Ottawa, Ontario – August 17, 2025 – It was Adrienne Sternlicht’s (USA) day at the RBC Ottawa International Tournament CSI 5* & CSI 2* at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Having won the US $35,000 Grand Prix CSI2*, presented by Mark Motors Group, in the morning, Sternlicht returned to the grass field to claim victory in the grand finale, the US $340,000 Grand Prix CSI 5*, presented by RBC.

Equestrian is the only Olympic sport where male and female athletes compete against each other, and the women certainly proved they could hold their own in the RBC Grand Prix. A total of 24 riders took on the challenging five-star track set by Brazilian course designer Marina Azevedo (BRA). Sternlicht, Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza (GBR) and Elena Haas (USA) of the United States were the only three riders who posted clear rounds to advance to the jump-off.

Mendoza was the first to return for the shortened jump-off track, setting the early standard with four faults in a time of 38.08 riding Summerhouse, her 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Induparts Guidam Sohn x VDL Indoctro). 

Haas was next to challenge with Claude, her 13-year-old Westphalian gelding (Captain Jack 44 x Cefalo). When she also dropped a rail in a slower time of 39.02 seconds, the door was wide open for Sternlicht as the final challenger.

Knowing exactly what she needed to do to win, Sternlicht left all the jumps in place and claimed victory riding Origa vh Zuid-Pajottenland, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Starlight Farms I.

A member of the U.S. gold medal team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games, it had been just under a year since Sternlicht last competed in a five-star grand prix. The 32-year-old proved she was more than up to the task by winning the RBC Grand Prix.

“The track was incredibly difficult and knowing how many top riders there were, you just had to really take it jump by jump,” said Sternlicht who was competing against four of the top 10 riders in the world rankings including her own trainer, McLain Ward. “It is definitely an emotional win for me. It’s a horse that I’ve always really, really believed in. He has the ability to jump the biggest classes in the world and to feel like I did right by him today is super gratifying.”

Final Results – $340,000 Grand Prix CSI 5*

1) Adrienne Sternlicht (USA) & Origa v/h Zuid-Pajottenland – 0 / 0 – 40.31

2) Jessica Mendoza (GBR) & Summerhouse – 0 / 0 – 38.08

3) Elena Haas (USA) & Claude – 0 / 0 – 39.02

Source: Press Release from Jump Media for Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments – Wesley Clover Parks

Photos: © Wesley Clover Parks / Ben Radvanyi Photography

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