Equestrian Surfaces - World Clydesdale Show

Having built a stellar reputation in the industry as a global market leader for sustainable surface solutions worldwide, we leapt at the opportunity to get involved and support this year’s World Clydesdale Show.

Our team were tasked with supplying over 1,000 tonnes of our signature Cushion Track™ surface to the P&J Live Arena in Aberdeen whilst installing two 76m x 43m riding arenas, complete with perimeter fencing.

We also worked closely alongside GHF Contracting to maintain the surfaces throughout the duration of the show, before removing the installations within just twenty-four hours of the event ending.

The World Clydesdale Show is the largest single-breed horse show in the UK and Europe and took place between the 20th – 23rd of October 2022 in Aberdeen. The show, which had previously only been held within the USA, saw over 21,000 spectators travel to Scotland to witness more than 300 Clydesdale horses from all over the world perform and compete.

There are now less than 5,000 Clydesdale horses in existence globally, meaning they are considered a rare breed. Exhibitors at the event were, therefore, able to showcase the best of the native Scottish breed while encouraging new audiences to learn about Clydesdale horses.

Show organiser Alisa Clark described how bringing the event across the pond for the first time has been no mean feat, but a very worthwhile challenge:

“With the Clydesdale horses coming from Scotland originally, it’s massively important that we could present ourselves here on a world stage.

“The planning for this really began five years ago, so this is massively exciting, but we’ve had support from across the world. People have really got behind us.”

Equestrian Surfaces Ltd. sales director, Thomas Harper, described how we were thrilled to have been involved in this historic event, “To have played such a crucial role in the show’s first debut outside of the USA is a phenomenal honour and something we are exceptionally proud of!”

“The team were involved in all stages of the event, from the planning process, construction of the arenas, maintenance of the surfaces and removal of the arenas once the show had ended. It took a great deal of strategic planning on our end, as we facilitated the delivery of 1,000 tonnes of our Cushion Track™ surface to the event grounds in Aberdeen, 370 miles away from our manufacturing facilities in Cheshire. We then had just one day to install and commission the arenas.

“The project wasn’t without its challenges, as we needed to ensure that the electrical ducting which ran under the flooring of the exhibition centre would not be affected by the water required to irrigate and maintain the surface. Additionally, the fantastic exhibition centre at the P&J Live Arena also has a stunning, polished concrete floor. It was crucial that we acted carefully so as not to damage this during the installation process.

“We were thrilled with the finished result, which was two brand new 76m x 43m riding arenas, complete with our trademarked Cushion Track™ surface, and saw some brilliant performances from Clydesdale horses from all across the world!”

Our work didn’t end there, though, as we were also responsible for maintaining the surfaces throughout the event. The arena’s surface saw hundreds of horses performing on the Cushion Track™ surface each day, as well as heavy footfall from riders and trainers. Thomas Harper, explains the challenges this poses:

“Due to the heavy footfall from both horses and people, as well as the extreme heat within the exhibition centre, the surfaces were prone to drying out relatively quickly. This is something we had anticipated, which is why we had team members on-hand throughout the duration of the event to ensure the surfaces were maintained and thoroughly irrigated. Our team’s efforts ensured that the competing horses had the best footing possible and were able to showcase their talent!

“Following the event, we had just twenty-four hours to clear the surface from the exhibition centres, remove the membrane layers, rubber walkways and perimeter fencing, and get the exhibition centre back to its original condition, ready for its scheduled events and performances. We couldn’t have done this without our fantastic team of experts – and we’re thrilled to have successfully pulled it all together!

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to the organisers of the show, for putting together such a brilliant and well-organised event, as well as to our friends at GHF Contracting for their assistance in carrying out such a time-sensitive and intense project. As always, we love a challenge here at Equestrian Surfaces Ltd. – and are already on the lookout for our next major project!”

If you’d like more information on our trademarked surfaces, arena constructions or surface maintenance, please get in touch here or give us a call on 01282 834 970. We can’t wait to hear from you!