A charter jet carrying 55 of the world’s best showjumping horses arrived at YYC Calgary International Airport over the weekend and began preparations for the much anticipated Spruce Meadows Masters tournament this week.
The four-legged elite European-based athletes were offloaded from their chartered 747 to the YYC International Animal Lounge –a leading specialized animal cargo facility in North America. The 30,000 square foot state-of-art facility provides customers with access to all the services they need to do business through YYC including convenient access to airside, Canada Customs and other government bodies.
The arrival of the horses also marks an important milestone for yet another successful year of partnership between YYC’s and Spruce Meadows.
“One of the things we’re really excited about is that this facility allows our partners like Spruce Meadows to safely, securely and efficiently transfer live animals and other specialized goods through the airport into the greater community,” said Michael Hayward, Vice President, Marketing and Guest Experience for The Calgary Airport Authority. “The facility supports a number of Calgary businesses and the greater economic development of our province through the movement of specialized goods.”
YYC serves as the major cargo hub for over 75 per cent of all cargo arriving through Alberta and saw 147,791 tonnes of product come through YYC last year alone. Cargo being one of several economic drivers which contributed to YYC’s $8 billion in GDP in 2017.
In addition to the economic development of our city and province, YYC’s long-standing relationship with Spruce Meadows helps promote cultural diversity as athletes from 18 countries will be calling Calgary home for the week at this year’s Masters Tournament - one of the most challenging and respected tournaments in the sport of Show Jumping.
“I always look forward to the first-time arrivals here. They come from all over the world, and it’s really a great time to shine for the world every year,” said Ian Allison, Senior Vice President of Sport & Media Services at Spruce Meadows. “The animal handling facility here at YYC is wonderful and the staff are very professional and go to great lengths to ensure our horses are well taken care of.”
Also stimulating the local economy is the Spruce Meadows Summer Series, where Calgary becomes home to over 1000 horses and 4000 athletes with their families - inevitably supporting local business through hotel stays, restaurants and shopping.
The 2018 Spruce Meadows Masters officially begins on September 5 and features the very best horses and riders in the world competing for over $4 million in prize money throughout the week.
For ticket information, please click here.