Spruce Meadows Masters
2006 Spruce Meadows Highlights

Anky Van Grunsven Clinic
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Battle of the Breeds

Congratulations Team Connemara!
Team Profiles - Welsh Pony & Cob
Team Profiles - Connemara
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What is the Battle of the Breeds?

Features > Spruce Meadows 2006

Spruce Meadows Masters 2006 Highlights

Sport Pony Magazine is proud to present our Spruce Meadows Masters 2006 issue! This year's tournament highlights included Team Connemara winning Battle of the Breeds and a clinic and demonstrations by Anky van Grunsven. Links to both articles can be found at the left; below are some of the other highlights from the 2006 Masters...

Saturday and Sunday set record attendance levels at Spruce Meadows, 60,870 and 62,250 people, respectively.

Sport Pony Canada at the CSHA Booth

Thanks to the Canadian Sport Horse Association for inviting us to share booth space with them again this year! All of the membership forms we took were handed out, as well as tons of the 'web cards', featuring the web addresses for Sport Pony Canada and Sport Pony Magazine.

The Sport Horse association also had the very cool idea to hand out organic carrots from a local organic carrot farm (incredibly yummy for both people and horses), which were a huge hit.

Win A Lesson With Ian Miller

As the winner of the BMO Financial Group contest that drew thousands of entries from across the country, Helen Warness of Thunder Bay, ON, enjoyed a trip to the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament in Calgary, AB, and a riding lesson with eight-time Canadian Olympian and show jumping legend, Ian Millar.

Helen, who is a huge Ian Miller fan but hasn't ridden for about six years now, took an unfortunate tumble during the lesson but gamely got back on and finished, to the delight of the crowd. As part of her prize, she also got to watch the BMO Nation's Cup competition from the BMO Skybox.

Calgary Teen Kyle Timm is 3rd in the BP Cup

Kyle Timm of Calgary AB was 3rd with a clear round in the BP Cup, a speed class run over a good galloping course, which made use of Spruce Meadow's up-and-down banks in the middle of the International ring, the devil's dyke, and the hill at the south end. This 17-year-old was in the International ring at Spruce Meadows for only the second time, in stellar company besides, and is definitely an up-and-coming Canadian rider to watch. He says he will be concentrating on his last year of high school for the remainder of 2006. Yes, girls, he is just as nice as he is good looking. ;)

Ludo Philippaerts from Belgium was first, riding Tauber VH Kapelhof, and Great Britain's Michael Whitaker was second with one rail down, riding Insul Tech Quidame Des Hayette. Because the BP Cup is a speed class, rails are converted to time penalties, allowing a fast rider with a rail down to place ahead of a rider with a clear round.

Team Canada Wins the BMO Nation's Cup

Erynn Ballard of Hillsburgh, ON, Mario Deslauriers of Bromont, QC, Ian Millar of Perth, ON, and John Pearce of Stouffville, ON were the four riders selected to represent Canada in the richest team show jumping event in the world, the $350,000 BMO Financial Group Nations' Cup held on Saturday, September 9, 2006.

In a heart-in-your-throat finish, Canada and the UK were tied and had to go to a jump-off. Ian Miller went first for Canada, with good time but one rail down. Michael Whitaker went next for the UK but had two rails down to give Canada the victory. Last year's BMO Nation's Cup was not completed due to heavy rains and terrible weather.

Horse Industry Association of Alberta Unveils New Look, New Direction

In conjunction with the 2006 Spruce Meadows “Masters” Media Day, the Horse Industry Association of Alberta (HIAA) held a news conference to launch its branding campaign and announce its new initiative for the horse industry. After 25 years of organizing the Alberta Horse Breeders and Owners Conference, and working behind the scenes in various areas of the industry, the association is becoming less of a secret entity and more of a public organization.

As a jumping off point, HIAA has developed a new logo. The logo focuses firstly on “Alberta Horses”, the brand HIAA intends to establish in the local, national and international equine communities, and secondly, the name of the association in its supporting role.

The diversity of the horse industry contributes to its success and potential, and yet is also a source of fragmentation. This fragmentation creates a systemically vulnerable industry with a need for an advocate, one focused on the “big picture”. The Horse Industry Association of Alberta has dedicated itself to this big picture through its three areas of focus: advocacy, education and research.

The “Alberta Horses” brand will also be marketed internationally, with global recognition of Alberta’s horses and horse industry as the ultimate goal.

Mission: To provide a unified voice for the Alberta horse industry and strengthen it through advocacy, education and research.

Vision: A growing, profitable, united Alberta horse industry, recognized nationally and internationally.

For more highlights in photos, visit our Photo Gallery page.