By Ronda Payne/ Special to the Langley Advance Times
Visitors to Thunderbird Show Park (tbird) may be surprised at the number of dog-friendly amenities in and around the equestrian centre.
According to Jane Tidball, president and tournament director of tbird, and Chris Pack, chief operating officer and tournament manager, it shouldn’t be a surprise at all since horses and dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly.
“Everyone who has a horse, has a dog, that’s why we have all the dog stuff,” Tidball explained.
There’s a dog groomer in the vendor log cabin area that offers baths, trims, nail trims, and more, and it’s right in between the Nations Cup coffee shop and a place for humans to get their nails done.
Dog water bowls are found intermittently throughout the park (though less so in the barns, where dogs seem to drink from the same water containers as the horses) and this year, there will even be a dog agility show.
“We’re trying to provide more entertainment to people before and after the horse event,” Tidball noted.
The agility will be performed by the K9 Cliffhangers Dog Agility Club Sunday, June 2, from 1 to 2 p.m., the same day as the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Canada at the Odlum Brown BC Open.
Find the agility activities beside the playground, behind the new grandstands.
It’s all in keeping with tbird’s way of making a world-class event feel welcome and inviting to both spectators and guests who come to watch, she said.
Dog agility features many of the same things as horse jumping with jumps, turns, and challenges in a compact space.
The communication between a dog and handler is just as important for success as for a rider and horse.
Guests will see a wide range of dogs participating in various types of agility competitions.
And for guests wanting to take in both the dog and horse action – who have a canine companion they’d like to bring along – they’re welcome to do so, provided the dog is on leash.
And disposal bags are located throughout the site for convenience to clean up after Fido when nature calls.
It seems that tbird really is going to the dogs, Tidball joked.
Whether it’s spectator dogs or the new dog agility competitors, there are more than enough ways to get your dog (or horse) fix at the Sunday, June 2 Nations Cup.
