SPORTS AND RECREATION

LangleyAdvance

Welcome to the Neighbourhood, 2016 A37

Langley Horse Capital of B.C. and so much more

The Township is home
to 7.2 per cent of the
horses in B.C.
MATTHEW CLAXTON
AND TROY LANDREVILLE
editorial@langleyadvance.com

orses are big business

in Langley Township,
which has long been
known as the Horse
Capital of B.C.
It has one of the highest rates
of horse ownership per capita in the province, and parts
of Langley, particularly South
Langley, are laced with horse
trails through parks and along
major roads.
The local equine industry
generates more than $60 million
annually, and there are an estimated 429 farms with more than
3,800 horses, or 7.2 per cent of
all the horses in the province.
Langley Township is also
home to the only neonatal horse
hospital in the province, along
with a host of other veterinarian practices, trainers, tack and
equipment shops, bedding suppliers, and boarding stables.
Equestrian centres of which
Thunderbird Show Park is the
biggest have grown up to host
world-class equine events.
There were 900 horses at
this past Augusts Summer Fort
Classic at Thunderbird, and
along with them came riders,
supporters, and family members.
In fact, according to the Horse
Council of British Columbia, at a
major horse show there will be
five people for every horse.
That means roughly 4,500
people arrived in Langley for the
events at Thunderbird.
Approximately 60 per cent
of competitors are from out of
province, said Kelly Coughlin,
senior program director for the

Horse Council, in the leadup

to this past summers Fort
Classic. When you factor in the
expenses for each person food,
housing, transportation, and
entertainment it is a significant
boon to the Langley Township
economy.

Sporty Langley

or non-horsey folks
seeking recreational opportunities, there are fields,
baseball diamonds, rinks, and
sports boxes throughout Langley
Township and City.
A short drive east of Langley
takes you to Aldergrove Athletic
Park, located at 29th Avenue
and 267B Street
The park hosts boys and girls
soccer, softball, and baseball and
is home to sports fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a
skateboard park, picnic shelter,
playground areas, the Aldergrove
Kinsmen Community Centre,
the Rotary Field House, and a
Mountain Bike Park that opened
in October 2010.
The park also includes two
all-weather, lit sports fields adjacent to Betty Gilbert Elementary
School as well as a sports field
and track beside Aldergrove
Community Secondary School.
Each summer, the park hosts
the Aldergrove Fair Days celebration, and it was a key site for
the 2010 BC Summer Games, put
on by the Township.
Also in the community
known as The Place Between,
Aldergrove Minor Hockey and
the Aldergrove Junior B Kodiaks
play at Aldergrove Arena at 2882
272nd St.
Nestled in the centre of
Langley is McLeod Athletic Park
(MAP), a hub for sports activities.
Located at 216th Street and
56th Avenue MAP houses grandstands that can hold as many as
2,200 spectators, an eight-lane
rubberized track, and facilities

Langley Advance files

Paralympian Dustin Walsh (left) and running guide Dylan Williamson trained
together at McLeod Athletic Park in June.

Thunderbird Show Park

is home to world-class
equestrian competitions.
Troy Landreville/Langley Advance

for javelin, high jump, long

jump, discus, shot put, and pole
vault.
MAPs four-diamond softball
complex has hosted national
softball tournaments at various levels. There are also three
non-regulation size fields for
larger recreational tournaments
as well as a lit baseball diamond
with announcers booth.
There are also six natural-turf
soccer fields and one lit artificial
turf field for soccer or football,
four tennis courts and a sports
box.
In addition, there are public
washrooms, a childrens play
area and picnic areas.
Combined, the grandstand and
Rotary House have six change
rooms (four with showers), two
officials rooms, two meeting
rooms for up to 75 people each,
two concessions (one being a
full concession), medical room,
and a media room with announcers booth and office space.
Just some of the sports groups
that call MAP home are Langley
Blaze baseball, the Langley
Mustangs track and field team,
Langley Minor Football, and the

Langley Rams junior football

team.
For ice sports such as figure
skating, speed skating, ringette,
and boys and girls ice hockey, there are several rinks to
choose from: the aforementioned
Aldergrove Arena, Langley
Sportsplex in Walnut Grove,
the George Preston Recreation

Centre (home to the Langley

Knights Junior B hockey team)
Canlan Ice Sports Langley
Twin Rinks, the Langley Events
Centre, and National Training
Rink (NTR).
The Langley BMX track can be
found next to the George Preston
Recreation Centre, which also
houses the Langley Curling Club.

Langley Advance files

The Langley Rams junior football team play their home games at McLeod
Stadium which is a popular community sports venue.