A total of 36 challengers took to the grass grand prix field.
Ottawa, Ontario – Tiffany Foster of Langley, BC, closed out Major League Show Jumping Ottawa with a win riding Electrique in the $182,000 USD CSI5* RBC Grand Prix on Sunday, August 25, at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.
A total of 36 challengers took to the grass grand prix field to tackle the track set by German course designer Olaf Petersen Jr. Seven riders jumped clear to advance to the jump-off but in the end, only two managed to once again leave all the rails in place. Foster set the jump-off challenge by jumping clear in a time of 41.34 seconds and while American Bliss Heers also left all the rails in place, she did it in a slower time of 43.52 seconds riding Quality Star Z.
Three-time Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster and Electrique claimed victory in the $182,000 USD CSI5* RBC Grand Prix on Sunday, August 25, to close out Major League Show Jumping Ottawa at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
It was an all-female podium with Erynn Ballard of Tottenham, ON, taking third with the fastest four-fault effort in a time of 39.24 seconds riding Gakhir for owner Ilan Ferder. Two Irish riders followed in the final standings with Michael Duffy and Clitschko 17 taking fourth place and Conor Swail placing fifth riding My Lady Lavista.
Foster’s victory came soon after her return from the 2024 Paris Olympics where she represented Canada for the third time, having also competed in London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016). Electrique, her winning partner for the RBC Grand Prix, may have the potential to be her mount for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Bliss Heers of the United States was double clear for second place riding Quality Star Z in the $182,000 USD CSI5* RBC Grand Prix. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
“I love this horse, I think she's an incredible competitor,” said Foster of the 10-year-old Zangersheide mare (Emerald x Voltaire) she owns in partnership with 5 Roosters. “She's very intelligent and so far, our success rate in jump-offs have been pretty strong. If I can do a good job in the first round, the minute I pick up that gallop to the first fence in the jump-off, when I send her the signal that we're going fast, everything just starts going faster and she jumps even better. When you have a horse like that, you feel so much confidence going into these jump-offs.”
Heers, who hails from Las Vegas, NV, was thrilled with her second-place finish riding Quality Star Z, an 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Quality Time TN x Cash) that her Bridgeside Farms LLC purchased at the end of 2023.
Canadian Olympian Erynn Ballard of Tottenham, ON, was third riding Gakhir for owner Ilan Ferder in the $182,000 USD CSI5* RBC Grand Prix. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
“I'm really happy to be sitting here with these two amazing riders,” said Heers, speaking at the post-event press conference. “I love my horse, and he loves big grass rings. Olaf builds scopey and technical. It was a really nice course.”
For third-place finisher Ballard, who has also recently returned from making her Olympic debut in Paris, the homecoming to Canada couldn’t have been sweeter.
“This is a show that I've been coming to my entire life,” said Ballard, who is the daughter of professional horsemen David and Sandi Ballard. “I rode here when I was a kid on ponies and now I'm riding here in five-star grands prix. I can remember walking across the bridge from the stabling area on Sundays to watch the biggest class of the week, when you used to watch Ian Millar and Big Ben, and it was so cool. Now there are little kids walking across that same bridge to watch us. It's such an exciting thing for us to be able to give back and give the fans that same experience that I grew up with here at Ottawa.”
Virginia Bonnie of the United States, pictured aboard Heldorado, is presented as the winner of the $25,000 Lynn Millar Memorial Grand Prix by Jonathon Millar. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
Speaking of Ian Millar, Sunday’s competition at Wesley Clover Parks opened with the $25,000 Lynn Millar Memorial National Grand Prix, held in honour of Ian’s late wife. A popular fixture on the annual calendar, this year’s event attracted 27 entries. Following an exciting jump-off, 20-year-old Virginia Bonnie of the United States emerged victorious to take the win over Ballard, who was riding Queen Kinmar Hero. Venezuela’s Luis Larrazabal took third riding Baroness. Jonathon Millar, son of Ian and Lynn, was on hand to present Bonnie and her horse, Heldorado, as the winners.
The third edition of Major League Show Jumping Ottawa showcased the highest level of international show jumping competition with a CSI5* rating from the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). Also featuring a CSI2* division, Major League Show Jumping Ottawa offered a combined total of more than $800,000 in prize money.
For more information on the Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments, visit www.OttawaEquestrianTournaments.com. Full results can be found here or on the Major League Show Jumping app.
Get the latest updates, news, and photos by following Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments on Facebook here and Instagram at @OttawaEquestrianTournaments. Share your Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments experience by tagging #TenYearsOfTournaments and #RideTheParks!
Podium from left to right: Erynn Ballard, Tiffany Foster, and Bliss Heers are presented as the top three in the $182,000 USD CSI5* RBC Grand Prix by Karen Sparks of Wesley Clover Parks (left) and Devinder Gill, Regional President, Ontario North & East, RBC Royal Bank.
Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
$182,000 USD CSI5* RBC Grand Prix – Sunday, August 25
Rider / Country / Horse / Faults / Time
1. Tiffany Foster / Canada / Electrique / 0:0 / 41.34
2. Bliss Heers / United States / Quality Star Z / 0: 0 / 43.52
3. Erynn Ballard / Canada / Gakhir / 0:4 / 39.24
4. Michael Duffy / Ireland / Clitschko 17 / 0:4 / 39.27
5. Conor Swail / Ireland / My Lady Lavista / 0:4 / 40.02
6. Kent Farrington / United States / Toulayna / 0:4 / 40.18
7. Elizabeth Bates / Canada / Heartbeat W / 0:7 / 58.32
8. Daniel Bluman / Israel / Hummer Z / 2
9. Hallie Grimes / United States / Karoline of Balmor / 4
10. Ali Ramsay / Canada / Conrado 12 / 4
11. Brian Moggre / United States / MTM Vivre le Reve / 4
12. Shane Sweetnam / Ireland / RR Combella / 4
Source: Starting Gate Communications
