6 days ago
Spruce Meadows offers Canadian sports record $5-million purse for CPKC International grand prix
Spruce Meadows will make history next month by offering a $5-million purse in the Masters tournament grand prix, the biggest single-day event sporting payout in Canada this year, and the largest ever in show jumping.
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The final-day award, part of Spruce Meadows' 50th anniversary celebrations, is $2 million more than the previous year's payout, making the upcoming CPKC International, presented by Rolex, one for the record books.
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While other Canadian sports offer larger tour, multi-day or cumulative prizes, the $5 million on offer Sept. 7 is understood to be the largest for a single-day event in 2025.
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The Masters finale competition will also determine if Swiss ace Martin Fuchs, with super-steed Leone Jei, can win his third consecutive International.
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With a victory under his belt at July's Rolex Grand Prix Major in Aachen, Germany, a win at Spruce Meadows would also put Fuchs, 33, on course to become the second-ever rider in history to take the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, which requires three consecutive wins at four of the world's Rolex Grand Slam majors.
Two consecutive Rolex Grand Slam major wins would also land him with a 500,000 Euro bonus.
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'We have introduced a number of exciting new elements at Spruce Meadows this year to celebrate our 50th anniversary,' said president and CEO Linda Southern-Heathcott. 'It was important to me, as a former rider, and a lifelong advocate for show jumping, to make sure we were doing something extra special for the sport that has always been the lifeblood of Spruce Meadows.
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'We have an incredible roster of corporate partners that have enabled us to award more than $200 million in prize money since our inception in 1975. That support has extended to this special year, making it possible for us to offer an award that brings us into the realm of many of the biggest sporting prize pots on the globe, with more than $11 million being awarded across the 2025 tournament season.
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'That's pretty exciting for a former cattle feedlot in the Canadian foothills and I hope Calgarians, Albertans, and anyone with a love for show jumping will consider joining us for an unforgettable 2025 Masters.'
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The tournament runs Sept. 3-7, with an entertainment roster featuring the RCMP Musical Ride, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), Blacksmiths World Championships, fine art and local shopping, live music and performances, and children's activities.
