Fifty years after the world’s top equestrians arrived in Bromont for the equestrian competitions of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, members of Canada’s eventing community gathered at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park to celebrate the people whose vision, leadership and dedication have preserved and advanced that legacy for generations to come.
Held during MARS Bromont CCI, the Red, White & Gold fundraising gala brought together Olympians, national team athletes, officials, volunteers, supporters and community leaders to commemorate Bromont’s Olympic heritage while recognizing four outstanding recipients of Equestrian Canada and eventing community awards.
The evening’s highest honour, the Equestrian Canada Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Sue Ockendon of Knowlton, Quebec, whose impact on Canadian eventing has been felt by generations of riders, coaches, officials, volunteers and organizers.
For nearly four decades, Ockendon has served as the steward of one of Canada’s most important equestrian venues. Since founding the Bromont Three-Day Event with Captain Mark Phillips in the late 1980’s, she has transformed Bromont into one of North America’s premier eventing destinations, earning an international reputation for excellence in competition management, course preparation, athlete experience and horse welfare. Her meticulous attention to footing, cross-country fence design, safety, plus recruiting the best officials and course designers, has ensured that Bromont continues to evolve and thrive.
Yet her greatest contribution may be measured not in the events she has organized, but in the people she has inspired and supported. Through mentorship, advocacy and opportunity creation, she has helped develop generations of Canadian riders, including athletes who have gone on to represent Canada at the Olympic Games, FEI World Championships, Pan American Games and Nations Cups.
Her influence also extends far beyond Quebec: as an FEI Eventing Level 3 Technical Delegate, she has officiated at competitions across North, Central and South America, and played a significant role in organizing and developing eventing programs in Mexico.
“My goal has always been, and will always be, the next generation. I hope we can keep eventing at Bromont going for many years to come. I’m not one for grand speeches, I’m simply grateful to have such a good team around me. As we look to the future, we need to keep our focus on young people and creating opportunities for them. I hope Bromont will always carry that legacy forward.” – Sue Ockendon
Through the Bromont Rising U25 program, which she co-founded with the late Steve Blauner, she has provided mentorship, education, stable management training and financial support to aspiring riders from across North America. Bromont has become a proving ground for future champions and national team athletes thanks in large part to Ockendon’s unwavering belief in young people and their potential.
Canadian Olympian Mike Winter spoke passionately about Ockendon’s impact on the sport and the role Bromont has played in developing generations of athletes, in his acceptance speech for El Mundo receiving Equestrian Canada’s Horse of the Year for 2025.
“Sue and Bromont are pillars of equestrian eventing sport in Canada. There’s not a single one of us in eventing that Sue and Bromont hasn’t had a lasting effect on. It’s created a launch pad for people like Jay Hambly, Peter Gray — people have had long equestrian careers because of the opportunities that Bromont has provided. I did my first FEI competition at Bromont when I was 17 years old and to be a part of this equestrian community in Canada — even to be a small part of it now that I live in England — is really, really special. Thank you Sue and thank you everyone here at Bromont.”
Guests also paid tribute to the Désourdy family, particularly Roland Désourdy, whose vision and determination were instrumental in bringing the equestrian competitions of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games to Bromont. At a time when Bromont was a community of fewer than 2,000 residents, Désourdy championed a bold vision that ultimately secured the Olympic equestrian events for the region and helped establish an equestrian legacy that continues nearly five decades later.
The 1976 Games welcomed the world’s best riders to Bromont, including Great Britain’s Princess Anne. The Games also produced one of the most memorable moments in Canadian equestrian history when Quebec’s Michel Vaillancourt captured the individual silver medal in jumping. Today, the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park remains one of the few Olympic equestrian venues in the world that continues to host international competition on a regular basis. It is the only Canadian venue to host FEI eventing up to the CCI4* level, as well as show jumping, dressage and combined driving.
Thanks in large part to Ockendon’s leadership and dedication, that Olympic legacy remains vibrant and relevant today.
Joined by Grace Stevenson and Amelia Boivin, Lorraine Laframboise presents the Laframboise Family Legacy Award for Lifetime Contribution to Dr. Yves Rossier. (Cealy Tetley photo)
The Laframboise Family Legacy Award for Lifetime Contribution was presented to Dr. Yves Rossier of Knowlton, Quebec, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to equine veterinary medicine, horse welfare and international equestrian sport.
Widely regarded as one of Canada’s foremost equine veterinarians, Rossier has spent decades advancing scientific understanding of equine performance and soundness while helping shape veterinary standards at the highest levels of international competition.
Dr. Rossier has served in numerous leadership roles with the FEI, including; FEI Canadian Chief Veterinarian, FEI Veterinary Committee Member, London Olympics Veterinary Clinic Team Leader, President of the Veterinary Commission for the ‘21 Tokyo Olympics, Veterinary Advisor for the 2018 Tryon World Equestrian Games, 2015 Toronto Pan-Am Games, and the 2014 World Equestrian Games.
Dr. Rossier has quietly but powerfully advocated for equine medication control and horse welfare, helping ensure the highest standards of fair play, athlete safety, and equine well-being.
Equestrian Canada also recognized two outstanding achievements from the 2025 season. NCCP Certified High Performance coach and chef d’équipe of the Ontario Young Riders Team, Kendal Lehari was named Coach of the Year, while El Mundo, ridden by Mike Winter and owned by Jonathan Nelson and Emma Winter, was named Horse of the Year following an exceptional season highlighted by an 11th-place finish at the prestigious Luhmühlen CCI5*-L in Germany.
As Canadian eventing looks toward future international success, the Red, White & Gold celebration served as a powerful reminder that today’s achievements are built upon the vision, generosity and dedication of those who came before. From the Olympic legacy established by Roland Desourdy and the Bromont community, to the lifelong contributions of Sue Ockendon and Dr. Yves Rossier, the evening celebrated the individuals whose work continues to shape the future of equestrian sport in Canada.
MARS Bromont CCI and the Bromont Equestrian Park extends its gratitude to all competitors and support teams, officials, volunteers, staff and all who attended the special 50th Olympic anniversary event. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Little/Petit Bromont Horse Trials (June 12-14), August Bromont CCI (August 14-16) as well as MARS Bromont CCI in June 2027.
More News
