David Arcand Wins $50,000 RBC Grand Prix in Ottawa

David Arcand of Boisbriand, QC, won the $50,000 RBC Grand Prix on Sunday, July 14, to close out the two-week Ottawa Summer Tournaments at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.

For the second week in a row, Arcand led the grand prix victory gallop. Hot off his win in the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix on July 6, Arcand and Phil v/h Wezelse Heihoeve were again double clear to take victory in the $50,000 RBC Grand Prix.

Nick Granat designed a course on Wesley Clover Parks’ grass grand prix field that saw three competitors jump clear and qualify for the all-deciding jump-off. First back for the short course was U.S. competitor Maggie Jacobs of Mount Vernon, OH, who had an unfortunate stop at the first fence on course. A nice recovery couldn’t stop the time faults from adding up on the clock, leaving her in eventual third place riding Clyde VA, a 15-year-old Holsteiner stallion (Caretino 2 x Quintero) owned by Pony Up Sporthorses Ltd.

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Arcand was next to challenge. Despite his horse losing a shoe midway around the jump-off course just as he had done one week earlier, Arcand left all the rails in place before stopping the timers in 40.47 seconds with one challenger still to come.

Stephanie Gallucci of Toronto, ON, had the final say riding Calle 67, a 15 year-old Westphalian gelding (Carell x Capitalist) owned by Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC. When a rail rolled out of the cups at the second element of the RBC double combination, followed by another rail at the final fence, the win once again went to Arcand.

“My plan was to do a clear efficient round,” said Arcand, 34, of his approach to the jump-off. “I lost a shoe again this week after number two. My horse loves the grass, so he jumped well anyway.”

With back-to-back grand prix victories, the future is bright for Arcand and “Phil.”

“I cannot ask for more; he’s been amazing,” said Arcand of the nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Cornet Obolensky x Mr. Blue) that he purchased two years ago. “He is still going to improve every year. He’s such a careful horse, he needs a bit more time to develop. It’s just about the mind. When they’re careful like this, they get worried because they don’t want to touch a jump. He’s getting better every year. We’ll go step by step. I don’t want to rush him, but I want to bring him to the highest level.”

Between his own and those of his students, Arcand brought a total of 16 horses from his Santos Stables to compete in the second week of the Ottawa Summer Tournaments. A popular competition venue, the facility was filled to capacity with those eager to compete at Wesley Clover Parks.

There’s more show jumping still to come this season with the CSI5*/CSI2* Major League Show Jumping Ottawa from August 21-25 and the Ottawa National which runs September 12-15. For more information on the Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments, visit www.OttawaEquestrianTournaments.com.

$50,000 RBC Grand Prix – Sunday, July 14, 2024
Rider / Hometown / Horse / Faults / Time
1. David Arcand / Boisbriand, QC / Phil v/h Wezelse Heihoeve / 0:0 / 40.47
2. Stephanie Gallucci / Toronto, ON / Calle 67 / 0:8 / 42.07
3. Maggie Jacobs / Mount Vernon, OH / Clyde VA / 0:18 / 58.03
4. Paul Halpern / Saint Anne des Plaines, QC / Esra / 4
5. Darrin Dlin / Okotoks, AB / Buddy Bounce / 4
6. Amanda Harris / King City, ON / VDL Maverick / 4
7. Jay Hayes / Mono, ON / Hope VA / 6
8. Marie Messier / Laval, QC / Chacco Mio Al Khair Z / 8
9. Lauren Hayes / Mono, ON / Londora / 13
10. Francois Lamontagne / St-Eustache, QC / Chanel du Calvaire / 16