:Spruce Meadows

file:Spruce-Meadows-Szmurlo.jpg

There are six major outdoor tournaments and eight indoor tournaments at Spruce Meadows annually. The indoor tournaments are known as the 'Nakoda Series' and are tailored for developing junior/amateur competitors. The outdoor tournaments start with the 'Summer Series' a five-week-long tour that comprises the following tournaments: beginning in June with the CSI 'National', the CSI 'Continental', the CSI 'Pan American', and then the CSI 'North American' in July. The outdoor season culminates in the CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament in September. Each tournament is well-recognized and attracts a wide array of athletes and their horses from around the world. Spruce Meadows was named number one show jumping facility in the world in 2001–02 and 2003–04.

Spruce Meadows breeds, trains, and sells Hanoverian horses, and holds an annual "Name the Foal" contest, in which three foals are selected to be named by the public. The contest is very popular, and when the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation televises the tournaments, each foal from "Name the Foal" is individually profiled.

{{main|ATCO Field}}

In 2017, the Canadian Premier League (CPL), with plans to begin play in 2019; in May 2018, the CPL announced that the Southern family had been granted a franchise{{snd}}Cavalry FC{{snd}}with a 6,000 seat soccer stadium to be built on the "Meadows on the Green" ring at Spruce Meadows.{{Cite web| title=Calgary's Cavalry FC to share soccer pitch with four-legged athletes| first=Donna |last=Spencer| agency=The Canadian Press| date=April 30, 2019| access-date=April 30, 2019| url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/calvary-fc-soccer-canadian-premier-league-1.5116616}} The field was designed so as to continue hosting equestrian events as well. A 4,500 seat covered grandstand was built on the east side of the stadium, along with 1,500 seats in other areas. It was designed to be modular to allow for future growth.{{Cite web|url=https://aftn.ca/preparations-continue-apace-at-spruce-meadows-as-cavalry-fc-count-down-to-cpl-kickoff/|title=Preparations continue apace at Meadows on the Green as Cavalry FC count down to CPL kickoff – AFTN|access-date=February 7, 2019}} On May 4, 2019 Cavalry FC officially opened the stadium in its inaugural CPL match,{{cite web |title=Cavalry FC to Host Inaugural Home Match on May 4, 2019, |url=https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/article/cavalry-fc-to-host-inaugural-home-match-on-may-4-2019 |publisher=Cavalry FC |access-date=May 9, 2019}} an eventual 2–1 victory over York 9 FC in snowy conditions.{{cite web |last1=Laing |first1=Zach |title=Cavalry FC open inaugural season with 2-1 victory |url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/soccer/cavalry-fc-open-inaugural-season-with-2-1-victory |publisher=Calgary Sun |access-date=May 9, 2019}}

Construction of Spruce Meadows began in 1973, with the opening in 1975 and first equestrian tournament in 1976. It hosts 500,000 visitors annually and has the stable capacity for 1,000 horses. Spruce Meadows is open for visitors 365 days of the year. It is an all-season facility that hosts conventions and trade shows as well as show-jumping and dressage events. Spruce Meadows has a television production facility that produces Spruce Meadows Chronicles, a show-jumping related TV series that is broadcast to over 100 countries, in addition to other specials and programs.

In May 2018, it was announced that Spruce Meadows were behind a new Canadian Premier League soccer club, Cavalry FC, who will play at their facility in a modular, 5,000-seat stadium starting in 2019.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cavalry-calgary-soccer-1.4668247|title=Cavalry FC, Calgary's new professional soccer team, to debut in 2019 {{!}} CBC News|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=May 18, 2018}}

In late December 2018 Construction began on a new 4,000 seat covered grandstand on the eastern edge of the Meadows on the Green horse ring. The stadium will feature 2,000 additional temporary seats during soccer matches.

In late January 2019 the capacity of the grandstand was updated to be 4,500 seats, with a further 1,500 split between the north and south ends of the pitch.

Recently, the Southern family, who have owned the facility since its inception, have become vocal regarding the encroaching city development—once several kilometres outside of town, Spruce Meadows is now located adjacent to the residential neighbourhoods of Bridlewood and Somerset, with a third, Silverado, now partly constructed. Effective January 1, 2011 Spruce Meadows ceased to be within the City of Calgary in a deal with the MD of Foothills. The City of Calgary annexed approximately 176.25 acres of land located northeast of the Sirocco Golf Course from the MD of Foothills. The MD of Foothills annexed approximately 138.45 acres of land situated between Highway 22X and the then municipal boundary.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

In the late 1990s, the Southerns successfully lobbied the City of Calgary to rename the stretch of Highway 22X that runs north of the facility from Marquis of Lorne Trail to Spruce Meadows Trail.

• CSIO Spruce Meadows 'Masters' Tournament

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• [http://www.sprucemeadows.com/ Official Website of Spruce Meadows]
• [https://cavalryfc.canpl.ca/stadium-profile Stadium Profile]

{{Cavalry FC}}

{{Calgary landmarks}}

Category:Sports venues in Calgary

Category:Show jumping venues

Category:Equestrian venues in Canada

Category:Tourist attractions in Calgary

Category:Cavalry FC

Category:1975 establishments in Alberta

Category:Sports venues completed in 1975