Celebrating Excellence
Laframboise Family Legacy Donation and Awards at the Ottawa Horse Trials
Sarah Pille | June 25, 2024
The 2024 Ottawa Horse Trials marked the launch of the Laframboise Family Legacy Donation and Awards at Wesley Clover Parks. The Laframboise Family Legacy (LFL) was established in 2024 to honor Mary Anne and Guy Laframboise who dedicated their lives to furthering the sport of eventing in Canada.
For over 50 years, the Laframboise name has been synonymous with eventing in Canada. Their Farm of the Mountain Training Centre, located in Luskville, Quebec, became known as the place to be for eventers, especially juniors and young adults. Their venue was and continues to be well known and respected throughout all three Olympic disciplines.
Mary Anne and Guy’s world-class vision for equestrian sport in Canada was instrumental in growing the sport of eventing, and that began with supporting and developing young rider athletes, as well as the breeding of event horses. Following in the footsteps of Mary Anne and Guy, the goal of the LFL is to support the sport of Eventing and to promote excellence among young competitors.
Over the next 3 years, Wesley Clover Parks, alongside Bromont, will be distributing three awards that celebrate eventing in memory of Mary Anne and Guy Laframboise; the Outstanding Adult Lifetime Contribution to Eventing in Canada, the Overall High Point Young Rider Award, and the Overall High Point Youth U18 Award.
Outstanding Adult Contribution to Eventing in Canada Award
The Outstanding Adult Contribution to Eventing in Canada Award is presented to someone who has shown a significant life commitment supporting the equestrian sport of Eventing, Canadian youth, and eventing competitors. This award is open to competition organizers, coaches, sport professionals, provincial committee members, officials, and volunteers alike. The winner receives the Laframboise Family Legacy Lifetime Contribution Award, a cheque for $1,000, and a personal gift from the family. This year’s recipient at the Ottawa Horse Trials is awarded jointly to Joan and Robert (Bob) Allum, founders of Oakhurst Farm.
Helen Allum accepting the Outstanding Adult Contribution to Eventing in Canada Award on behalf of Bob and Joan. Photo by Sunkist Media.
Joan grew up on a dairy farm named Hurst Green near Birmingham, and spent her childhood riding ponies, learning by feel and necessity; ponies and other farm animals are not always the easiest combination to manage. Meanwhile, Bob’s childhood was spent in an area called Mile Oak, in England’s West Midlands. Much of his time was spent outdoors, driving in car rallies, and sailing. In fact, Bob went on become an International Oarsman, rowing competitively for the University of London, winning at Henley Royal Regatta.
As a newly married couple, Bob and Joan emigrated to Ottawa in 1970 due to Bob’s job with Northern Electric. When their daughters Helen and Ruth began riding, Bob and Joan grew tired of watching from the sidelines and quickly joined the sport, moving the family to Oakhurst Farm in 1986. The farm was named from the amalgamation of the names of their childhood homes and rapidly grew from a 4-stall log barn to a 26-stall barn and arena with cross country courses ranging from EV60 to EV110.
Since Oakhurst’s establishment in 1986, Bob and Joan have run approximately 40 Horse Trials, both short and long formats, which have been enjoyed by thousands of competitors, and produced hundreds of eventing athletes competing up to the Advanced level. Before his passing, Bob also served on the Ontario Eventing Association Board and the Equestrian Canada Board of Directors.
Following Bob’s death in 2008, Bob and Joan’s daughter Ruth stepped in to run the farm and continues to do so to this day with help from her husband Mark Nelson and their two children; Eric and Tatum. Joan remains involved to this day in the operations of Oakhurst Farm.
Joan has revived and steered the National Capital Horse Trials Association (NCHTA) in Ottawa for more than 25 years, continuing the support of the sport from grassroots to the National team level. Joan remains actively involved in the community as a member of the NCHTA board. She has also acted as secretary at the Sunset Farms Horse Trials under Grits McMullen’s management and here at our own Ottawa Horse Trials.
The Laframboise and Allum families share a deep-rooted connection through their mutual commitment to fostering a supportive and thriving eventing community in Canada. Additionally, Bob, Ruth, and Helen Allum competed at the Farm of the Mountain Horse Trials, run by Mary Anne and Guy Laframboise, further intertwining their legacies.
Photo by Sunkist Media.
Young Rider Awards
The Overall High Point Young Rider Award was presented to Sophia Caparelli, a 20-year-old athlete from Manotick, Ontario. Sophia and her horse Cool Jack were the winners of the Open EV90 division.
Rebecca Lynch, a 17-year-old from Ottawa, Ontario clinched the Overall High Point Youth U18 Award with her horse Just Joey, placing third in the Open EV90 division.
These two awards are granted to Canadian athletes in the U25/U21, and U18 age groups competing in EV90 and above. The winners are determined by the lowest overall score computed by the scoring department at the Ottawa Horse Trials and will receive the Laframboise Family Legacy Top Point Ribbon, a special gift and a cheque for $1000.
View detailed results for the weekend here.
Photo by Sunkist Media.
The Future of Eventing at Wesley Clover Parks
Alongside the distribution of the three individual awards, several key areas are targeted for enhancement as part of the improvements funded by the Laframboise Family's donation. These include modernizing the overall scope of the cross-country course, upgrading the inventory of cross-country jumps, with a particular focus on redesigning the water complex, and improving the turf footing throughout the course.
This initiative seeks to elevate Wesley Clover Parks to a world-class standard for eventing, aligning with its current facilities for dressage and hunter/jumper disciplines. With established eventing venues dwindling, this investment is pivotal in positioning WCP as a premier national and international destination for all three Olympic equestrian disciplines in Eastern Canada.
On behalf of Wesley Clover Parks, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Laframboise family for their continued dedication to the sport of eventing, in an area they have been deeply connected to for more than 50 years. For a chance to win the Laframboise Family Legacy Awards, do not miss our Spring and Fall Horse Trials in 2024, 2025, and 2026!