Thunderbird Show Park (tbird) isn鈥檛 just a family business, it鈥檚 a business that connects with families.
鈥淔irst of all, we want to make it affordable,鈥� explained Chris Pack, chief operating office and tournament manager of the world-class equestrian show jumping centre founded by George and Dianne Tidball 45 years ago.
鈥淵ou know you can come midweek for free, and on weekends it鈥檚 $10 per carload,鈥� added Thunderbird president Jane Tidball, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 not an expensive sport to get involved in from a spectator standpoint.鈥�
鈥淲e have free entrance,鈥� said Pack, 鈥渟o when most people come with three or four in a car, it鈥檚 either $3.50 or $2.50 per person. We want it to be an inviting price and an inviting venue for people.鈥�
Once inside the show park, there鈥檚 also more to do than just watch the show jumping.
鈥淎 lot of people enjoy watching show jumping,鈥� said Pack, 鈥渂ut we want them to stay and enjoy the rest of the amenities, so we鈥檝e built a playground where all the spectators are. We bring in food trucks. We bring in pony rides for the day, and those are free to all kids. We also have a complimentary facepainter to do kids鈥� faces.鈥�
Thunderbird has made 鈥渁 major investment鈥� in making the whole show more accessible to spectators.
鈥淚 think for people who aren鈥檛, say, avid show jumping fans,鈥� Pack said, 鈥渨e need to give them the same experience that they would get at any other professional sport, be it the BC Lions, Whitecaps鈥� they want to have an engaging atmosphere, so our video board is 50 square metres 鈥� it鈥檚 huge, it鈥檚 like watching a massive TV 鈥� as well as all-new surround sound for the outside spectators.鈥�
Information kiosks have been added 鈥渁nd we do a course walk with our announcer, to get people more engaged by seeing the challenges that lay ahead of our riders and horses.鈥�
A spectator course walk allows people to 鈥渁ctually come out onto the field for a certain amount of time and see the jumps and be out there to see the scope of everything firsthand.鈥�
There鈥檚 even new print material to help spectators new to the sport to understand show jumping.
鈥淚 always think about if I go to watch, say, cricket and I don鈥檛 know the rules 鈥� how am I going to enjoy it?鈥� said Pack.
鈥淲e want people to understand the basics so when they watch it they enjoy it more if they can follow along.鈥�
A new vendor area 鈥� 鈥渘ot all equestrian, about half and half 鈥� is aimed at making the park more attractive for the whole family.
鈥淲e want to provide a nice shopping experience,鈥� said Pack, 鈥淲e have a nail salon, a coffee shop, clothing stores, an artist, massage, someone selling boots and someone selling tack boxes, and more clothing. Dog grooming鈥︹��
Keeping the whole package as inexpensive as possible is a large part of the pro-family strategy.
Tbird doesn鈥檛 make money from the parking fee, because, as Pack explained, 鈥渁ll the money we collect from that goes to charity.鈥�
The charities that Thunderbird supports tend to extend the family far beyond the show park itself.
鈥淲e do a lot with the 91原创 School District Foundation,鈥� Pack pointed out, and farther afield, Uyradis Village is run by a retired show jumper who is 鈥渃reating a self-sustaining village for Ethiopian kids that get abandoned without families.鈥�
Thunderbird鈥檚 partnership with Just World International in Cambodia speaks to the 91原创 family business鈥檚 commitment to families globally.
鈥淚f parents allow their children to go to school for the week,鈥� explained Pack, 鈥渨e supply the families with rice. Most families make their kids beg to earn money, so we鈥檙e trying to break the cycle. We鈥檙e trying to get these kids educated so they know that they can do more than just beg on the streets.鈥�
And then there is the tbird family鈥檚 own charity, the George and Dianne Tidball Legacy Foundation.
鈥淲e started that after the passing of George and Dianne about four years ago,鈥� said Pack. 鈥淚t supports local charities: LAPS, local riders, giving out scholarships, homeless shelters 鈥� it has equestrian components, but not entirely. We decided that we were doing a lot for charities that were outside of our area, and our area has many needs as well.鈥�
鈥淲e do a lot of fundraising here,鈥� summed up Jane Tidball, 鈥渂ecause we really believe that it鈥檚 not just about us, and it鈥檚 not just about people who own horses, it鈥檚 about the entire community, and really, about the entire world.鈥�
