This year at the “Masters” we set sail to celebrate the 400^th Anniversary of the world famous mariner Admiral Michiel de Ruyter. His 400-year birthday will be celebrated throughout the Horizons Pavilion with an exact replica of the Batavia Yard exhibition from Lelystad, the Netherlands. Featured will be De Ruyter's ship "The 7 Provinciën", his famous flagship between 1666 and 1675. Centre stage will be the beautifully shaped carving of the Figurehead Lion as well as a master carver demonstrating his trade from the Battavia yards.

This celebration will focus on the person of De Ruyter and his ship, but also on politics, warfare and shipbuilding in the 17th century and those of the Dutch Naval and Merchant Marines that formed the backbone, and provided the foundations, for the unprecedented commercial and territorial successes that were realized for nearly three centuries and led to the Netherlands being recognized by modern economic historians as the first thoroughly capitalist country in the world

In keeping with the centuries old spirit of adventure that is a signature of the people of the Netherlands, Spruce Meadows salutes that spirit and wishes to expand the horizons of those who visit Spruce Meadows to experience this exceptional time in human history and the significant contributions that continue to impact our world today.