David Arcand Dominates $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix at Ottawa Summer Tournament

David Arcand won the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix, the feature event of the Ottawa Summer Tournament I, on Saturday, July 6, at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.

The win marked the second time in a week that the professional athlete from Boisbriand, QC, led the victory gallop.  On Thursday, Arcand and Phil v/d Wezelse Heihoeve also topped the $15,000 Open Welcome, beating out Paul Halpern of Saint Anne des Plaines, QC, riding Esra for the win.

Halpern would once again prove to be Arcand’s biggest competition in the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix when both riders jumped clear over the course set by Steffen Buhling to advance to the jump-off.  They were joined by three other riders – Mac Cone, Ashley McInnis, and Katerine Drapeau in that order – to set the stage for an exciting finale.

Cone of King City, ON, was the first rider to return for the jump-off riding Ogandros PS, a nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding, for owner Chadburn Holdings Inc.  The pair were clear over the shortened track, turning in a time of 43.50 seconds to set the early time to beat.  They were quickly overtaken when Arcand moved into the lead with a clear round in a time of 39.56 seconds.

Up next, Ashley McInnis of Barrie, ON, gave it her best shot with Pacifica, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Optimal Performance Inc., with another clear round in a time of 45.16 seconds that would hold up for eventual third place.

Katerine Drapeau of Chambly, QC, dropped a rail at the final fence riding her own Freestyle du Shamrock, leaving Arcand at the top of the leaderboard with only one challenger remaining.  When Halpern and Esra, a 12-year-old Canadian-bred Holsteiner mare owned by Vanessa Lee, had a rail down mid-way through the course, the win went to Arcand.

“The course was great with the perfect number of people in the jump-off,” said Arcand, 34, who was at a disadvantage after his horse lost a shoe in the rollback following the double combination.  “The jump-off course was really open so you could really canter.  I went second after Mac.  I saw his round and it was competitive but, knowing my horse, it’s naturally faster than his, so my plan was to beat the time and put pressure on the next three still to come.  When I lost a shoe, I went a bit slower than I would have normally; I played it safe.  Paul can be fast on Esra, but I got lucky when he had a rail.”

Despite having won Thursday’s $15,000 Open Welcome, Arcand didn’t want to get his hopes up for another win in the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix.

“I don’t like to think that things will be easy because then I have a rail,” explained Arcand.  “There were a couple of tricky spots on the course, and I didn’t want to take anything for granted.”

Arcand purchased Phil v/d Wezelse Heihoeve when the Belgian Warmblood stallion (Cornet Obolensky x Mr. Blue) was a seven-year-old.  Now that he’s nine, Arcand feels the horse is coming into its own, noting, “He is in top form.  That is what I expected from this horse.  He was quite green when I got him.  In the jump-offs, he can get worried, but today he was really taking me to the jumps.  He is understanding that you need to go fast to win, and to win is a good feeling!”

In addition to his pair of victories during the Ottawa Summer Tournament I, Arcand and Phil v/d Wezelse Heihoeve also won the $25,000 Grand Prix held back in May at Wesley Clover Parks.  It’s a favourite venue of Arcand’s as well as his students.  For next week’s Ottawa Summer Tournaments II, Arcand plans to bring 17 or 18 horses from his Santos Stables in Boisbriand, QC, to compete.

The second week of competition comprising the Ottawa Summer Tournaments runs from July 10 to 14, highlighted by the Grand Prix on Saturday, July 13, at 4 p.m.  International competition will be showcased at CSI5*/CSI2* Major League Show Jumping Ottawa from August 21-25 while the Ottawa National rounds out this season’s top show jumping competition from September 12-15.

Wesley Clover Parks is hosting a Grand Prix party on July 13 as well as offering three days of first-rate hospitality during Major League Show Jumping Ottawa in August.  Tickets and tables are available for purchase at www.ottawaequestriantournaments.com/hospitality.

Spectator tickets are also available for the Ottawa Summer Tournaments in July and MLSJ Ottawa in August.  To purchase, visit www.ottawaequestriantournaments.com/spectators.  Kids under 12 are admitted free of charge.

New this season is the Tomorrow’s Excellence Young Horse Series presented by Maplebrook Farm.  Maplebrook Farm and the Ontario Hunter/Jumper Association (OHJA) have partnered with Wesley Clover Parks to provide more opportunities for young horse development.  Five and Six-Year-Old divisions and Young Hunter Development divisions will be offered at all Gold Shows, and all class and nomination fees will be waived for horses that have enrolled in the series.  To  register, visit https://www.ottawaequestriantournaments.com/2024-gold.  The $10,000 Young Horse Jumper Finales and $2,000 Young Horse Hunter Finale will be showcased at the Ottawa National tournament.  The Ottawa National also features the CET Medal and JC Medal Regional Finals, which serve as qualifying events for Toronto’s Royal Horse Show in November.

For more information on the Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments, visit www.OttawaEquestrianTournaments.com.  All competitor information is available at www.ottawaequestriantournaments.com/calendar and full results can be found at ottawa.showmanagementsystem.com/events.

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$50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix - Saturday, July 6, 2024

Rider / Hometown / Horse / Faults / Time

1.  David Arcand / Boisbriand, QC / Phil v/h Wezelse Heihoeve / 0:0 / 39.56
2.  Mac Cone / King City, ON / Ogandros PS / 0:0 / 43.50
3.  Ashley McInnis / Barrie, ON / Pacifica / 0:0 / 45.16
4.  Paul Halpern / Saint Anne des Plaines, QC / Esra / 0:4 / 39.14
5.  Katerine Drapeau / Chambly, QC / Freestyle du Shamrock / 0:4 / 42.87
6.  Sarah Tindale / Campbellville, ON / Elco van hof ter Naillen / 4
7.  Karen Sparks / Nepean, ON / Lugano / 4
8.  Lauren Esdale / Seagrave, ON / Filae des Chaines / 8
9.  Lauren Esdale / Seagrave, ON / Viamdios d’Avril / 12
10.  Marie Messier / Laval, QC / Chacco Mio Al Khair Z / 12
11.  Amanda Harris / King City, ON / VDL Maverick / 12
12.  Mackenzey Nadeau / Stittsville, ON / HHS Fairy Fort / 15