Ground being laid for Arabian event

Staff at the Keystone Centre are working around the clock to lay the groundwork for Canada’s National Arabian Championship.

The championship, which will run from Aug. 6-15, is bringing more than 300 horses and hundreds of visitors to Brandon.

Devin Epp, sales manager in the Ag Centre at the Keystone Centre, said the primary task ahead of the event is laying dirt just right.

“We have been working on this day in and day out,” he said.

Starting July 24, staff began working on a 24-hour schedule to build the competition floor. Dirt was hauled into the arena and has since been worked into place persistently with tractors and hand-pushed equipment.

The goal is to ensure the floor is as firm and evenly laid as possible, Epp said. The quality of the floor benefits the incoming Arabian horses, which evolved to prefer firm terrain.

Staff are now raking 80 cubic yards of sand to sit on top of the hard dirt base and form a layer of about two inches. The arena is worked for a total of 10 to 15 hours per day.

The preparations are painstaking — and the staff have found their stride this year compared to the first year the championship came back to Brandon, Epp said.

“Last year, when we brought it back, it was a learning process,” he said. “But this year it has been smooth. It looks amazing.”

To ensure that the arena is in tip-top shape, a footing expert has been sent in to oversee work on site.

Allan Quast of Lacombe, Alta., came to the Keystone Centre last week on behalf of the Arabian championship to ensure that the dirt and sand base at the facility is perfect. Quast has been a “dirt guy” for 30 years and is lending his expertise to ensure the floor is built specifically for the Arabian horses.

Quast has logged some 12-hour days during this stage leading to the event, he said.

“It takes that much prep work to get it done,” he said. “You gotta get it right the first time around.”

In his role, Quast measures and reviews the ground — and getting his hands dirty is all in a day’s work.

“I drive the tractor too, because I’m fussy.”

When the event actually begins, his work will slow down, he said.

The Keystone Centre is preparing up to 450 indoor stables and 140 outdoor stables to accommodate competitors next week. Epp is slated to work with children from a local 4-H chapter to bed the stables with shavings in the coming days. The Keystone Centre has also stockpiled hay and shavings ahead of the event.

The facility needs to be ready by Aug. 4, as riders can arrive in Brandon in advance to warm up and get settled in.

Connie Lawrence, CEO and general manager of the Keystone Centre, said the goal of staff is to make the experience enjoyable for competitors and guests.

“We try to make it as easy as possible for everyone who’s coming here,” she said. “The biggest thing they like about Brandon is our facility. It is a world-class facility.”

The centre’s 44 fully serviced campsites are filled up, and the overflow campsites are now being filled, she said.

Preparations for the event also include setting up a lounge area, booking musical performances and arranging catered meals and coffee deliveries for competitors.

Thirty maintenance staff and 11 managers are involved in prepping for the incoming competition.

» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com