CALGARY: THE FOUNDER OF SPRUCE MEADOWS ROLEX GRAND SLAM MAGAZINE 54 only a year later the World Equestrian Federation, granted Spruce Meadows permission to stage Canada’s official Nations’ Cup. In so doing, the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ became a CSIO show – and has remained so up until today. Over the decades, the Southern family continued to expand the complex. Today, it extends over a vast 223 hectares, comprises 14 arenas, two riding halls and ten blocks with stabling for 1,000 horses. Three hundred events take place every year in Spruce Meadows, attended by half a million people. Ron Southern had never expected such superlatives. “I am often asked, was this all part of the vision? I’d like to say it was. But really, we had no idea we would build a place like this,” he said at the 40th anniversary celebrations. But Ron Southern always threw himself one hundred percent into whatever he did. Compromise was never part of his vocabulary. And so the incredible expansion of Spruce Meadows and the excellent reputation it enjoys worldwide today stem directly from his life’s motto: “Going far beyond the call of duty. Doing more than others expect. This is what excellence is EYES SET ON THE BIG PLAN The Southerns in 1973 engrossed in the sketches of Spruce Meadows. DEN GROSSEN PLAN VOR AUGEN Das Ehepaar Southern, vertieft in die Skizzen von Spruce Meadows (1973). LE PROJET SOUS LES YEUX Le couple Southern plongé dans les croquis de Spruce Meadows, en 1973. all about. It comes from striving, maintaining the highest standards, looking after the smallest detail and going the extra mile. Excellence means caring. It means making a special effort to do more.” That was the credo by which Ron Southern lived to the very end of his life. Ronald D. Southern died on January 21st, 2016 at the age of 85. His most important legacy remains intact and is reflected in every corner of Spruce Meadows: the pursuit of excellence.
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