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Ponoka’s ag event centre busy with show jumping event

Equine show jumpers came to the Calnash Ag Event Centre for a show jumping event
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There were a variety of jumps at the Calnash Ag Event Centre for the Pacific Equine Sport Limited series. The event is all weekend and features a variety of skill levels and jumps. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye

Equine show jumpers have converged on the Calnash Ag Event Centre.

Held over the weekend, the event is hosted by Pacific Equine Sport Limited, which got its start in Vancouver before eventually setting up shop in Calgary.

Co-owner Peter Grant said for their organization Calgary is ideal due to the equine culture in the city. “It’s really the horse capital for the country and Spruce Meadows is also a big draw of us as well,” he explained.

The company not only sells horse jump structures but the group also creates show jumping course designs. Grant said they bring a show jumping series to Ponoka because of the ag event centre’s size and services. This is the second in the series.

“Essentially the philosophy in the show is young horses and young riders and an opportunity to develop at a discounted rate,” said Grant. “The cost of showing has become quite high in recent years.”

He added that while any kind of equine sport can be costly, Pacific Equine Sport also hopes to make equine show jumping as accessible as possible. The focus is to give riders a quality show jumping experience and as much ring experience as possible while removing some of the additional costs that come with the show.

The show starts out with young horses and lower jumps and eventually graduating to higher levels of experience, said Grant.

For those looking at getting into the sport, Grant said it’s not only about horse riding skills but also teaching kids empathy of animals and sportsmanship.

He suggested the best way to investigate the sport is to come down to an event such as the one hosted in Ponoka and observe the riders and horses.



jeff.heyden-kaye@ponokanews.com

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There were a variety of jumps at the Calnash Ag Event Centre for the Pacific Equine Sport Limited series. The event is all weekend and features a variety of skill levels and jumps. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye
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There were a variety of jumps at the Calnash Ag Event Centre for the Pacific Equine Sport Limited series. The event is all weekend and features a variety of skill levels and jumps. Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye