Wesley Clover Parks

Facilities

Wesley Clover Parks' 500 acres (200 ha) property includes the stables and indoor arena, as well as several outdoor sand rings for riding, acres of pasture space, a cross-country course, a large wooded area that is home to many species of local wildlife, and a campground. The cross country course accommodates four levels of difficulty and is used for competitions.

Activities

Wesley Clover Parks hosts and produces a number of annual equestrian events including,

Wesley Clover Parks is also the equestrian centre of choice for third party horse show producers, who lease the facility for competitions and events throughout the season. Past events include Polo in the Park Ottawa, third party Bronze/Silver shows, the Ottawa Dressage Festival, and Eventing at the Parks.

Wesley Clover Parks has been the host venue for a number of charity runs including the Color Vibe 5K and the BADASS Dash. The site is a one-stop-shop for charity runs, endurance races, festivals, sporting events, and equestrian competitions.

Wesley Clover Parks harvests over 100-acres of hay to feed the over 55 horses and one donkey that call The Parks home, part of a long-term commitment to sustainable farming. With the help of GeesBees Honey Company, Wesley Clover Parks brought in over 300,000 honey bees and now host 6 hives on site to help support the bee population.

History

The Nepean National Equestrian Park first began construction in 1974. Ted De Long first proposed the project with the intention of creating an affordable riding program for those who could not buy or lease horses themselves. The facility would serve the west end and capital region. The property was leased from the National Capital Commission, and first operated by a partnership between the March and Nepean Townships. The riding school was also intended to provide access to athletics programs for girls, while the city’s commitments to hockey rinks and sports fields were seen as mostly serving boys. At its conception, De Long intended the park to offer both English and Western riding lessons, as well as other disciplines such as driving and horse-drawn skiing. Riders training for competitions would also be able to rent the facilities.

The stables were designed by a local architect, Walter Coates, and built in 1976. The construction of the indoor arena was delayed due to lack of funds. The arena wasn’t constructed until 1981.

In 2012, the City of Ottawa ended its lease of the property. The riding school was closed and the horses were sold. The lease was eventually awarded to the Wesley Clover Foundation, a private not-for-profit philanthropic corporation associated with high-tech entrepreneur Terry Matthews. The Foundation intends to invest more than $20 million to give the site a full re-construction. Plans for the Parks include a new riding school, created in partnership with Canadian Olympian rider Ian Millar, an upgrade to the show grounds, new public seating, and new horseback riding trails. The Parks will also host non-equestrian facilities, such as several full-sized summer sports fields, a new home for the royal swans, an outdoor skating rink, skiing and hiking trails, a campground, and a nature school for young children. The Parks intend to draw more international equestrian events, as well as more participation from the non-equestrian community in outdoor sports.

Anne, Princess Royal toured the facilities on Remembrance Day 2014 and dedicated in her name The Princess Royal Riding Ring.

A state-of-the-art artificial turf soccer field was constructed at the east end of the Parks, close to the Queensway and Moodie Drive, for use as a practice facility during the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Notable events