For the second week in a row, Stephanie Bourassa led the victory gallop after winning the $45,000 Mark Motors Group Grand Prix on July 11 during the RBC Ottawa Summer Tournament II at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON. She had also claimed victory one week earlier in the $45,000 Kubota Grand Prix, presented by Topline Trailers & Equipment Sales, on Sunday, July 5, during the RBC Ottawa Summer Tournament I.
With back-to-back grand prix wins, Bourassa of Laval, QC, dominated the two-week show jumping tournament. Just as she had done one week earlier, Bourassa topped a three-horse jump-off to claim victory. This time, she had the advantage of being the last to go and knowing exactly what she had to do to win over the shortened jump-off track set by course designer Jedd Smith of Sudbury, ON.
Adrien Lemieux of Granby, QC, was the first to return for the jump-off and gave it his best shot riding Impec Champeix, an eight-year-old gelding owned by Roger Deslauriers. When two jumps toppled from the cups, so too did Lemieux’s hopes for victory.
Paul Halpern of Saint Anne des Plaines, QC, riding Jerlot W had tied for the win in Friday’s $10,000 Lynn Millar Memorial Open Welcome and was hungry for victory. Halpern and the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Quasimodo vd Molendreef x Gelha’s VDL Emilion) owned by Marianne Grothe left all the rails in place, crossing the timers in 46.01 seconds and putting the pressure on Bourassa.
Bourassa rose to the challenge, guiding Guss de Kergane to a clear round and clocking in at 45.27 seconds to take the win.
“I was last in the class, so I had a pretty good advantage,” said Bourassa. “Adrien had two down, but Paul was clear, so I knew I had to try to save a bit of time and be a little quicker. I think my horse loves the grass because this is the place where he jumps the best.”
Bourassa has been partnered with Guss de Kergane, her 10-year-old Selle Français gelding (Berdenn de Kergane x Ok du Rozel), for the past two years after finding him in France.
Of her horse’s personality, the young professional noted, “He’s super chill but he has ideas of his own about how things should be. He’s a good boy but if he wants to go on a hand-walk, we go on a hand-walk. But when I want him to jump big jumps, he does that for me. We have a good partnership. He’s in top form and jumped amazing. I’m very proud of him.”
Bourassa has been coached by John Kerr since she was nine years old. She now works as a licensed coach alongside her trainer at his Everwood Stables in Mirabel, QC. In addition to having Kerr’s support at the Ottawa Summer Tournaments, Bourassa noted that his partner, Kim Vallée, also plays a role in her success.
“He was happy,” said Bourassa of Kerr’s reaction to her winning back-to-back grand prix events. “He was proud and he’s very proud of Guss, too. He went with me to France to choose him two years ago. When I first tried Guss, I felt really at home on him right away. He’s the ride I want. He’s simple, plus he’s pretty to look at.”
Bourassa is a regular competitor at the RBC Ottawa Summer Tournaments, saying, “It is my favorite two weeks of the summer. Everything they do here is good. They make good decisions, and they think of everyone.”
Following the RBC Ottawa Summer Tournaments, international show jumping competition returns to Wesley Clover Parks from August 12 to 16 with the RBC Ottawa International. Sanctioned by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), entries are now open for the RBC Ottawa International, which will attract some of the highest-ranking show jumping athletes in the world to compete in the CSI4* and CSI2* divisions, highlighted by the US $185,000 RBC Grand Prix CSI4* on Saturday, August 15.
Results here.
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