Commentator Adam Cromarty reflects on a week he will never forget at Spruce Meadows as the stars aligned for British riders
It’s not often you leave a show and wonder if the whole thing had been scripted. Surely the Spruce Meadows Masters couldn’t have had so many perfect endings by chance? The best came together in a venue like no other to celebrate its 50th anniversary and the results echoed around the world.
Friday is the Evening of the Horse. While it features a 1.60m jump-off competition, it also feels like a night of choreographed entertainment as the stadium transitions to being under lights for a fan favourite, the Atco Electric six bar.
Britain’s Joe Stockdale and Czechia rider Vaclav Stenek set a new Spruce Meadows record of 2.13m and if that wasn’t enough in the jubilee year, the last time Joe visited Calgary it was to watch his father, Tim, win this very competition. The fireworks that followed may just have been upstaged! Luckily, they had the band of the Household Cavalry to help.
Spruce Meadows has always had strong ties with Britain – from the initial advice they received from Douglas Bunn, to the names that are included on the trophy collection. Then there’s course-designer Pamela Carruthers, who made quite the impact and is still mentioned to this day.
Yet when it comes to team success, Britain had failed to lift the BMO trophy awarded to the winners of the Nations Cup for 29 years.
Saturday is known as British Day and this year the Duchess of Edinburgh was in attendance.
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Eleven teams competed for the BMO Nations Cup. Twists and turns in the story brought about a final chapter in which Donald Whitaker rode through the clock tower carrying some pressure.
When commentating, I love telling a story and building a bit of drama, so the 25,000-strong crowd were more than aware that if Donald jumped clear, Britain would win and if he had a rail, we’d be going to a three-way jump-off.
You could hear a pin drop as Donald navigated the course. The applause as he crossed the finish was rapturous. For Britain to end their drought during the 50th celebrations was momentous.
Unique lines and new questions
The gravity of Sunday’s CPKC International grand prix was echoed when I walked the course. It’s a two-round competition with a jump-off. The round-one track had everything you’d expect. It also had unique lines, like a wide Liverpool on a related bending line to a narrower Liverpool.
A few riders agreed that clear rounds would be sparse. Course-designer Leopoldo Palacios thought he’d get six clears. I walked it with Linda Southern-Heathcott, Spruce Meadows’ president and CEO, and she guessed eight. We ended up with 11.
The second round brought its own challenges but it was world-class sport. After decades of building at the top, Leopoldo is still evolving and creating new questions.
No one would have complained about a double clear, but we must remember that the faults are cumulative in this format and at this level, I’d rather see two jump-off on four faults than eight jump off on a double clear.
The stars had aligned throughout the event, so it was fitting that 10 years after Scott Brash won the same competition to capture the Rolex Grand Slam title, he was back in the winner’s circle and now starts a new journey as the live Grand Slam contender.
It was a week I’ll never forget for so many reasons. I mean at what other show would Matt Sampson be handed a microphone by Michael Bublé for a quick rendition of Take Me Home, Country Roads?
● Too tough or pitched just right – what did you think about the courses set for the grand prix at Spruce Meadows this year? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com, including your name, nearest town and county, for the chance for your letter to appear in a forthcoming issue of the magazine
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