Bankers beware: Terry McLaughlin would like his trophy back. Please and thank you.

The three-time Get Up & Gallop champ made that quite clear at yesterday’s Captain’s VIP Reception at Brookstreet Hotel, playfully talking up his planned comeback ahead of Spurs & Sparkles.

The gathering brought together sponsors of the annual fundraiser for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. The sold-out event returns Wednesday to Wesley Clover Parks, presented by RBC.

The evening will feature a three-part friendly competition combining equestrian show jumping, a soccer challenge designed to give everyone a fair chance and a thrilling golf-cart obstacle course. That last part is where business leaders such as McLaughlin come in, putting the pedal to the metal while his passenger teammates hang on tight to the golf cart.

The team with the fastest final time, penalties and all, takes the title.

Guests can play favourites, too. Raffle tickets will double as votes for the team they think will win, with a special prize going to the crowd favourite.

The one-of-a-kind charity event is “hands down one of my favourite days of the year,” said McLaughlin, whose company, Terlin Construction, hosted Monday’s reception.

Charlotte McLaughlin, who was part of the inaugural Get Up & Gallop championship team in 2019, alongside her mom, Spurs & Sparkles co-chair Catherine McLaughlin, and her father, Terry McLaughlin, president of Terlin Construction and three-time Get Up & Gallop champ, at the Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel in advance of Wednesday’s fundraiser for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

McLaughlin spoke proudly about his three-year winning streak.

“But then Team RBC happened. Bankers.”

The former champ revisited the one thing that still haunts him: defeat. “I had an entire year to think about it,” said McLaughlin, who will return to Spurs & Sparkles with some unfinished business. Namely, winning back the trophy. He even has a secret plan to get inside Team RBC’s heads come competition time.

Seated in the front row was Dion Farentino, regional vice president of RBC’s Integrated Markets for Ottawa West and Valley, and a member of last year’s winning team. He’s also on the board of QCH Foundation.

Farentino arrived at the reception ready for the kind of pomp and circumstance befitting a Get Up & Gallop champion. “I was expecting rose petals,” he joked.

Dion Farentino, regional vice president of RBC’s Integrated Markets for Ottawa West and Valley, holds the trophy his team won at last year’s Get Up & Gallop competition during Spurs & Sparkles, alongside his wife, Crystal Farentino. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Terry McLaughlin, president of Terlin Construction, which hosted the Captain’s VIP Reception held in advance of this Wednesday’s Spurs & Sparkles fundraiser, co-chaired by his wife, Catherine McLaughlin. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Terry McLaughlin, a three-time Get Up & Gallop champion, is hoping to win back the trophy at Spurs & Sparkles this year from Team RBC, represented at Monday’s VIP reception by Dion Farentino, regional vice president of RBC’s Integrated Markets for Ottawa West and Valley. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Karen Sparks, executive director of Wesley Clover Parks, former board chair of the QCH Foundation and current volunteer member of its leadership council, welcomed guests. She was joined by her good friend and Spurs & Sparkles co-chair, Catherine McLaughlin, who’s married to Terry.

“QCH is really important to me,” said Sparks, who delivered all four of her children at the west-end hospital.

It is also where equestrian athletes are taken when injuries happen at Wesley Clover Parks, a large outdoor recreation hub and equestrian venue in the city’s west end. “If someone falls off a horse, they’re going to Queensway Carleton Hospital’s Emergency Department,” she noted.

From left, Catherine McLaughlin and Karen Sparks, who founded Spurs & Sparkles together in 2019 and have since co-chaired the annual fundraiser for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation ever since. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Catherine, who is director of strategic partnerships and activations at Fairmont Château Laurier, helped launch the fundraiser with Sparks in 2019. It brings together business leaders, equestrians, local sports celebrities, volunteers and community builders under one massive party tent, with drinks, food and a front-row seat to the action.

“Yes, there’s plenty of friendly competition, but at its heart, it’s about the people. It’s about giving back to a hospital that cares for our families, friends, neighbours and colleagues every single day,” said Catherine.

Her husband couldn’t agree more. “It’s a hospital that has cared for so many people we know and love,” said Terry.

From left, The King Eddy Group owner Lindzy Thompson, who will compete in this year’s Get Up & Gallop challenge; Spurs & Sparkles co-founder and co-chair Karen Sparks; and John Ouellette, vice president, strategic philanthropy, at Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, at the Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Atlético Ottawa’s Miguel Pinho, Juan Mugica, Michael Lepore, CFO Nik Lemieux, Spurs & Sparkles co-chairs Catherine McLaughlin and Karen Sparks, Atlético Ottawa CEO Manuel Vega and chief operations and compliance officer Alex Mejía at the Captain’s VIP Reception in advance of this Wednesday’s Spurs & Sparkles fundraising gala for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Queensway Carleton Hospital is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year while also looking ahead, with plans to expand and modernize to meet the needs of Ottawa’s growing west-end community.

Among the business leaders at yesterday’s launch was long-time supporter Sam Fuller, president of Thomas Fuller Construction. He knows the Get Up & Gallop competition will be stiff but hopes his many rounds of golf have prepared him for his time behind the wheel.

His wife, Elisa Fuller, is also very fond of QCH because of the care her family has received at the hospital. “I like supporting the Queensway because we had all four babies there. I jokingly call it ‘Hotel Queensway’,” she said.

Elisa Fuller and Sam Fuller, president of Thomas Fuller Construction, which is back sponsoring Spurs & Sparkles in support of Queensway Carleton Hospital, where all four of their children were born. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Lawyer Kanon Clifford from Bergeron Clifford Injury Lawyers is taking part in the competition, although not with plans to sue anyone afterward, he teased.

New to Get Up & Gallop is Brian Johnson, vice-president, structural, at engineering firm BPA. He attended Spurs & Sparkles last year as a guest of Paul Knowles, senior vice president and district manager at PCL. They had such a blast that organizers asked whether they would consider taking part.

“Paul said, ‘We should,’” recalled Johnson.

“No, I don’t think that’s how it went,” Knowles corrected with a smile. “I think you did.”

Johnson conceded the point. He was the one pushing to enter, with PCL agreeing to co-sponsor alongside BPA. Johnson will also be the one behind the wheel for the golf-cart portion of Get Up & Gallop.

Beyond the fun, he said supporting the hospital was reason enough to sign on.

“Queensway Carleton Hospital is an important cause, like all healthcare is right now.”

From left, Brian Johnson, vice-president, structural, at BPA, and Paul Knowles, senior vice president and district manager at PCL, are co-sponsors of the Get Up & Gallop competition, with Johnson taking the wheel for the golf-cart obstacle course. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, John Puddicombe, Liz Lesh, Grace Turner and Margot Beak attended the Captain’s VIP Reception on behalf of Chartwell Retirement Residences, which is a returning sponsor of Spurs & Sparkles in support of Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Business leaders will have to drive their respective golf carts around six obstacles during Get Up & Gallop, a friendly three-part competition held during the Spurs & Sparkles fundraising event for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation this Wednesday. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The kickoff also revealed the 10 teams competing in this year’s Get Up & Gallop competition.

Team Chartwell

Business leader: Curtis Vasquez-Guindon, regional business development manager, Ontario East, Chartwell Retirement Residences
Celebrity: Rebecca Leslie, PWHL Ottawa Charge
Equestrian: Chris Wiggins, local professional and Get Up & Gallop veteran

Team Cityscape

Business leader: Dan Aiello, vice president of Cityscape
Celebrity: Will Aiello, co-host of CTV Your Morning Ottawa
Equestrian: Nikki Walker, Canadian 5* Grand Prix and Nations Cup rider

Team Fuller

Business leader: Sam Fuller, president of Thomas Fuller Construction
Celebrity: Ballou Tabla, Atlético Ottawa
Equestrian: Alex Mitchell, local Grand Prix rider

Team Bergeron Clifford Injury Lawyers

Business leader: Kanon Clifford, injury lawyer
Celebrity: Florence Belzile, Ottawa Rapid FC
Equestrian: Christine Carlsen, Canadian FEI Grand Prix rider

Business sponsors behind this year’s Spurs & Sparkles fundraiser for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation gathered Monday at Brookstreet Hotel for the Captain’s VIP Reception, where they got a crash course in the Get Up & Gallop competition they’ll be tackling Wednesday. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Team BXS and The King Eddy

Business leader: Lindzy Thompson, owner of The King Eddy Group
Celebrity: Caitlin Crichton, Ottawa Rapid FC
Equestrian: Lexi Pathy, competitor at the 2026 North American Youth Championships

Team PCL and BPA

Business leader: Brian Johnson, vice-president, structural, BPA
Celebrity: Daniel Aguilar, Atlético Ottawa
Equestrian: Stirling Miller, local professional and recent Speed Derby winner

Team Faces Magazine

Business leader: Justin MacKinnon, owner and publisher of Faces Magazine
Celebrity: Manny Aparicio, Atlético Ottawa
Equestrian: Dylan Munro, Canadian rider with Lothlorien Farm

Team Mark Motors

Business leader: Michael Mrak, dealer principal at Mark Motors Group
Celebrity: Claire Hanna, TSN reporter
Equestrian: Carly Campbell-Cooper, Canadian FEI 5* Grand Prix and Nations Cup rider

Team Terlin

Business leader: Terry McLaughlin, president of Terlin Construction
Celebrity: Terry Marcotte, former sports director at CTV Ottawa
Equestrian: Conor Swail, Irish rider ranked 27th in the world

Team RBC

Business leader: Dion Farentino, regional vice president, Integrated Markets, Ottawa West & Valley, at RBC
Celebrity: Chris Neil, former Ottawa Senators player
Equestrian: Sean Jobin, FEI 5* rider and 2023 Canadian Show jumping Champion

Victoria La Valle with her brother, Cityscape vice president Dan Aiello, who will team up with his brother Will Aiello of CTV Your Morning Ottawa (not pictured) in the Get Up & Gallop competition at this Wednesday’s Spurs & Sparkles fundraiser for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Kelly White, marketing manager at Bergeron Clifford Injury Lawyers, lawyer Kanon Clifford and his wife, Tina Clifford, at the Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel in advance of this Wednesday’s Spurs & Sparkles fundraiser for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation’s John Ouellette, Logan Roffey, Andrea Timlin, Shannon Bain, Samantha Kyle, Wesley Clover Parks’ Keira Conlin, QCH Foundation’s Katie King, and Spurs & Sparkles co-chairs Catherine McLaughlin and Karen Sparks at the Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel on Monday, August 10, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WEALTH (WCPD), Syntax Strategic, RBC, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law and Prime Benefits Group.

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