Read About Spruce Meadow Horse Show

Spruce Meadow Horse Show is actually a combination of several equestrian contests conducted in Calgary in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Here's everything you need to know about this competition.

Spruce Meadow Horse Show - Facts

1. Type of Competition:

   Spruce Meadow is an extensive equestrian facility, which trains, breeds and holds horse competitions. This is the largest horse show in Canada.

2. Location:

   Spruce Meadows Horse Show is conducted in the Spruce Meadows Farm, a huge farm located at Calgary in Canada. It has a very picturesque setting, as it is located at the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.

3. History:

   Construction on the Spruce Meadows Farm was begun in 1973. The first competition was held in 1976, with only about a dozen people attending. Today it attracts more than 40,000 visitors, with over 55,000 visitors attending in the September of 2003. Both in 2003 and 2004, it was ranked the number one meadow in Canada. It contributes over 6 million Canadian dollars to the government each year through its shows.

4. Sanctioned:

   All Spruce Meadows horse shows are sanctioned by the Federation Equestre Internationale, or the FEI. This is the leading organization in Canada, which sanctions horse shows. This body has also laid down specific rules by which horses are to be judged. There are constant amendments to the rules every few years. Notably, the rules laid down by the FEI for show jumping are very important.

5. Entrance Procedure:

   Entries are received for a competition by giving the name of the horse and paying the nomination fees. There are various contests held in Spruce Meadows, and each of them has their own contest rules. There may be a limit on the number of horses entered, and riders are not allowed to participate on more than two horses. Fees are not collected along with the entrance forms, but taken just one day prior to the competition. To be eligible, a horse has to be shown a particular number of times in the previous year or has to be a past winner with at least a blue ribbon to its credit.

6. Classes:

   Horses participating in the contests are divided into different classes according to their breeds. Some of the classes that exist in Spruce Meadows shows are:
   1. Hunter/jumper class
   2. Halter class
   3. English pleasure
   4. Western pleasure
   5. Arab horses
   6. Draft horses
   7. Showmanship

7. Judging:

   Horses in the Spruce Meadows shows are adjudged in various fields such as dressage, trailing, endurance, vaulting, jumping, reining and eventing. There are more events also like leadline, English pleasure, Western pleasure, etc.

8. Awards:

   Awards are given to best horses of different fields. The most cherished award is the Best Horse of Show and the Best Bred by Exhibit. Spruce Meadows follows a color coding for its winners. The best horse is given a red ribbon, second is given blue, third is given white, and fourth is given yellow.