From one of the greatest outdoor arenas in show jumping at CHIO Aachen in July, the world’s leading horse and rider combinations will make their way to Calgary in the hope of challenging the current live contender for the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping title, Belgian rider Gregory Wathelet.
Spruce Meadows promises to be another special event with the climax of the competition unfolding on Sunday 10 September when 40 elite show jumpers will vie for the CP ‘International’, presented by Rolex.
In 2015, Rolex Testimonee Scott Brash made history by winning the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’, successfully completing the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping after winning the CHI Geneva in December 2014 and CHIO Aachen in July 2015. Last year, in 2016, the British rider triumphed once again in Canada, beating American McLain Ward in an enthralling jump off. Brash joined fellow Rolex Testimonee Rodrigo Pessoa as the only other rider to have won the ‘Masters’ Grand Prix in Calgary in back-to-back years. In 2017 he will strive to further his legacy by becoming the first person to win the event on three consecutive occasions. If anyone appreciates the challenge of winning at Spruce Meadows, it’s Brash:
“It will take three outstanding rounds to win the Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. Everything has to go right, you have to ride right, the horse has to jump well and of course you need a bit of luck on the day as well.”
Canadian native Eric Lamaze, a decorated three-time Olympian with an Individual jumping gold from Beijing in 2008, is hoping that the support of his home town will give him the advantage in Calgary, where he aims to emulate his 2007 and 2011 victories aboard the legendary Hickstead.
“As you continue to proceed through the course, it gets louder and louder. As a rider, I’ve never heard anything like it and the horses feel it. The weekend of the ‘Masters’ gives you a chill when you come in to the ring. You want to put in a clear round to hear that crowd come to life,” Lamaze says.