The lead line competition is a popular way to involve all members of the community at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament held September 23-27 at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON. Photo by Matthew Pozdrowski

August 31, 2009 – Palgrave, Ontario – While the Caledon Equestrian Park has held world-class equestrian competitions for the past 23 years, this year’s flagship event, the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament (CSJT), will hold a special place in the community.

For five days in September, the CSJT will attract the biggest names in show jumping to the Town of Caledon. Featured events include the $32,000 Caledon Cup Open Welcome on Friday, September 25, at 3 p.m. and the $100,000 Caledon Cup World Cup Qualifier on Sunday, September 27, at 2 p.m.

The CSJT is organized by Equestrian Management Group (EMG) who produces 16 equestrian events annually at the Caledon Equestrian Park, culminating with the CSJT. The Caledon Equestrian Park, in conjunction with its partners the Town of Caledon and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, have worked tirelessly over the years to ensure that show jumping is an important part of the community calendar.

In addition to this year’s CSJT, an exciting announcement was made in March that the Caledon Equestrian Park had been selected as the equestrian venue by the 2015 Pan American Games/Para Pan American Games Bid Corporation. In the past, the Park has hosted numerous selection trials for Canadian Equestrian Teams headed to the Olympic Games, World Championships, and Pan American Games, but this will be its first major international competition if Toronto is chosen as the host city.

“It is an exciting time,” said Craig Collins, Managing Partner of EMG. “Our fingers are crossed and we are cautiously optimistic that we all will have the opportunity to witness the Park become an international venue where, over the beautiful vistas of Caledon, we can enjoy the equestrian events of the 2015 Pan American and Para Pan Am Games. It will also leave the legacy of an amazing event facility for our sport and community.”

Marolyn Morrison, Mayor of the Town of Caledon, remarked that the town and surrounding areas are very excited to receive this esteemed appointment.

“We’re waiting until September to know if Toronto is chosen as the host city,” she said. “It’s extremely exciting for us.”

Provincially, it is estimated that the Pan American Games/Para Pan American Games will stimulate $2 billion in economic activity, create 17,000 jobs, and bring more than 5,000 athletes and 250,000 tourists to Ontario.

The continuation of an important show jumping event such as the CSJT is imperative to demonstrate that both the Town and the Park can ably host major equestrian events. Canada’s best riders come to the show, and this year will be even more thrilling as all four members of the 2008 Olympic Silver Medal Team are expected to compete: nine-time Olympian Ian Millar, 2008 Olympic Individual Gold Medalist Eric Lamaze, and show jumping veterans Mac Cone and Jill Henselwood. Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, and Cone of King City, ON, are both local competitors who operate their training centers in the Schomberg area.

“It’s very exciting to have the whole team at this year’s CSJT,” said Mayor Morrison. “It will make the event very prestigious. For the most part, the people who come to the show know who the athletes are. Most people watched the Olympics, and to have the silver medalists here is fantastic. Everybody knows who Ian Millar is, and it will make it complete to have Eric Lamaze here. We will be thrilled to have them here.”

With each year of show jumping in Caledon, more and more spectators come out to watch.

“It’s very popular,” Mayor Morrison remarked. “We get a lot of people who come out to watch that are not ‘horsey’ people themselves. They come out to see these Olympic caliber riders, the young riders that are the future of equestrian in Canada, and to see the horses. They’re magnificent athletes on their own. More and more of the population is seeing the CSJT as an asset and recognizing its valuable contribution to our community.”

While show jumping is the main event at the CSJT, the connection to the area is something that cannot be overlooked. Mayor Morrison noted that Caledon is an emerging equestrian community.

“The equine industry is very important to our farmers who grow crops, because they supply the industry,” she explained. “A few years back, we actually designated part of the town as an equestrian community, which means there is an area where the road is not paved, and it has a low speed limit so that people can trail ride. We have the Caledon Pony Club too, which is very active.”

The Town of Caledon shows its spirit at the CSJT by having a custom jump in the competition, and it supports the Caledon Equestrian Park. The town was integral in keeping the CSJT at the Park and making sure the important event remained on the calendar.

Mayor Morrison said, “The relationship between the town and the CSJT is definitely mutually beneficial. The show brings in visitors from Canada and the U.S., and it shows Caledon off. The vistas from the horse show site are absolutely beautiful. It shows what Caledon has to offer and that it really is a prestigious equestrian community.”

Collins echoed the sentiments of the partnership.

“We are indeed very fortunate at the Caledon Equestrian Park,” said Collins. “Through the support of thousands of competitors and the contributions of our friends at the Town of Caledon, the Toronto Regional Conservation Authority and our patrons and sponsors, EMG has been able to offer hundreds of events over the years that we hope have contributed to the success of the sport and have brought so many visitors to the area. This year, the inaugural Canadian Show Jumping Tournament provides a fitting conclusion to a terrific year of equestrian competitions at the Park with the wonderful opportunity to help the charities of our community.”

While the town supports an important event for equestrians, the show also gives back to the local residents. The Rotary Club of Palgrave oversees the parking lots for the show over the weekend, and the money raised from that helps them improve the community. Current plans for the Rotary include a gateway feature by the Palgrave pond that highlights the entrance to the town. They plan to have a beautiful gazebo, walking trails, and lots of scenic landscaping.

“Our key activity is the parking lot, positioning and supervising the public parking lot and intersections,” said Mike Goddard, Communications for the Rotary Club of Palgrave, which will use 25 volunteers over two days for its CSJT activities. “We also provide a shuttle service from the public parking lot to the event. We meet and greet at Pine Avenue, and we also try and manage not only the public, but also the VIPs and vendors.”

Goddard also noted, “It’s been very rewarding for us because it allows us to raise money. That in turn goes to the many different local and international projects and charities that we support. It’s a pretty neat thing. It’s not just about going to see horses, but a far broader event.”

Continuing the CSJT’s focus on community and charity, perhaps the largest beneficiary is the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. This year, one child with a life-threatening illness will have their wish for a horse or pony granted.

The partnership between the Caledon Equestrian Park, with its final feature event, the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, and the Town of Caledon will continue to blossom, and with the 2015 Pan American Games on the horizon, the Caledon Equestrian Park will be an important venue for the province and equestrian sport for years to come.

For more information on the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, please visit www.equiman.com.