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“It was like a great homecoming,” Linda Southern-Heathcott – President and CEO of Spruce Meadows since 2006 – tells World of Showjumping about the 50th anniversary celebrations at the iconic Canadian venue during the ‘Masters’ in the beginning of September. “We had invited many people who have helped us build Spruce Meadows over the years; sponsors, volunteers, media, staff and riders. It was great to welcome them to Spruce Meadows and for them to see all the changes. The whole weekend was magical, with the six-bar record being broken, the Nations’ Cup coming down to the last horse and the Grand Prix being spectacular.”

“Everybody forgets the amount of people that have helped us build Spruce Meadows,” Linda points out. “Having so many of them come back for this anniversary was what made it so special. I feel grateful to everybody who has touched Spruce Meadows, who has been involved. And that goes right from the riders to the grooms, to the sponsors, the volunteers – every single person. All I can say is a simple thank you.”

The official opening ceremonies at Spruce Meadows – owned and operated by the Southern-family – were held in April 1975, while the ‘Masters’ tournament in 1977 featured the first ever BMO Nations’ Cup. Over the decades, the traditional venue has managed to remain relevant – parallel to the huge developments in the sport. “I do believe that tournaments should be unique,” Linda reflects. “I think that's healthy for the sport. If you look at F1, all the tracks are different, and if you go to any of the tennis tournaments, they are not identical either. It is important for a sport to have venues that are different and have personality. We all have to evolve, but I think it's important to stay true to yourself and what your beliefs are.”

   I do believe that tournaments should be unique

“Also, Spruce Meadows is our family investment,” Linda – whose parents Margaret and Ron are the founders of Spruce Meadows, having bought the land the venue is built on in 1971 – continues. “It is our life investment. Therefore, it has to fit to our values.”

For Linda, respecting nature and the roots of equestrian sports has been of essence. “Our sport originates from nature,” Linda explains. “Therefore, it is very important for us to always have grass rings, and use natural obstacles. That's an important part of the sport for us, and I think it sets us apart and keeps us quite unique.” 

“I believe Spruce Meadows is green,” she continues. “When we bought the property, there were no trees, and we have over 5,000 now. Our venue is clean, and people who come, look after it. In 50 years, we've never had any vandalism.”

Another important point Linda believes in is engaging the fans. “We understand that there has to be entertainment for the fans to enjoy, and I think the big difference is the excitement of the competition,” she explains. “For the fans to be engaged, there has to be a difference, there has to be a true winner. In my opinion, a win does have to be earned and the competition has to be difficult. I don't like it when there's 20 clears in a competition; that seems like a waste of time.”

“What we do at Spruce Meadows, first and foremost, has the welfare of the horse in mind,” she continues. “While exciting, the competition has to be safe. The riders know that it's a unique type of horse that has to come to Spruce Meadows, and that's okay. That's what we want here, and that's what we strive for.”

 For the fans to be engaged, there has to be a difference, there has to be a true winner

“My father always wanted the Grand Prix to be tough, because he wanted the fans engaged, and that has been our tradition. I think it has held us in good stead. With our course builder Leopoldo Palacios, we have been through thick and thin together, and I trust him implicitly. I trust that he has the best intentions for Spruce Meadows, as well as for the sport. I thought it was so touching that Steve Guerdat would acknowledge his talent when he shared that he believes that Leopoldo and Spruce Meadows are on the right track in the press conference following the ‘CPKC International’, presented by Rolex. That was very touching and very gratifying for all of us.”

And the biggest challenge at Spruce Meadows? “Bar none, the weather,” Linda says. “The one constant that you cannot control when running outdoor tournaments is the weather. We can be as prepared as we can and have all the possible backup plans, but there is no way of controlling the climate.”

In general, not one tournament is like the other, even though they are run at the same venue. “One show is never a cookie cutter of another, because there are so many variables, from the riders to the economy, geopolitics and the weather,” Linda explains about all the different tournaments organised at Spruce Meadows during the year. “Something strange can happen at any time that makes each tournament different and unique.”

The team works so hard – I couldn't do it without them

To make sure everything runs smoothly, Linda is supported by her husband Tom and has a team of 167 people around her. “My team is amazing,” she says. “We've just hired great leaders, and I'm in awe of them. The team works so hard – I couldn't do it without them. We were really devastated during the global Covid-19 pandemic, when we had to shut down Spruce Meadows. A property of 500 acres, not having been looked after, really got run down. I was surprised how quickly Mother Nature takes over and does her own thing. Since 2021, we've hired many new people to support the core team members that we kept in 2020." 

While Linda has experienced countless memorable moments at Spruce Meadows, it was Scott Brash and Hello Sanctos winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping in 2015 that has stayed with her. “It's an individual sport,” Linda – who herself represented Canada at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta – explains. “You do see the teams come out and cheer for one another, but that day, we were in the centre of the ring, Scott had to jump a clear round – and the sidelines were stacked. The last line was along where the clock tower is, in the double of liverpools, and the ring was completely quiet. You could hear a pin drop. What was so amazing in my mind was that every single one of the riders were standing along the arena, cheering Scott and Hello Sanctos on. And when they won, everyone was so genuinely happy. To me, that was a very special moment because it proved something. First of all, a concept that everyone said couldn't be accomplished, he achieved. And secondly, the camaraderie and the shared joy of everyone – it was so heart-warming to see.”

What was so amazing in my mind was that every single one of the riders were standing along the arena, cheering Scott and Hello Sanctos on

A decade later, Brash celebrated ten years gone by since his Grand Slam-title by piloting Hello Jefferson to the top honours in the 2025 CPKC International, presented by Rolex. “It was very special, and he deserved the win,” Linda says. “It was a hard-fought win. The top 50 in the world, you can interchange them and they're all fantastic jockeys, but I would say maybe Scott is a little underrated. It's always great to see him in the winner's circle. Clearly, Spruce Meadows and him have a good relationship.”

During their 50 years in the business, Spruce Meadows has attracted and maintained long-term sponsorship deals with major global brands such as Rolex, CPKC, ATCO, Pepsi, BMO, Jeep, CANA, Trimac, RBC and ATB – among others. “It's all about building relationships and creating trust,” Linda explains. “Our sponsors believe in the family and know they can trust that what we say we're going to do, we're doing. Every year, there's something different, something interesting at the venue. Also, it is important to understand the needs of our corporate partners. Some are retail and others are wholesale, and they have varying needs. We always try to give the best visibility we can to our sponsors. To do so, we first have to understand who their clients are and know their goals.”

Our sponsors believe in the family and know they can trust that what we say we're going to do, we're doing

“For the riders, they do that themselves, we just provide the platform for them,” Linda says about the unique interaction between the riders and the fans at the venue. “I think they rise to the challenge; many riders blossom at Spruce Meadows. We have a big welcome barbeque on Wednesday and we only ask them to sign autographs on one day.”

Linda believes that the future is very bright for Spruce Meadows. “I'm so thrilled because both my sister Nancy's and my children are very interested in Spruce Meadows and they want to see it succeed,” she explains. “With their passion, it will. It will change, and their vision will be different than mine – and that's okay. They will have to evolve with times, not because they want to go and change things, but because you have to evolve. I've evolved differently from my parents, and they will as well. I'm really excited for them and for the future, because they have a passion. And if you have a passion, it's not work, it's easy to do.”

I think it's important that the leaders in the sport make decisions based on what's best for the sport, and not what's best for individuals

“I think that the opportunities are there for the sport to grow,” Linda shares her thoughts on the future of showjumping in general. “However, I think it's important that the leaders in the sport make decisions based on what's best for the sport, and not what's best for individuals. In our decisions at Spruce Meadows, we have tried to not only focus on what's best for Spruce Meadows, but take into consideration what would be beneficial for the sport for us in Canada as well. We are not in Europe, where some pressures are different than what we have in Canada, so we are in a bit of a unique position.”

“If everybody works together for the success of the sport, then the sport will be very healthy,” Linda points out. “When individual groups only look after their own selves, it becomes fragmented. I believe that applies in anything, not just in this sport; it's in world politics, in countries, in businesses. Having an altruistic view is very important,” Linda concludes.  

27.10.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.