Marie-Helen Lessard, 49, owner and operator of Equus 3D Equestrian Centre near Orangeville, Ontario, and her husband, Steve Ratz, 57, were killed in a car crash on Sunday September 28, 2014.
The accident occurred on Dufferin County Side Road 10 at Mono-Amaranth Town line in the Township of Amaranth around 11:00 p.m. It is believed that a Volkswagen Jetta, driven by 26-year-old Travis Logan of Alton, ON, t-boned the Jeep Liberty driven by Ratz, knocking it off the road, when Logan failed to stop at a stop sign. Police reports indicate that both vehicles were damaged beyond recognition. All three victims were pronounced dead on the scene.
The couple is survived by two sons, Derek and Sebastien Ratz, who were away at university at the time of the incident.
Lessard, a French teacher at Centennial Hylands School, has been an integral part of the Canadian eventing community for more than 30 years, as a competitor, trainer and instructor and event organizer.
Long-time friend and eventer, Dr. Penny Rowland, has been on hand to help with the equestrian facility in the wake of the tragedy. “We have a huge list of volunteers to help with the barn and animals,” she said.
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