There’s no denying Terry McLaughlin is in it to win it when it comes to the three-part relay race that’s always a crowd favourite of Spurs & Sparkles.

The sold-out gala returns tomorrow night at Wesley Clover Parks in support of the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. Presenting sponsor RBC Royal Bank has a team entered in the friendly competition involving business leaders, local celebrities and equestrians.

Here’s how the race works: the horse and rider must first complete their eight-jump circuit, after which the celebrity tackles an athletic challenge (the sport changes each year). Finally, the team piles into a golf cart to race around an obstacle course, driven by the business leader. This is where McLaughlin really shines.

“As I’m sure most of you know, I do love the race part,” McLaughlin told dozens of guests gathered at Brookstreet Hotel on Monday at the pre-gala Captain’s VIP Reception sponsored by his company, Terlin Construction.

The room burst into laughter, fully aware of McLaughlin’s competitive spirit. He and his good pal Terry Marcotte — together known as The Two Terrys — are the three-time undefeated winners of the Get Up and Gallop trophy, alongside their respective equestrians.

The Captain’s VIP Reception gave gala sponsors and race participants a chance to meet and mingle, learn the relay race rules and review the golf cart course map. Tomorrow night, roughly 400 attendees are expected, each encouraged to take part in the action by bidding in the Calcutta auction on their favourite of the 10 teams.

Terlin Construction president Terry McLaughlin, at the podium with his wife, Spurs & Sparkles gala co-chair Catherine McLaughlin, is vying for his fourth consecutive Get Up and Gallop win with teammate Terry Marcotte and their equestrian, Mathilde Candele, at the unique outdoor gala for Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, taking place at Wesley Clover Parks on Wednesday, August 13. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Victoria La Valle, Will Aiello, Rebecca Leslie, Jennifer Cameron, Terry Marcotte, Jay Conohan, Spurs & Sparkles co-chairs Karen Sparks and Catherine McLaughlin, Terry McLaughlin, QCH Foundation president and CEO Shannon Gorman, Liza Mrak, Dion Farentino, Curtis Vasquez-Guindon and Patrick Vincelette at the Captain’s VIP Reception held at the Brookstreet Hotel in advance of tomorrow night’s charity gala. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Shannon Gorman, president and CEO of Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, and Spurs & Sparkles co-chair Karen Sparks, executive director of Wesley Clover Parks, at the Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel on Monday, August 11, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This year, the competition will heat up as former Ottawa Senators hockey players Chris Neil, Chris Phillips and Jason York, along with PWHL Ottawa Charge hometown forward Rebecca Leslie, each join a race team as celebrity athletes. It was later revealed that the celebrities will have to tackle a golf challenge.

“I’m excited,” Phillips said of participating for the first time. “Everyone I talk to says the event is a riot.”

Feeling confident is RBC’s Dion Farentino, regional vice president of integrated markets and a QCH Foundation board member. He watched RBC’s regional president Devinder Gill compete last year and her predecessor Marjolaine Hudon the year before. “I golf twice a week. I should probably be okay with driving a cart,” said Farentino.

Then there’s Liza “Lead Foot” Mrak, executive vice president of Mark Motors Group. “I’m pretty comfortable behind a steering wheel,” she said with a smile.

Dion Farentino, regional vice president of integrated markets at presenting sponsor RBC Royal Bank and board member on the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, will be competing for his first time in the Get Up and Gallop event at the outdoor Spurs & Sparkles gala. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From the Senators Community Foundation/Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, Jennifer Cameron (left), Kyle Gourgon, Chris Phillips (who’s competing in the Get Up and Gallop race) and Matthew Franczyk. Second from right is PWHL Ottawa Charge forward Rebecca Leslie (who’s also competing) and, on the far right, Cassandra Chiasson, with the Senators Community Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Business leader Liza Mrak, executive vice president of Mark Motors Group, will be behind the wheel for the golf cart race portion of the Get Up and Gallop competition at the Spurs & Sparkles gala happening tomorrow (Wednesday, August 13) at Wesley Clover Parks. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The Two Terrys acknowledged that they’re feeling the pressure more than ever. “People are gunning for us,” said Marcotte. He expressed concern that recent major elbow surgery on his dominant left arm could hurt his team, prompting McLaughlin to joke (or was he?) they should get a handicap to even things out.

This year features a sister-brother team with Victoria La Valle, vice president at Cityscape, joined by her celebrity brother, Will Aiello, co-host at CTV Morning Live. The siblings see the competition as an opportunity to compete together in the public eye. “We always wanted to do the Amazing Race,” said Aiello.

The driving forces behind Spurs & Sparkles are co-chairs Karen Sparks, executive director of Wesley Clover Parks, and Catherine McLaughlin (who swears she’s not behind her husband’s winning streak). Sparks has done much to elevate show jumping — a sport the McLaughlins’ daughter, Charlotte, competes in, and one in which she joined The Two Terrys to win during the first year of Get Up and Gallop.

“It’s an event that has an important part in my heart,” said Sparks of a unique gala that she created with Catherine. “The whole thing is kind of our little baby.”

Since its inception in 2019, the gala — also held in 2023 and 2024 — has raised more than $250,000 for the QCH Foundation.

Karen Sparks, left, and Catherine McLaughlin founded Spurs & Sparkles as a way of showcasing equestrian skills while raising funds for a good cause. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Ottawa’s west-end hospital is planning a major expansion, the room heard. It will involve doubling the size of its emergency department, building an urgent care centre, and adding 90 new beds to better handle an aging and growing population. QCH serves more than half the population in Ottawa, QCH Foundation president and CEO Shannon Gorman reminded her audience.

Terry McLaughlin told everyone how proud he and his wife are to be supporting QCH, which has been his hospital of choice for more than 40 years.

“For us, it’s more than just writing a cheque — it’s about supporting causes close to our hearts,” said McLaughlin of the genuine care he and Catherine have for QCH. “We look forward to this event every year.”

QCH has “touched so many lives” in the community, said Catherine. “Including our own friends, our children and family, our neighbours. We know when someone walks through those doors they’re going to receive compassionate, world-class-care close to home, and that’s something worth championing.”

From left, Terry Marcotte, former Sports Director at CTV Ottawa, and Terry McLaughlin, president of Terlin Construction, are the three-time winners of the Get Up and Gallop competition held during the Spurs & Sparkles gala. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From Spurs & Sparkles presenting sponsor RBC Royal Bank, from left, Lara Meadows, branch operations manager, RBC Wealth Management branch director Mila Starodoub, RBC vice president Yasser Ghazi (commercial financial services) and Lindy Ledohowski, vice president of relationship management at RBCx, at the pre-gala Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Business leader Jay Conohan, founder and CEO of The LoudCup Company, will be competing in the Get Up and Gallop competition with former Ottawa Senators player Chris Neil and Irish show jumper Conor Swail. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Terlin Construction president Terry McLaughlin, with his coveted Get Up and Gallop trophy, and his wife, Catherine McLaughlin, co-chair of the Spurs & Sparkles gala, at a pre-gala reception hosted by Terlin Construction at Brookstreet Hotel on Monday, August 11, 2025 to reveal this year’s Get Up and Gallop competition lineup. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Keira Conlin from Wesley Clover Parks ran through the golf cart race course with guests of the Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel in advance of the Spurs & Sparkles gala, taking place tomorrow at Wesley Clover Parks. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Victoria La Valle, vice president at Cityscape, and her celebrity brother Will Aiello, co-host at CTV Morning Live — seen at Brookstreet Hotel — are competing together in the Get Up and Gallop race during the Spurs & Sparkles gala happening tomorrow (Wednesday, August 13) at Wesley Clover Parks. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Get Up and Gallop competitor and golf cart driver Patrick Vincelette, director of operations at the Fairmont Château Laurier, seen with Spurs & Sparkles co-chair Catherine McLaughlin, who’s also the events and activations manager at the downtown hotel. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Liza Mrak, executive vice president of Mark Motors Group, with her general manager, Les Mise, Audi sales manager Kim McGillvray, and business office executive Elmira Jabaerizad, at the Brookstreet Hotel for the Captain’s VIP Reception, held in advance of tomorrow night’s Spurs & Sparkles gala in support of Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Jeremy Goodsell, general manager at Dragonfly, will be driving the golf cart in the Get Up and Gallop competition to be held during the Spurs & Sparkles gala taking place at Wesley Clover Parks tomorrow (Wednesday, August 13). Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Chartwell Retirement Residences business development manager Curtis Vasquez-Guindon (who’s competing in the Spurs & Sparkles’ Get Up and Gallop competition) at the Captain’s VIP Reception with his colleagues Binda De Amorim, Holly MacDonald and Liz Lesh. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Sam Kyle, community development coordinator at Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation, and her colleagues, manager of corporate and community development Katie King, digital fundraiser and marketing specialist Varinder Singh Bajwa, communications assistant Logan Roffey and Shannon Bain, vice president of marketing, communications and community partnerships for QCH Foundation, at the Captain’s VIP Reception held at Brookstreet Hotel in advance of the Spurs & Sparkles gala taking place tomorrow (Wednesday, August 13) at Wesley Clover Parks. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Here’s a complete list of teams participating in the Get Up and Gallop competition:

First up — Team Cityscape!

• Victoria La Valle, vice president at Cityscape.
• Riding shotgun is Will Aiello, CTV Morning Live co-host and, yes, Victoria’s brother.
• And rounding out the team, Carly Campbell-Cooper, winner of the $32,000 Buckeye Nutrition Grand Prix Qualifier earlier this year.

Next up, Team RBC Royal Bank — our presenting sponsor for Spurs & Sparkles!

• At the helm, Dion Farentino, regional vice president of RBC Royal Bank and a QCH Foundation board member.
• Their celebrity is none other than McLain Ward, a four-time U.S. Olympian with two gold medals and a silver, and currently ranked 8th in the world. McLain is one of the world’s most decorated show jumpers.
• And in the rider position, Amy Millar, two-time Olympic show jumper who has represented Canada on the biggest stages in the world.

Skating onto the course next — Team Senators Community Foundation!

• Jacqueline Belsito, president of the Senators Community Foundation.
• Celebrity Jason York, a former Ottawa Senators player and now a familiar voice in Ottawa sports media.
• And on the horse, Sophie Clauwers, a recent standout with top placings in youth jumpers at the Ottawa Welcome Show, and she won OHJA Nations Cup this past July.

Shifting into high gear — it’s Team Mark Motors Group!

• Driving the leadership position, Liza Mrak, executive vice president of Mark Motors Group.
• Celebrity powerhouse Ian Millar, a 10-time Olympian and Canadian show jumping icon.
• And in the rider role, Sloan Letimonier, a rising Canadian jumper already competing at international FEI levels.

Looking sharp and ready for the spotlight — Team Faces Magazine!

• Justin MacKinnon, owner of Faces Magazine.
• Their celebrity is actress Paris Jefferson.
• And their rider, Chris Wiggins, is an Ottawa-based Grand Prix rider with serious skill.

Ready to make some noise — Team The LoudCup Company!

• Leading the charge, Jay Conohan, founder and CEO of The LoudCup Company.
• Celebrity teammate Chris Neil is a former Ottawa Senators player and fan favourite.
• And in the saddle, Conor Swail, an Irish show jumper currently ranked #24 globally, with big wins including the Longines FEI World Cup.

Teeing up a win — it’s Team Dragonfly Golf Links!

• Business leader Jeremy Goodsell, GM at Dragonfly.
• Celebrity teammate Chris Phillips, an Ottawa Senators legend and fan favourite.
• And rider Carson Lewis, who finished 8th in the 2025 RBC Royal Bank Grand Prix.

Representing one of Ottawa’s most iconic landmarks — Team Fairmont Chateau Laurier!

• Patrick Vincelette, director of operations.
• In the celebrity spot is Nigel Romick, defensive lineman from the Ottawa Redblacks.
• And in the rider spot, Jay Hayes, a two-time Canadian Olympian show jumping master and winner in the Young Horse Series.

Bringing new experience and strategy to the race — Team Chartwell Retirement Residences!

• Curtis Vasquez-Guindon, business development manager.
• Celebrity Rebecca Leslie, a force on the ice with PWHL Ottawa Charge.
• Rider Sean Jobin is the 2023 Canadian show jumping champion and a Canadian Senior team rider with over 40 podium finishes at the 5* level.

And finally — the team to beat. The 2019, 2023 and 2024 defending champions — Team Terlin Construction!

• Business leader Terry McLaughlin, president of Terlin Construction and three-time Get Up and Gallop winner.
• Celebrity Terry Marcotte, former Sports Director at CTV Ottawa.
• And for a twist this year, rider Mathilde Candele will be racing on a pony. She is a Canadian pony jumper who clinched the National Pony Jumper Championship at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and won team gold at the North American Youth Championships in 2024.

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, RBC, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law.

hello@carolineinthecapital.ca