“I always have trouble to turn right with this horse but it’s the nature of the game,” said Lamontagne.
Ottawa, Ontario – François Lamontagne of Saint-Eustache, QC, won the $40,000 Cooper Equipment Rentals Grand Prix on Saturday, July 12, to close out the RBC Ottawa Summer Tournaments at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.
A total of 24 horse and rider combinations attempted the first round track set by German course designer Steffen Buhling with six jumping clear and qualifying for the jump-off. As the first rider back, Canadian Olympian Jay Hayes of Mono, ON, gave it his best shot with Hope VA, a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Fenn Randazzo, before a heartbreaking rail fell at the final fence.
François Lamontagne of Saint-Eustache, QC, riding Lacros VDL won the $40,000 Cooper Equipment Rentals Grand Prix on Saturday, July 12, at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
Next to go, François Lamontagne and Lacros VDL laid down a clear round in a time of 44.42 seconds to move into the lead. Sutton Friesen, 21, of Kelowna, BC, gave it her best shot but had a rail at the final fence with Beneficial, owned by Canadian Show Jumping Team veteran Alicia Gadban-Henaut, to eventually place third.
Sabrina Lefebvre of Saint Anne des Plaines, QC, incurred eight faults riding RF Most Wanted to leave Lamontagne unchallenged for the lead. James Gillam of Acton, ON, opted for a steady clear in a time of 46.51 seconds with his developing nine-year-old mount, Devils Decision Z, which would hold up for second place.
As the final challenger, it was all up to Canadian Olympian Amy Millar of Perth, ON. An uncharacteristic 12 faults with GCS Athena, owned by Brookstreet Stables, meant the win went to Lamontagne.
James Gillam of Acton, ON, jumped double clear riding Devils Decision Z to place second in the $40,000 Cooper Equipment Rental Grand Prix at the RBC Ottawa Summer Tournament II at Wesley Clover Parks. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
“I always have trouble to turn right with this horse but it’s the nature of the game. You’ve got to go, and you can’t be too wide in your turn if you want to win, especially with Amy Millar coming after me,” said Lamontagne of a challenging right-hand turn to the double combination in the jump-off. “It shows you the horse has good instincts and is very careful. Once I was through the one-stride, I told myself, ‘be forward, be slick, don’t go crazy, and don’t lose your mind.’”
Lamontagne kept his cool to take the victory with Lacros VDL, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding sired by Kannan and owned by Groupe Zacar Inc.
Sutton Friesen of Kelowna, BC, was third riding Beneficial in the $40,000 Cooper Equipment Rentals Grand Prix. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
“He was imported from Europe when he was five or maybe a young six, and came to my barn when he was seven,” said Lamontagne of the horse’s young career. “We’re trying to develop the horse the best as we can and see where we can go!”
The victory marked Lamontagne’s second win of the week, having also won Thursday’s $15,000 Bowser Family Open Welcome with another mount, Coulio HDS. Lamontagne had a total of 12 horses under his training competing during the two-week RBC Ottawa Summer Tournaments at Wesley Clover Parks.
François Lamontagne, pictured aboard Lacros VDL, is presented as the winner of the $40,000 Cooper Equipment Rentals Grand Prix by Karen Sparks (left), Executive Director of Wesley Clover Parks, and Mckenna Muldoon, Branch Manager, and David Kovacs, Sales Manager, of Cooper Equipment Rentals. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
With the conclusion of the RBC Ottawa Summer Tournaments, the focus now turns to the RBC Ottawa International from August 11 to 17, featuring CSI5* and CSI2* divisions sanctioned by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). Attracting some of the highest-ranked show jumping athletes in the world to the Nation’s Capital, the RBC Ottawa International will feature the US $340,000 CSI5* RBC Grand Prix on Saturday, August 16. Hunters have been added to this year’s schedule and will have their turn in the spotlight first from Monday to Wednesday before show jumping competition runs from Thursday through Sunday.
Spectator tickets can be purchased for the RBC Ottawa International by visiting www.ottawaequestriantournaments.com/spectators. For those looking for a VIP hospitality experience, go to www.ottawaequestriantournaments.com/hospitality for details.
Adding to the excitement of the Ottawa International, the Spurs & Sparkles Gala, presented by RBC, will be held on Wednesday, August 13. Benefitting the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, Spurs & Sparkles offers one-of-a-kind entertainment, incredible prizes, and local craft beverages paired with delectable food from the city’s best restaurants and vendors. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.spursandsparkles.com.
For more information on the RBC 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.
Follow @ottawaequestriantournaments Instagram page as well as Facebook for exhibitor information, show updates, results, and more.
$40,000 Cooper Equipment Rentals Grand Prix
Saturday, July 12, 2025
Rider / Hometown / Horse / Faults / Time
1. François Lamontagne / Saint-Eustache, QC / Lacros VDL / 0:0 / 44.42
2. James Gillam / Acton, ON / Devils Decision Z / 0:0 / 46.51
3. Sutton Friesen / Kelowna, BC / Beneficial / 0:4 / 46.00
4. Jay Hayes / Mono, ON / Hope VA / 0:4 / 50.79
5. Sabrina Lefebvre / Saint Anne des Plaines, QC / RF Most Wanted / 0:8 / 47.54
6. Amy Millar / Perth, ON / GCS Athena / 0:12 / 39.93
7. Erica Forgeron / Quispamsis, NB / Verdiano / 4
8. Amanda Harris / King City, ON / VDL Maverick / 4
9. Sam Pegg / Uxbridge, ON / Casadimo / 4
10. Paul Halpern / Saint Anne des Plaines, QC / Esra / 4
Source: Jump Media