Heavy rainfall not a problem for National competition at Spruce Meadows

CALGARY – Everything is right as rain at Canada’s premiere show jumping venue, despite a heavy downpour of the wet stuff.

The amount of rain recorded in the Calgary area in May was double the norm and the skies also opened up this past weekend and again today.

But Spruce Meadows vice-president Ian Allison says brand new sod, with advanced drainage, was installed in the international ring last fall and he isn’t anticipating any problems.

Spruce Meadows is hosting the National this week with riders from Canada, the United States and Mexico.

In the past, the venue had to use vacuums to remove water from the grass when drainage was a problem.

Allison says the new ring, which is the size of five football fields, cost about $250,000.