Stabling Sold Out at Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments
July 5, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario
Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
The second annual Ottawa Equestrian Tournament, comprised of the Ottawa National Horse Show from July 13-17 and the CSI2* Ottawa International Horse Show from July 20-24 at Wesley Clover Parks, has met with popular demand, selling out stabling in advance of the closing dates.
In 2015, the launch of the Ottawa International Horse Show marked the return of show jumping competition to the nation’s capital. Following the phenomenal success of its inaugural year, the event was expanded to two weeks in 2016 based on competitor feedback, and both the Ottawa National and CSI2* Ottawa International Horse Shows reached their respective stall capacities before the closing dates for entries.
“We dipped our toe in last year with a really nice national horse show in June,” said Karen Sparks, Executive Director of Wesley Clover Parks. “This year, we offered a two-week event in July, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the overwhelming support our event is receiving from the show jumping community.”
Under the direction and guidance of the Wesley Clover Parks team, the international-calibre competition facility, conveniently located at the Moodie Drive exit off the 417 highway, has undergone an extensive, multi-million-dollar transformation. With a sold-out event in only its second year, the investment has proven worthwhile, and the return of show jumping to the nation’s capital has been well-supported by the local community.
The Ottawa National Horse Show opens on Wednesday, July 13. Highlights of the five-day tournament include a $20,000 Open Welcome on Thursday, a $50,000 Grand Prix on Saturday, and Sunday’s $10,000 Canadian Hunter Derby.
The following week, the show jumping competition has the added distinction of being an International Equestrian Federation (FEI) event. Sanctioned as a CSI2*, the Ottawa International Horse Show allows riders to earn all-important Longines FEI World Rider Ranking points. Featured competition at the CSI2* Ottawa International Horse Show include a $35,000 CSI2* Open Welcome on Friday, a $10,000 Modified Grand Prix on Saturday, and the grand finale, the $100,000 CSI2* Classic on Sunday, July 24.
Throughout the two weeks, horses and riders will compete on the expansive grass jumping field with courses set by 2015 Pan American Games course designer Michel Vaillancourt of Canada and 2016 Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil in his final appearance before the Rio Games.
To find out more about the Ottawa National and CSI2* Ottawa International Horse Shows, please click here, visit www.ottawaequestriantournaments.com or follow Wesley Clover Parks on Facebook here. Everyone is encouraged to share their Wesley Clover Parks experiences using #TheParks.
