CBC Sports will kick off the show jumping season with coverage of two events from Spruce Meadows, one of the world’s top venues for international equestrian events.

A broadcast partner with Spruce Meadows for more than a quarter-century and a recent award winner for its coverage, CBC Sports will carry a full slate of championship show jumping coverage throughout the 2018 season with broadcasts on CBC, and live streams at cbcsports.ca and via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices.

CBC Sports’ broadcast coverage begins with ‘The National’ presented by Rolex, including Saturday’s RBC Grand Prix presented by Rolex at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT) and the ATCO Classic on Sunday at 3:30 p.m./4:30 p.m. AT (11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT online at cbcsports.ca). Coverage of a new event, the CNOOC Nexen Cup, will also be available on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT) via live stream at cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app, and broadcast on CBC the following Saturday, June 16 at 2:30 p.m. local.

CBC Sports’ broadcast team for the 2018 season includes host and play-by-play commentator Scott Russell, analyst Deanna Phelan, reporter Brenda Irving, and Spruce Meadows’ senior vice-president, Ian Allison, serving as field-level reporter, providing additional insights into the course, jumps, and horse and rider pairs.

Canadian riders looking to impress at this weekend’s competition include Olympians Ian Millar, Eric Lamaze, Tiffany Foster, and Mario Deslauriers. Other notable riders competing at Spruce Meadows this weekend include American Olympians Kent Farrington and Leslie Howard, Daniel Coyle and Conor Swail of Ireland, Daniel Bluman representing Israel, and Karen Polle representing Japan.

Spruce Meadows is home to some of the world’s best show jumping events and CBC Sports will bring all of the action to Canadians throughout the summer with other marquee events as part of ‘The North American’ (July 7-8) and ‘The Masters’ (Sept. 8-9) tournaments. CBC Sports will also cover events from the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping in Aachen, Germany on July 22 and Geneva, Switzerland on December 9, in addition to the CP International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows on September 9 as part of ‘The Masters’ tournament.

Equestrian Canada recently named CBC Sports the 2017 winner of the Equestrian Canada Media Award with the accompanying Susan Jane Anstey Trophy, presented to an exceptional individual or corporate entity who has delivered outstanding media coverage that served to enhance the image of national equine interest to the Canadian public. The trophy was presented in recognition of CBC Sports’ longstanding support of equestrian sport and comprehensive coverage which has brought equestrian sport into the homes of millions of Canadians. CBC Sports will continue to be home to the world’s best championship show jumping competitions through the 2020 season.

Viewers can follow CBC Sports’ coverage of Spruce Meadows at cbcsports.ca.