The behemoth that is Spruce Meadows opened on April 13, 1975, with its iconic Masters Tournament launching in 1976. The dream of business legend Ron Southern and his beloved wife Margaret was for Spruce Meadows to be a global leader in the sport and to build a base that allowed Canadians to be successful internationally. “I do believe we have been successful in that. Canada punches above its weight at international events,” says Linda Heathcott, president/CEO of Spruce Meadows, who represented Team Canada at the 1996 Olympics and is the daughter of the Southerns. “You can’t talk about Spruce without Ron and Marg. RD was the visionary, but Marg was the one who put the pieces together, building the venue and welcoming people with grace and elegance. She was a wonderful host.”
Together, Ron and Marg proved unstoppable. By 1979, Spruce Meadows’ annual attendance reached 50,000, a record unheard of for a show jumping event. Currently, the venue plays host to approximately 300,000 devoted fans who turn out in droves to watch the best of the best compete in multiple outdoor rings. Spruce Meadows hosts competitions throughout the year, but its five FEI-sanctioned tournaments including four CSI5*s – the ‘National’, ‘Continental’, ‘Pan American’, ‘North American’ – and one CSIO5*, the ‘Masters’, are what draw the big crowds.
Arguably the jewel in the crown is the ‘Masters’ tournament with its Nations’ Cup and the richest individual grand prix prize money, an astounding $3 million in the CP International. The ‘Masters’ has attracted top riders from around the world including Eddie Macken, John and Michael Whitaker, Nick Skelton, Ludger Beerbaum and Canadian legends such as Ian Millar and Big Ben and Eric Lamaze and Hickstead.