It’s all happening. . . . today at 12pm local time, the $1.5 Million Rolex Grand Prix kicks off in the famed International Arena at Spruce Meadows Masters, Calgary, Canada.
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock with no internet access… today’s grand prix is a big. freaking. deal. Great Britain’s Scott Brash stands to make history if he wins this, the third leg of the Rolex Grand Slam. Not only will he write history, as no rider has won all three legs of the Grand Slam, he will come away with a $500,000 bonus. That on top of the $500,000 bonus he has already won for claiming victory in the Geneva and Aachen legs of the Grand Slam, on top of the $500,000 check for first place, well, it’s simply an unprecedented amount of prize money.
The pressure and attention focused on Brash this week has been intense, but the 29-year-old rider from Peebles, Scotland is keeping his cool ahead of the main event. His horse, the amazing Hello Sanctos, is in top form and has been hacking around the show grounds in a snaffle bride on a loose rein. He and Brash are the picture of calm, and the pair couldn’t be more ready for what will certainly be the biggest challenge of their lives.
The first round order of 40 riders is divided into two “phases”, and thus two start lists pages. “Phase 1” startlist is here, “Phase 2” startlist is here. The top 12 riders from Phase 1/2 will return for Round 2.
How to Watch
There are a few options for watching the Rolex Grand Prix, depending on what part of the world you’re in:
Canada
If you’re in Canada, you can watch live on CBC television, or watch live on CBC online at this link, beginning at 12pm when the first horse enters the ring.
USA
Your best (and only) live option is to tune into the Spruce Meadows live cam. The feed can be choppy and the commentary inconsistent, so cross fingers when you hit play:
http://www.sprucemeadows.com/livevideo.jsp
United Kingdom/Europe
Sky Sports UK will broadcast the Grand Prix in its entirety live on television on Sky Sports 5 HD. See this link for more information. Those of you in Europe can also view the Spruce Meadows live cam at the link above.
France
Equidia Life will air the Grand Prix online at this link. EuroSport is also rumored to be producing coverage, although no link could be found.
ESPN Latin America, FOX Latin America, Horse & Country and NBC will all produce post-event highlights in the coming week.