Edited press release from Major League Show Jumping

Lillie Keenan admitted on Sunday that in showjumping “you lose more than you win.” It was her day to win, however, when she earned her third 5* Grand Prix victory in less than 12 months in the $225,000 RBC 5* Grand Prix of Ottawa. On the pristine grass field at Wesley Clover Parks, Major League Show Jumping called the Canadian capital city of Ottawa home for the fourth leg of its 2023 season this week.

Keenan, currently ranked no. 30 in the world and a pivotal player on the Trelawny Trailblazers, piloted Argan de Beliard to the win. The 13-year-old Selle Français gelding (Mylord Carthago*HN x Ahorn) owned by her family’s Chansonette Farm, was Keenan’s mount for the 2022 FEI World Equestrian Games in Herning, Denmark, and a regular choice for U.S. Nations Cup appearances.

A total of 34 horses took to the field over the track set by Canada’s Michel Vaillancourt with nine returning to jump off. Keenan took over the lead in 45.17 seconds after fellow American Chloe Reid set the standard just a second slower riding Crossover 4 (Cascadello x Chacco-Blue) in only their second 5* Grand Prix appearance together. The only two double-clear performances of the day, Keenan and Reid finished one-two. 

Keenan scored her first-ever 5* grand prix win on the 2022 MLSJ tour in Monterrey, Mexico. Now, her tally has grown to three on three different mounts. 

Ireland’s world no. 7 Shane Sweetnam rounded out the podium with the fastest of the four-fault rounds aboard Cjoxx Z (Comme Il Faut x Dollar de La Pierre). 

"Argan has jumped a lot of clear rounds for Team USA, but I haven't given him a chance to shine in a Grand Prix," Keenan said. "To give him that moment today was incredibly special. In this sport, you're going to lose more than you win and if you don't take a risk you're not going to win much. Once I hit that pole [in the combination] and it stayed in the cups, I knew this was my Grand Prix to win and I had to go for it."