May 10, 2006 – Calgary, Alberta – As we begin our look at Canada's thriving equestrian scene, what better place to turn our attention than Spruce Meadows. The pride of the Canadian sporting community, Spruce Meadows is a jewel in international show jumping's crown, having twice been voted the number one show jumping venue in the world by the people whose opinion matters most - the riders themselves.

Sitting on the southern edge of Calgary at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Spruce Meadows offers proof of the 'Field of Dreams' movie adage, "Build it and they will come." Led by patriarch Ron Southern with the full support of his wife, Marg, and two daughters, Linda and Nancy, the Southerns have transformed a former cattle lot into a mecca of show jumping sport, complete with prize money, sponsors, television coverage, and, most importantly, hundreds of thousands of spectators - all delivered with friendly western hospitality. So great is Spruce Meadows' contribution that Co-Chairs Ron and Marg received word on May 5 that they will be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame this fall, an honour normally reserved for athletes.

One of the greatest keys to Spruce Meadows continued success is that the family refuses to rest on its laurels, believing instead in constant improvement. I had the opportunity to speak to Linda Southern-Heathcott, newly appointed President and CEO of Spruce Meadows, about what competitors and fans alike can look forward to in 2006.

To begin with, the 2006 schedule is jammed-packed with competition. In addition to seven regional competitions, there are also seven major international tournaments, including five that are FEI sanctioned - the CSI5* "National" held June 7-11, the CSI4* and CSI-W "Continental" from June 14-18, the CSI4* and CSI-W "Canada One" from June 28 to July 2, the CSI5* "North American from July 5-9 and finally, the 'big one', the CSIO5* "Masters" Tournament from September 6-10. In addition, the FEI has asked Spruce Meadows to once again play host to the FEI Children's Jumping Final for riders aged 12-14 at the end of October.

Southern-Heathcott notes there is increased prize money overall for every tournament with the total amount now a staggering $6,387,250! That's right - more than $6 million dollars in prize money up for grabs at ONE venue! The "Masters" Tournament will once again host the richest Nations' Cup and Grand Prix events held anywhere in the world. While the CN International will continue to 'hold steady' with its $1 million purse, the BMO Financial Group Nations' Cup has been increased to $350,000 for 2006. Following last year's unfortunate turn of events when the riders deemed the weather conditions too dangerous to continue with the second round, the $300,000 in prize money that went undistributed was generously offered by the sponsor, the BMO Financial Group, to augment future purses. This means that over the next six years, the Nations' Cup purse is guaranteed to be a minimum of $350,000.

The teams invited to contest the richest Nations' Cup in the world remain the same as last year - Belgium, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and the United States have all received invitations - with one interesting addition.

"It will be same teams as last year competing in the BMO Financial Group Nations' Cup, plus Mexico," Southern-Heathcott explains. " Mexico will use Spruce Meadows to pick its team for the World Equestrian Games. They are coming in June, arriving in two planes, one from Monterrey and one from Mexico City. Since we are going to have approximately 80 to100 horses here from Mexico, it seemed only natural that we offer them an invitation."

Of the seven international tournaments, Southern-Heathcott is especially excited about the addition of the new "Skyliner" Tournament scheduled for June 22-25. This unique tournament will only be open to juniors, amateurs and pony competitors and already they have received more than 500 entries! Southern-Heathcott says the idea came to her when recalling her own days in the saddle as a young competitor, and decided it was time to put the focus, if only for a week, on those not normally in the spotlight despite their hard work and accomplishments.

"In the old days when I rode - and that tells you how far back it was! - we used to have a junior tournament which eventually evolved into the "North American" Tournament," says Southern-Heathcott, whose own show jumping career culminated in representing Canada at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. "The new "Skyliner" Tournament will only be open to Ponies, Juniors, and Amateurs and since the professionals are not riding, their attention will be focused on the young people, and I think that is very important."

Adding an even more exciting element to the competition, which will be held Thursday to Sunday, Southern-Heathcott explains that, "It will be run under a World Championship format where, in each of the three divisions, there will be a 'final four'. On Sunday, the top four riders will trade horses and complete a course with each of the four horses to determine the champions! It is going to be so much fun, and I am really excited about this tournament!"

Other new features at Spruce Meadows this year include a Cover-All barn structure with 140 stalls that is also winterized, allowing it to be used during winter tournaments. Drainage in three of the rings - the International, All Canada, and All Alberta rings, continues to be improved, allowing Spruce Meadows to offer some of the best grass footing anywhere in the world, despite having some of the most unpredictable weather patterns.

The Spruce Meadows Beautification program, of which many organizations and individuals are great supporters, also continues with the planting of trees and creation of berms - anything that makes Spruce Meadows even greener. This aim will be easier to achieve since Spruce Meadows has just purchased an additional 18 acres of land, helping to stunt the Calgary urban sprawl that has expanded to the show jumping facility's doorstep.

Time brings change, but no visitor to Spruce Meadows in 2006 will have any trouble keeping track of the time. Rolex recently installed its largest clock in North America in the Clock Tower overlooking the International Ring. Measuring 2.2 meters in diameter, the only Rolex clock that is larger - at 2.5 meters - is situated at Scotland's historic Carnoustie golf course, host of the British Open.

"Rolex wanted to continue to focus on Spruce Meadows as one of its premiere sponsorship properties, and installing the clock seemed to be a great match for both Spruce Meadows and Rolex," notes Southern-Heathcott. "It is extremely impressive both in size and weight - we now have a clock that weighs 320 kg sitting on top of the clock tower!"

The only thing more exciting than seeing the changes at this year's Spruce Meadows Tournaments are wondering what they are going to come up with next year!