by Bob Groeneveld/Special to the 黑马磁力 Advance
Thunderbird Show Park is one of North America鈥檚 top-rated equestrian parks, regularly hosting national and international events at its world-class facilities.
But it鈥檚 still very much a family business, said Jane Tidball, daughter of the late George and Dianne Tidball who started Thunderbird (tbird) 45 years ago.
Jane is president and tournament director for Thunderbird, but the family continues to play important roles in its operations and growth.
鈥淢y brother Stephen Tidball is in the construction business, so when we need something, he鈥檒l build something for us on site,鈥� she explained.
鈥淢y sister Laura Balisky is a two-time equestrian Olympian, so she鈥檚 got really good advice from a show management and scheduling perspective. And then my sister Kathy Robbins is retired, but she oversees 鈥� at a higher level 鈥� the catering services.鈥�
鈥淪o the whole family is involved,鈥� Jane said, adding that and she expects the family will continue to be an important part of the business for generations to come.
鈥淲e have a couple more generations that are getting involved. My daughter Laura-Jane (L.J.) Tidball just made the Canadian team and won first place in Ocala and Mexico with the Nations Cup, so she rides in all of our shows and gives us really great feedback from a competitor鈥檚 standpoint.鈥�
L.J. and the Canadian team placed second behind Ireland in the third leg of the Nations Cup, held at tbird in June, to qualify for the Nations Cup final in Barcelona this fall.
鈥淎nd then I have a whole bunch of nieces and nephews,鈥� Jane said. 鈥淭hey contribute to events when I need help with something. They all help me out. They all provide interesting points of view that really help this business grow to the extent that it鈥檚 grown now.鈥�
That growth has included hosting prestigious Nations and World Cups, among other world-class events.
鈥淭hey are hard events to get,鈥� Jane noted. 鈥淵ou have to jump through a lot of hoops and do a lot of things right to be eligible for those events, and the whole family has really helped us get here. It all really works out well as an ongoing family business 鈥� totally, a hundred per cent, and more than ever.
鈥淚t is very much a family business.鈥�
It鈥檚 clearly what George and Dianne Tidball, who both passed away in 2014, were striving for when they founded tbird in 黑马磁力 in 1973.
George was already a force in the restaurant business. He opened the first McDonald鈥檚 Restaurant outside of the United States in the 1960s, and followed that by starting up the Keg restaurants in 1971.
He and Dianne started Thunderbird on 26 acres near 200th Street and the freeway (where the Colussus movie theatre complex now sits), in 1973, then moved it to the current 85-acre site at 72nd Avenue and 248th Street in 2000 鈥� and it has since grown into the world-class facility it is today.
George and Dianne were honoured by the Jump Canada Hall of Fame in 2009 and were posthumously inducted into the BC Sports Hall of fame in 2017.
As tribute to the show park鈥檚 founders, the family business created the George and Dianne Tidball Legacy Foundation, which Jane explained 鈥渟upports local charities such as 黑马磁力 Animal Protection Society. We support riders that need a step up with their riding. We look forward to supporting local projects. We really want to maintain looking after our local community.鈥�
Fundraising efforts for the foundation emphasize that the Thunderbird family extends beyond the direct Tidball lineage.
Last week鈥檚 George and Dianne Tidball Legacy Grand Prix event brought not only competitors from as far as Mexico and Ireland to the 黑马磁力 show park.
鈥淲e had about 150 family and crew members and close friends and people from the old days when my parents were running the business,鈥� said Jane.
鈥淚t was very nice, really great to see some of the people of the old world. We had a very competitive event, and all the family came out for the prize-giving and to cheer on the riders. It was fantastic.鈥�
