By Ronda Payne/ Special to the Langley Advance Times
For 46 years, Thunderbird Show Park has been welcoming the world to participate in world-class equestrian events.
The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Canada at the Odlum Brown BC Open Tournament is the last qualifying event in this regional division before the Barcelona, Spain, competition in October.
And this year, the challenges will be epic, with a stage of competitors on the line from Canada, as well as the U.S., Ireland, Mexico, and even Israel – who’s here for the first time.
Mexico is all but guaranteed its spot in Barcelona at this point, and is expected to finish first in the series, explained Chris Pack, chief operating officer and tournament manager.
And with Canada and the U.S. both in need of a win to move on to Barcelona (and to knock out the other), the competition at tbird promises to be exciting, he said.
Teams of four riders will compete on Sunday, June 2, to achieve their best scores and contribute towards a winning score for their country.
Obviously, the hope is that by having the event at tbird, the native soil will create the winning edge Canadians will be cheering for, Pack said.
Go team Canada!
The action gets underway on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m.
Guests are asked to begin arriving around noon to get a seat, buy a snack and perhaps some merchandise, and get settled before the big event.
The Longines event (Longines being a huge supporter of equestrian sport worldwide) will be using the hashtag #beProud to encourage fans to post and share their favourite Nations Cup moments from their team’s action through social media.
Pack is excited about the calibre of athletes Canada is bringing to tbird.
“Canada is going to be great,” he said.
“We have Eric Lamaze as one of the four members of the Canadian team. He is a decorated gold medal Olympian and a current Longines-ranked top 20 rider. Also on the roster is home town favourite, Tiffany Foster, who is an Olympian and incredible ambassador to equestrian sport.
Accompanying Foster and Lamaze will be previous World Cup winner Mario Deslauriers. With this powerhouse group, we are looking forward to great things from the Canadian team.”
Jane Tidball, president and tournament director with tbird, noted it will be an event worth watching as the two North American teams compete for their opportunity to move on.
“It’s between Canada and the United States to get to the final berth of the Nations Cup finals in Barcelona,” she explained.
“It makes this event so important. There’s a small enough space between the U.S. and Canada that Canada can still qualify.”
Other individuals who might be at tbird for the event include Olympians from the Mexican team, though names weren’t out yet at press time. Eve Jobs is a young member of the U.S. team and is expected to attend, as is Richard Spooner, a well-established rider.
“Amy Miller might come, but the team has not yet been announced,” Pack said. “Which means Ian Millar will be coaching. He’s a 10 time Olympian.”
Millar, who recently retired, is something of a legend in the equestrian world.
“No one else in the world has done what he’s done,” Pack said of the 72-year-old who is the longest competing Olympian in history.
