CALGARY — One of Canada’s most celebrated show jumping venues now has the royal seal of approval.
Spruce Meadows, just south of Calgary, announced Wednesday that Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is now its royal patron. An application was filed asking for patronage based on the merits of the venue.
“It’s not like you go online and apply,” Spruce Meadows president and chief executive Linda Southern-Heathcott said with a laugh.
“We wrote a very lovely letter and the team put together the application. It just talked about our merits, what we’ve been doing in the community.”
The Spruce Meadows Leg Up Foundation supports education, health and wellness, agriculture, community, and amateur and grassroots sports.
The venue was named the top show jumping facility in the world in 2001 and 2003. It has become a fixture for the world’s best riders and horses, including several Olympic champions.
It hosts eight major outdoor and six indoor tournaments over a year and is marking its 50th anniversary. The Duchess and her husband, Prince Edward, visited Spruce Meadows in 2006.
“We have issued an invitation for her to join us later in the year,” Southern-Heathcott added.
Spruce Meadows has a long history with the Royal Family, said Southern-Heathcott.
Southern-Heathcott’s mother, Margaret, was Queen Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting during her visit to Canada in 1990, travelling with her for two weeks. That was when Spruce Meadows held its first Queen Elizabeth the Second Cup, she said.
“That was just a relationship, but this is an actual formal patronage for Spruce Meadows and the foundation.”
Southern-Heathcott said in the early days of Spruce Meadows, the United Kingdom also sent strong teams to compete at the event.
“(The patronage) is a bit of a prestige thing. It is an endorsement for what we’re doing,” said Southern-Heathcott.
“She will work together with us on raising awareness of Spruce Meadows and highlighting what we’re doing and also for our foundation.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2025.
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
