Spruce Meadows: Canada Cup Derby & 50 years of partnership
This weekend, from July 4 to 6, 2025, the renowned Canada Cup Derby will take place at the legendary Spruce Meadows facility in Calgary – a very special event, as the 50th anniversary of the equestrian facility will be celebrated at the same time. Anja and Kristin Rietbrock were also invited to this festive occasion and will be there in person.
The connection between the Rietbrock Stables and Spruce Meadows goes back a long way: the first Hanoverian horse brokered by the Rietbrock Stables found its way to Canada back in 1969. The horse, named Sentgraf, went to Mr. Southern – and laid the foundation for a successful partnership that still exists today. At a time when exporting a horse across the Atlantic was still a real pioneering achievement, this sale was a real sensation.
Anja and Kristin Rietbrock are now facing a particularly emotional moment at this year’s Derby: they will see a horse they bred themselves on Canada’s big stage again.
“It’s always something very special when a horse from your own breeding makes it to such a prestigious show,” says Anja Rietbrock. “To have accompanied the mare’s development from birth and now to see her in the Derby fills us with pride and joy.”
The mare Cristin, bred from Cornet Obolensky x Balou, has developed magnificently and shows enormous potential at international level.
Another highlight of the weekend: Daniel Coyle’s victory in the Canada Cup with Calippo 57 – a Hanoverian who was acquired via the auction and is now sponsored by Attache Stables.
„We are extremely proud that a Hanoverian has impressed on this stage and prevailed against strong competition,” said the Rietbrocks.