MAY 2024 THE RIDER /47


Horse & Country Announces Livestreaming and New Series from Canada’s Thunderbird Show Park


Lexington, KY – Leading international equestrian sports network Horse & Country (H&C) will pro- vide extensive livestreaming from Thunderbird Show Park (tbird) in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. The entire tbird hunter/jumper competi- tion series, which encompasses 10 events from April to September 2024, will be streamed live and FREE on Horse & Country’s streaming service H&C+ and within an H&C+ player on tbirdTV. In addition to livestreaming, H&C will produce a new sports entertainment series, “Thunderbird Life,” featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the personal- ities and top-level competition that make Thunder- bird Show Park one of North America’s premier equestrian venues. H&C will provide extensive livestreaming


from Thunderbird Show Park and produce a new sports entertainment series, “Thunderbird Life.” Photo courtesy of tbird


“We’re thrilled to partner with H&C to share


our story with the world,” said tbird President and CEO Chris Pack. “Thunderbird is a boutique, fam- ily-owned venue that has been a staple on the West Coast equestrian scene for more than 50 years. We can’t wait to take you behind the scenes on the sporting highs, hilarity, and controlled chaos that comes with running an international show park.” “We are delighted to be able to offer


livestreaming from this prestigious facility,” said H&C Director of Content Jonathan Rippon. “With incredible show jumping and some of the world’s best riders competing, our audience will be sure to mark these events on their calendar. “In addition to the 10 livestreaming events,


H&C will produce a new series about Thunderbird Show Park that gives viewers full access to expe- rience the highs, lows, stresses, and laughter that goes into running an equestrian venue with multi- ple rings, thousands of horses, VIPs, and top sport.”


Produced and directed by Jenny Rudall, the four-part series will feature Chris Pack, a look at


gramming featuring content from all disciplines, masterclasses and training series, barn tours, rider profiles, and documentaries. With two annual membership options and a pay-per-view offering, H&C+ Freestyle, there are even more ways to ac- cess H&C’s vast library of content. Full details on how to join can be found at horseandcountry.tv/se- lect-plan. Annual membership of H&C+ is only


$119.99 as a one-time payment, or there is an op- tion to pay in 12 monthly installments of $13.99.


About Thunderbird Show Park Located just hoof steps from Vancouver,


Thunderbird Show Park is one of North America’s premier equestrian event facilities, hosting twelve weeks of globally recognized hunter, jumper, and dressage tournaments per year! For more informa- tion, please visit tbird.ca.


About Horse & Country Horse & Country is the leading international


the life of Canadian Olympic show jumper Tiffany Foster including a peek at building her new facility down the road from Thunderbird, a look behind the scenes at a five-star competition as well as an in- ternational hunter derby, plus all the personalities, pressures, glitz, and glamour that make up the sport. Stay tuned for details on the premiere episode. “I’m so excited to be working with Chris and


his team,” said Rudall. “Thunderbird is a magical venue and top rated by riders across the globe. Chris has a brilliant and often hilarious relationship with his staff, and it is extremely exciting to have such amazing access to riders such as top-ranked female rider in the world Tiffany Foster, who is as funny as she is talented!”


The FREE livestreaming schedule on H&C


for Thunderbird Show Park includes: April Season Opener – April 17-21 April Festival – April 24-28 Canadian Premier National – May 22-26 (not in- cluding Major League Show Jumping classes) BC Open CSI4*/2*– May 29-June 2 West Coast Classic – June 26-30 Western Family – July 3-7 Summer Fort Welcome CSI3* – August 7-11 Summer Fort Classic CSI3* – August 14-18 Harvest Celebration – September 11-15 BCHJA Fall Finale CSI3* – September 18-22 Beyond H&C’s extensive sports coverage,


both live and on demand, H&C+ members also get access to more than 1,800 hours of equestrian pro-


Ontario farmers, fire chiefs work together on fire prevention


GUELPH ON [March 13, 2024] – The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and the On- tario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC) are joining forces to share resources and promote fire safety and prevention on Ontario farms. “Emergency preparedness


and risk management are long- standing priorities for the OFA and our county and regional fed- erations, and we are pleased to start working closely with On- tario’s fire chiefs to help encour- age awareness about how to reduce fire risks on Ontario


farms,” says Drew Spoelstra, farmer and President of the OFA. “Fire is an ever-present but pre- ventable threat for Ontario farm- ers and we appreciate being able to promote and share resources about what can be done to mini- mize those risks to keep people, animals and buildings safe.” Barn fires are a serious con-


cern at all times of the year, but colder winter


temperatures


heighten risks. Cold weather in- creases condensation on cold sur- faces, and the corrosive mixture of barn gasses and moisture in- vades the electrical system. The


increased use of heating equip- ment also poses risks of ignition with gas heaters, for example. “Farm fires are tragic


events, but better fire prevention starts with simple yet often over- looked basics that can minimize on-farm risks,” says OAFC Pres- ident Rob Grimwood, Deputy Chief, Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services. “We share many aligning interests with the OFA on fire safety and preven- tion, and we are pleased to be working together to help make people aware of fire risks and what they can do to protect their


Visit www.therider.com


families, farms and businesses.” Some of the biggest fire


risks in farm buildings come from dust and cobwebs, exten- sion cords and heaters, and elec- trical plugs, receptacles and panels. Easy steps farmers can take to reduce the threat of fire include hardwiring or using wa- terproof plus or outlets, keeping buildings clean of dust and cob- webs, replacing extension cords, and identifying potential hotspots with a thermal imaging camera. According to the latest sta-


tistics available from the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office, Ontario


saw 152 barn fires in 2021 with damages of just over $54 million. The OFA hopes to have


OAFC or members from local fire departments join organiza- tional representatives at key farm shows across the province to en- gage directly with farmers about how to protect their farm build- ings and livestock. The Ontario Federation of


Agriculture (OFA) represents 38,000 farm families across the province and serves as the lead- ing advocate and strongest voice of Ontario’s farmers. As a dy- namic farmer-led organization,


the OFA represents and champi- ons the interests of Ontario farm- ers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, commu- nity representation, media rela- tions and more. The Ontario Association of


Fire Chiefs (OAFC) represents the chief fire officers of the 437 fire departments in the province of Ontario. The OAFC’s mission is to provide leadership and sup- port to the Ontario fire service through advocacy in service de- livery, public and firefighter safety.


sports network for the passionate and active eques- trian community. Headquartered in London, it is available globally via connected TVs, mobile and web and on leading digital and pay-TV platforms in the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Australia. Horse & Country’s programming line-up includes live cov- erage from leading sporting competitions in all equestrian disciplines, as well as training and learn- ing shows, documentaries, and entertainment.


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