Moving to Calgary and becoming a member of the Spruce Meadows team has done wonders for Brian Morton’s career.
“It’s really marked an incredible change,” the 36-year-old rider admitted. “I was at a bit of a crossroads where I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to commit all the time to build my career back up with the teaching business I was running at the time. I had a lot of passion for that but I knew I wasn’t done with my career in sport. That’s really had a revival since taking the job at Spruce Meadows.”
Morton, originally from Vancouver, spent a number of years in Langley, riding out of his parents’ farm and honing his competitive skills. “That represented a time in my life when I started to take my career as a professional seriously,” Morton explained.
“To see fans back in the stadium, to see a more social atmosphere again, all those things you really enjoy that are part of the Spruce Meadows experience, it’s very exciting.”
There are too many individuals whom he views as mentors but he managed to narrow the list. “The truth is, it takes a village, but some of the key ones would be Mark Laskin, Rick Maynard, as a formative coach, Claudia Cojocar. That would be the big three,” he said. “Later on, people like John Madden. They’ve all had a big influence on me.”
As the Spruce Meadows summer series gets underway, Morton is hoping to use the home field as a good starting point. He did just that at the Founders’ Classic Grand Prix, when he and Crusador Z came out on top.
“That was a huge victory for me,” Morton said, grinning. “It’s right up there with the top victories I ever had in my career. I think for that horse that’s the biggest victory that she and I have had together. So it was very special. I think the timing of it makes it feel extra good. I want to try and do my very best at the home venue, representing Spruce Meadows. So to do that right at the start and get that confidence boost going into this [National] week was huge.”
Crusador, a 13-year-old mare by the hot sire Chacco-Blue, was previously campaigned by Swedish rider Annika Axelsson at the development levels, and later by Nikolaj Hein Ruus of Denmark. Now owned by Spruce Meadows, she is one in Morton’s stable that he has high hopes for. The other is Firefly W, a 12-year-old KWPN gelding formerly piloted by Canadian Kara Chad and her British hubby, Matthew Sampson..
“This summer I have a one-two punch with Firefly and Crusador,” Morton explained. “They’re very different. Firefly has tremendous speed and Crusador has tremendous power so the plan is to use them a little bit back and forth. Crusador can jump the big divisions and she has a lot of mileage now and she and I are beginning a real partnership. So I should be able to represent well in the FEI divisions.
“As a rider, one needs depth. There are so many classes available in the show jumping world, you need a few horses.”
His duties at Spruce Meadows include being in charge of high performance horses and young developing horses, as well as working a bit with the sales program. But representing the facility’s brand well is the main assignment.
“I feel now for a couple of years I’ve been able to enjoy competitive sport at the top level,” said Morton. “Now, looking at the summer season and getting to do that here at our home venue – a full season! – is very special.
“To see fans back in the stadium, to see a more social atmosphere again, all those things you really enjoy that are part of the Spruce Meadows experience, it’s very exciting.”
Competing at the 2022 series was his primary goal for the first half of the year, but his objectives extend past that. “There’s a lot of momentum building around the Canadian team in general,” Morton noted. “I think that’s a broader concept than it’s been in the past. Instead of four or five riders, you’re thinking maybe of twenty riders. And to feel a certain energy come into that group and for us to work all together. This really represents a positive change for the sport in Canada.
“I’m an ambitious person so that means I’m never totally happy with exactly where I am. As an athlete, I feel there’s still a lot to do yet. I would love to represent Canada more frequently. I’d love to ride at the championship level, World Championships, Olympic Games … that would be huge.”
