Another season is underway at Spruce Meadows and this will be the first without legendary founder Ron Southern.
READ MORE: Funeral for Ron Southern held at his ‘cathedral’ Spruce Meadows
The Road to Rio also comes through the world class show jumping facility over the next five weeks, where the Olympic Team will be selected.
There’s a lot of pressure on riders but just as much on the horses, of course. Many spectators can forget that they too are international athletes that the riders greatly depend on to be in top shape in order to compete on the world stage.
Just ask “Captain Canada” Ian Millar. The Canadian show jumping champion says his top mount Dixson underwent a pair of sinus surgeries starting in March and won’t be available to compete in Rio.
Millar and his horse Dixson helped Canada win gold at the Pan American Games last summer to qualify for Rio.
“He’s more than just a horse, he’s your partner and your friend. He’s much in your life, and when he’s in trouble — you’re in trouble,” Millar said.
The 69-year-old now hopes his backup Teddy du Bosquetiau will put on a breakout performance at Spruce Meadows to earn consideration for the Olympic team.
When it comes to travelling to Rio for this year’s summer games, Millar — who has been to a record ten Olympic games — knows how crucial a clean bill of health is for his horse going through customs and immigration.
“If a country doesn’t have a disease that say, Canada does, or it never has…they will take zero per cent risk until they are sure that horse is clear,” Millar said.
A lot of travel meetings go into getting elite show jumping horses to countries like Brazil.
Ian Allison, senior vice president at Spruce Meadows, says it’s quite a challenging process for equine athletes competing compared to other Olympic sports.
“Kayakers and the sailors and the canoe people, they all have their equipment to go, except their equipment isn’t living and breathing. If you can picture a three-horse trailer without wheels, the horses travel in these containers,” Allison said.
Some might call the containers “business class,” but before the animals even take flight, they must pass their drug tests, physicals and get their vaccinations if they want their passport stamped.
Even coming home to Canada can be strict.
“When a horse comes back from Brazil, he’s going to get tested for glanders. If he’s positive, he cannot come into Canada….ever,” Millar said.
Glanders is an infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. While people can get the disease, glanders primarily affects horses.
When it comes to security, there’s also no horsing around.
“They (horses) all have computer chips in their necks and they’re scanned off the planes to make sure the horse matches their passport,” Allison said.
Team Canada’s show jumping team is expected to be announced in July. The opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games in Rio are August 5.
The 2016 Spruce Meadows National starts Wednesday June 7 and run until Sunday. It’s $5 entry to any of the events.
For the competition schedule, visit the Spruce Meadows website.
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