Vancouver to Calgary

Kath and Ray travelled from London to Vancouver Sunday 4th September arriving at about mid-day.  We stayed that night at a B&B, weeirishbnb@hotmail.com  ,at Abbotsford, an hour away to the west and well out of the city for a good start the next day for the two day drive across the Rockies.  Getting a rental car at Vancouver airport is a very simple process espescially if prebooked with National.

On leaving Abbotsford we travelled highway 1 to Hope then onto highway 5 through Merritt and just on entering Kamloops took a provincial road to the north through Paul Lake Provincial Park and Pinatan Lake. The road then returns to Highway 1 with the view on the left overlooking the Thompson valley, a mixture of dry land ranching and irrigated pockets of land.

A small lake along the way.

More intensive utilization with Ginsing under the black covers in the middle of the photo.

Thompson River bridge crossing back to highway one.

The Rockies proper on the second day after a quiet night at Salmon Arm thanks to double glazing that blocked out the noise of trucks making the climb up the highway out of the town.

Tourist Hotels overlooking lakes, large or small, are real through the Rockies but are not usually visible from the highway.

There are spectacular rock formations throughout.

and spectacular engineering feats.  Here the railway makes two separate loops inside the mountains to gain elevation on a negotiable grade.  On the right side of the photo the line enters the tunnel and appears at the left side having gained 15 metres verticle height.  This enables the railway to cross the Rockies near Rogers Pass which the highway crosses at 1327m.

A train was glimpsed in the area of the pass.  More of Canadian Pacific (CN) at Spruce Meadows.

There is permanent snow.

As we near Calgary there is evidence of farmland with considerble amounts of hay baled.

Also windrowed Canola with the Rockies as a backdrop.

The sun sets over the Rockies as viewed from our B&B at De Winton just south of Calgary and only 10 minutes from Spruce Meadows.
Next issue - the Spruce Meadows Masters - showjumping at its best.






THE SPRUCE MEADOWS MASTERS  - 7 - 11 SEPTEMBER 2011

Spruce Meadows is reputed to be the best outdoor show jumping show in the World and has been rated as that when such awards were made.  This view in the International ring with the bank in the background.  British House partially seen to the left.

What it was like 36 years ago before Ron and Marg Southern started their ambitious project.  Seen here as a cattle feedlot.

It is not only the International ring that is superbly manicured.  This is Meadows on the Green with the scoreboard is seen below.

All jumping gear was cleared off the night jumping ended in this ring so that it was in perfect condition for the Round Table Conference held on Friday of the show in a conference facility overlooking the ring.

Statues adorn the grounds and seem to be added to each year.

And adorn the jumping rings where they are movable and become part of the test as turning points or just adornment of the arena.

Garden features adorn each end of the Market Place pavilion.  This one by Babbling Brooks built the proprietor being Hamish (Will) Wilson, a New Zealander who has developed this business in Calgary and Edmonton.

The red carpet treatment between the two riding halls used for trade stands during the tournament.

Everyone is catered for at Spruce Meadows.  Families are encouraged to come to the show with many children friendly activities.

Meadows on the Green course designer, Anthony,  in discussion with NZ designer Kath Ward-Smith

Prize givings are a feature of the show, here seen in the All Canada ring.

In the International ring the bar is raised where the band of the Royal Engineers of Great Britain play for the prize giving including the National Anthem of the winner.

International course designer, Leopoldo Palacious, in final disussion with his assistants, International course designers themselves.  The water jump behind them and the designers "playpen" behind the water jump.

Nancy Southern walks out to the sponsors "playpen" to accompany dignatories during the class.

All is set and well planned, with the feature CN International class commencing exactly on the scheduled time.  Eric Lamaze riding Hickstead, seen here winning the two round million dollar class.
For full results go to http://www.sprucemeadows.com/ 

The Canadian crowd go wild.  Eric is Canadian and is current leading FEI points holder.

 Eric parading in a new Mercedes which he will have the use of for a year.  The Spruce Meadows Masters ends in grand style after a week of exceptional fine weather.