciate horse culture and get close to the animals.
The idea took off and Spruce Meadows, in spite of the skeptics, has arguably evolved into the finest facility of its kind in the world.
It began with stalls for 48 horses, there are now more than a thousand. Through drought, floods and freak snow storms in the unpredictable climate of the foothills, Spruce Meadows has been steadfast and resilient.
International Ring
In its first year they lost 164 spruce trees that were planted on the grounds. Now more than 3,000 trees decorate the vast expanse of the property. At the centre of it all is the International Ring, the majestic field of play which is the size of approximately five CFL football fields.
Each year close to half a million spectators take in the so called "niche" sport of show jumping over the course of the three major tournaments Spruce Meadows hosts in the summer. Many millions of dollars are offered in prize money and from a corporate perspective, it is the best activated sports venue in the country.
Beyond that Spruce Meadows is a year-round operation dedicated not only to the high performance expression of equine athletics but also to the grassroots development of the sport.
Hundreds of local horses and riders employ the extensive indoor riding rings in the dead of winter and the breeding program which produces elite jumping horses is the most sophisticated in Canada if not North America.
At its core this is a family place.
The price of admission to see Olympic and world champions compete is officially five dollars a head but that's open for debate.
As Ron Southern says to this day, "...jeepers if you need to jump the fence and get in for free then go ahead...no one is stopping you."
This is a place where anything can happen.
Men & women compete as equals
Here men and women compete concurrently on the same playing surface and do so as equals. Throw in the spectacular variety of the horses they ride and the potential for surprise is endless. This is a place where long shots can prevail as we saw last summer when 67-year-old grandfather Ian Millar went head-to-head with a 20-year-old American female superstar named Reed Kessler and won the richest event of all.
What was once a backyard dream, a modest feed lot at best, has morphed over time into a place of international renown where the top competitors flock to. It is without question our country's most beautiful permanent arena for sport of any kind. The various football, baseball and soccer stadia as well as the myriad hockey rinks across the land cannot hold a candle to the sheer magnificence of Spruce Meadows,
Finally, the place has a mission. And the objective is not to make money at the gate or to sell branded merchandise. This is not a franchise, after all, this is the idea of people with a vision for how sport connects to the Canadian cultural landscape.
"The aim is to celebrate the horse in a spirit of good friendship, good sport, and good commerce," the literature states. It hasn't changed one iota over the course of the last four decades nor is it likely to sway from that goal as long as Spruce Meadows exists.
I first came here in 1992 not knowing a thing about it. Each time I return I find myself in awe of it. Spruce Meadows, to me, is all about sport and to know that CBC is still involved in the reflection of its remarkable story is comforting.
To my way of thinking it is a bona fide national treasure.
Spruce Meadows has survived its modest beginnings to stand the test of time and then some. This place is the rare jewel of the west which deserves to be cherished by all people, regardless of age, across the country.
In that sense it is a uniquely and unabashedly Canadian field of play.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Russell: Celebrating 40 years of Spruce Meadows
Dengan url
http://sportiflover.blogspot.com/2015/04/russell-celebrating-40-years-of-spruce.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Russell: Celebrating 40 years of Spruce Meadows
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Russell: Celebrating 40 years of Spruce Meadows
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar