Martin Fuchs was back-to-back winner here in 2023 and 2024 – what are your memories of his victories?

It was fantastic that Martin twice won our CPKC ‘International’, presented by Rolex. Our Grand Prix is always exciting and unique and, as you well know, we don’t have a jump-off, and it’s always considered a very difficult Grand Prix. We also have the richest prize money – but our ethos has always been that the riders have to work for it. It's been great to see athletes excel to the top and they’ve earned it. And the crowd loves it; our crowd loves it. What's interesting about our crowd in Spruce Meadows is they really take ownership of a part of the International Ring, and if a horse jumps clear then they cheer, and this shows how invested they are in the sport, and that’s pretty exciting.

Martin Fuchs comes to Spruce Meadows as the Rolex Grand Slam live contender. It would be a lovely story if he can carry on that journey by winning here on Sunday...

It would be fantastic if Martin can go on to win the Rolex Grand Slam. As you well know, the athletes said it’s not possible [to win the Rolex Grand Slam] when we came up with the idea of the Majors and the Rolex Grand Slam. One of my fondest memories was when Scott Brash won the third Major here and you could hear a pin drop in the International Ring – it was so quiet and then everything erupted. As you know, my father was quite tough and he said, “Linda, I’m proud of you because you really make Spruce Meadows into one of the Majors, and the athletes view it that way, and it would be fantastic if we have another athlete who can do it.” I personally don’t think there’s a better athlete than Martin Fuchs to do it. He’s got the best preparation, so let’s cheer for him this weekend.

This year Spruce Meadows is celebrating its 50th anniversary since it was founded in 1975. How has the venue evolved and what will this year focus on celebrating?

It’ll be really fun for us to show the fans how the sport has evolved 50 years on and also how Spruce Meadows has evolved. It’s really become a sports and entertainment venue, not just a show jumping venue. We have soccer [Cavalry FC], we have just launched a restaurant called Foxtrot, and we’re looking forward to our children taking on the reins and carrying things forward. The celebration for 50 years is about thanking the people, thanking those who have helped to build Spruce Meadows – our sponsors, the fans, the athletes, our founders, and our volunteers. So, it’s really a celebration of everybody coming together and thanking them.

You've been President and CEO of Spruce Meadows for 20 years and have built it into a truly world-class venue – where do you take your inspiration from?

I travel around the world to see other sports. I think it’s really important, as a leader of a sporting venue, that we aim for the front pages of a newspaper. I know that newspapers are different nowadays, but I want Spruce Meadows to be on the front page and soccer or North American football to be on the second page. We have to learn from them. What are they doing in the industry, and what is creating the buzz with each different sport? And how are they relating to their fans, including what is resonating well, and what isn’t working? We have to learn from that and bring that to Spruce Meadows to create a unique environment. I also go to many show jumping shows, but for me it’s more important to see what other sports are doing.

How do you see Spruce Meadows supporting the next generation of riders, both in Canada and internationally?

Spruce Meadows is unique in that not only do we have large FEI tournaments, but we also support national initiatives, because we believe in providing an avenue where Canadian athletes can learn and hone their skills to be able to excel on an international stage. It’s always very important that we have grassroots initiatives and offer opportunities from ponies all the way up to top international competitions. This year for the 50th anniversary I wanted to do something unique, so we awarded 10 five-thousand-dollar scholarships to young up-and-coming riders to help them move forward in the sport.

Are there any unsung heroes at Spruce Meadows you would like to recognise, and what role do they play in making each event world-class?

The whole team at Spruce Meadows are unsung heroes. I'm very fortunate to lead a great team, and everyone who comes to work every day gives their heart and soul to Spruce Meadows. Our grounds team has done a fabulous job in operations, not just on the footing inside the arena, but also outside. When people walk on to Spruce Meadows’ grounds right now it’s just so beautiful. Then there’s our back of house tournament office, which is working with the riders, grooms, and horses, ensuring they’re fed and watered – they're really the hotel staff, in a certain way, and they do a fantastic job. Our team that gets the media here – they're working day and night to come up with interesting storylines, which will pique the media’s interest. And then of course we have our hosting team, which is made up of a lot of volunteers – they're the friendly faces who meet our sponsors and VIP guests. Our fan experience has really excelled – we've really leaned into understanding what are the things that are unique and fun for our fans. We're trying to go after a younger audience and understand what they want to see. Is it pony rides, or a concert, or date night? We recently brought back movie nights and the Skyhawks parachuted into the International Ring when the guests were watching Top Gun. A lot of the hard work was done in 2024, and it’s been a lot of fun watching everything come to fruition this year.

How has Spruce Meadows’ role in the Rolex Grand Slam positively impacted the international profile of the venue, and also Canadian sport?

The Rolex Grand Slam has brought Spruce Meadows to a whole new level and brought a little bit of validation for us and the team. I watch the other majors in other sports closely, be it golf or tennis, and try to understand what they’re doing, which is unique, and how we can lean into that. We must be cognisant of staying true to tradition but also expanding our reach, so that’s exciting for me.