Stephanie Bourassa won the $15,000 Julia MacAngus Memorial Grand Prix on Saturday, May 17, to kick off the show jumping season at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.
Bourassa, 27, of Laval, QC, was one of two competitors to jump clear over the track set by Canadian course designer Jedd Smith of Chelmsford, ON, in the All-Weather Ring. Alexandra Mitchell, 29, of Mallorytown, ON, had already posted a clear round riding Casallco Aurora and Bourassa ensured there was a jump-off when she also went clear aboard Guss de Kegane.
Mitchell was the first to return for the jump-off and had the second fence down, giving her a final score of four faults in a time of 44.86 seconds. Bourassa knew exactly what she had to do to win but when the first fence fell, she had to balance her speed with leaving the remaining jumps in place. When no other rails came down, she crossed the timers in 44.79 seconds to claim victory.
“My strategy was to do a nice, efficient clear round, so I had to change the strategy a little bit when I had the first jump down,” explained Bourassa, who trains with John Kerr in Mirabel, QC. “Alex is one of my best friends so it’s always good fun to be with your best friend in the jump-off.”
Bourassa’s winning partner was Guss de Kegane, her nine-year-old Selle Français gelding (Berdenn de Kergane x OK du Rozel).
“Guss is the best,” said Bourassa, who imported the horse last year from France. “He’s just a good guy and always comes out the same. He was really good today. He loves Ottawa.”
Bourassa feels the same way, saying, “I love it here. We come here for almost all the shows they run. It’s a nice venue, always well-organized, and the people are so nice. We try to come here as much as we can.”
As the runner-up, Mitchell is also a fan of Wesley Clover Parks. Mitchell imported Casallco Aurora, her eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Casallco x Lim), after spotting him competing in the six-year-old young horse classes in Ireland. The pair developed their partnership at Wesley Clover Parks last year by competing in the Maplebrook Farm Young Series and clinching the overall seven-year-old title at the end of the season.
A total of five horse-rider combinations missed making the jump-off after incurring four faults. Paul Halpern of Saint Anne des Plaines, QC, was the fastest of the four-faulters to place third riding M. The pair finished the first round in 75.33 seconds, well under the 81-second time allowed.
The third annual $15,000 Julia MacAngus Memorial Grand Prix was held in memory of Julia MacAngus, a promising local equestrian and niece of Canadian Olympic team silver medalist Jill Henselwood who tragically lost her battle with terminal illness at the age of 22. Her parents, Shirley Fleming and John MacAngus, were on hand to present the trophy as Henselwood looked on.
Signifying the importance of community in equestrian sport, a moment of silence was held before the start of the class in memory of Dr. John Atack, a popular Ottawa-area horse sport veterinarian whose funeral was held the same afternoon in Perth, ON.
The Ottawa Welcome II tournament runs from May 21 to 25, highlighted by the $15,000 Grand Prix, presented by Topline Trailers and Equipment Sales, on Saturday, May 24. Wesley Clover Parks will next host the Ottawa Summer Tournament I from July 2-6; the Ottawa Summer Tournament II from July 9-13; and the Ottawa National from September 11-14. International show jumping returns to Wesley Clover Parks from August 14-17 with CSI5* and CSI2* divisions; the Ottawa International will showcase the $340,000 USD CSI5* RBC Grand Prix on Saturday, August 16.
For more information on the Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments, visit here.
$15,000 Julia MacAngus Memorial Grand Prix
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Rider / Hometown / Horse / Faults / Time
1. Stephanie Bourassa / Laval, QC / Guss de Kergane / 0:4 / 44.79
2. Alexandra Mitchell / Mallorytown, ON / Casallco Aurora / 0:4 / 44.86
3. Paul Halpern / Saint Anne des Plaines, QC / M / 4 / 75.33
4. Erica Forgeron / Quispamsis, NB / Verdiano / 4 / 75.94
5. David Arcand / Boisbriand, QC / Guibet P / 4 / 76.28
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