World-class Clydesdale show still in the works

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This article was published 19/11/2020 (1963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With optimism their central pillar, the organizers behind a world-class Clydesdale event are still planning on hosting the World Clydesdale Show in Brandon next year.

“This whole COVID thing has thrown a wrench into a lot of our plans, but we’re still foraging forward,” show planning committee co-chair Calvin Martin said, adding that a planning committee of 11 people has been working on the show for the past few years.

“We can’t sit around and then on April 1 say, ‘Hey, by golly, this thing’s going to go, we’d better get busy,’” he said. “It’s a major undertaking.”

The World Clydesdale Show is held every three to four years, with next year’s event — scheduled for July 14-18 — marking the first time it’ll be hosted in Western Canada.

“We kind of liken it to the Olympics of Clydesdales,” Martin said.

It usually oscillates between London, Ont., and Madison, Wis., but a group in Westman stepped forward to bring the event to this part of the world, and Brandon’s Keystone Centre made it an easy sell.

“In fact, there are few better facilities on the continent, really,” Martin said.

“We want to put on a show that shows the versatility of the Clydesdale horse, and we’re hoping to bring some recognition certainly to the city of Brandon, the province of Manitoba, to showcase the horses we have here in Western Canada.”

A Clydesdale enthusiast through family tradition at his family home in Strathclair, Martin said he is continually impressed by the large breed of horse, which he considers a “very attractive, good-moving animal that’s relatively docile and easy to get along with, train and work with.”

Next year’s event is expected to bring in as many as 600 Clydesdales from throughout North America. The last event in Madison brought in participants from eight provinces and 26 states, with visitors coming from eight countries.

“We’re expecting — hopefully, with travel restrictions and things — to see some international people, delegates and enthusiasts there,” Martin said.

“We’re really excited,” he added. “We’re moving forward, and hopefully people can come and watch and enjoy.”

Martin has been to several World Clydesdale Show events in the past, both as an exhibitor and onlooker. He described it as a fun atmosphere for not only ardent Clydesdale fans, but for the casual observer as well.

“There’ll be some fair entertainment for everybody,” he said, adding the event includes halter class shows, hitches of up to eight horses, jumping, barrel racing, dressage, team races and various other activities.

The riding section, he said, is quite new, “and certainly gaining popularity, in that a lot of people don’t associate riding with heavy horses, but it’s becoming a unique part of the industry and something that we’re going to have on full display in Brandon.”

Vendors and other entertainment are being lined up, and organizers expect to invite the public in to soak it all up.

Although preparations are ongoing, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a bit of a damper on things thus far. Organizers had planned on attending several major events in North America to advertise the upcoming event, but were unable to due to event cancellations and travel restrictions.

But they’re finding a way around this problem through magazine advertisements and other means of getting the word out.

Pending enough of what they’re doing goes to plan and the event is able to take place, Martin said he’s curious to see how attendance goes, and whether pandemic-related health concerns will still play much of a role by the time it finally happens.

As it stands, he anticipates a large showing of exhibitors, mainly because it will have been a long time since they’ve been able to go to a show of this nature.

“It’ll be the first major event and big excitement, so people will be keen to come,” he said.

In the event there are still pandemic-related health concerns, he said they plan on livestreaming the show online so anyone interested in seeing the events still has the opportunity to do so.

Organizers are currently seeking business sponsors, with more information about the event, including contact information, available at worldclydeshow.com.

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB