Press Release
Canadian Lamaze cashes in at France Grand Prix
Times Colonist (Victoria)
Mon 27 Oct 2008
Page: B4
Section: Sports
Source: Canwest News Service
Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., is proving to be an unstoppable force on the equestrian circuit.
Lamaze won the $96,000 Cdn Grand Prix of Caen in France yesterday afternoon, a day after winning a $32,000 competition riding Narcotique de Muze II and placing second in a $48,000 event with his Olympic mount, Hickstead.
Not surprising, Lamaze was named the leading rider of Caen while Hickstead earned the leading horse title.
"He felt amazing, he did two classes and had two double clears," said Lamaze, noting that Hickstead, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, left all the rails in place throughout the competition. "It was a fast jump-off with an option that you had to do -- if you went around, it was useless. A couple of the horses stopped out there in the jump-off because it was a really skinny fence hidden behind a tight turn. The times were really fast."
Of 60 riders competing, nine posted clear rounds to advance to the jump-off. Lamaze, riding seventh in the order, took over the lead with a time of 38.07 seconds and neither of the two riders who followed were able to catch his time. Coming closest was the only other rider to jump clear in the jump-off, Pauline Guignery of France, who stopped the timers at 39.80 seconds.
Caen is only the second event that Lamaze and Hickstead have contested since leading the Canadian team to a silver medal and earning individual gold at the Olympic Games in August. They will now compete in Lyon, France, next week before returning to Toronto for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Nov. 7-15.
Canadian Lamaze cashes in at France Grand Prix
Times Colonist (Victoria)
Mon 27 Oct 2008
Page: B4
Section: Sports
Source: Canwest News Service
Olympic gold medalist Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., is proving to be an unstoppable force on the equestrian circuit.
Lamaze won the $96,000 Cdn Grand Prix of Caen in France yesterday afternoon, a day after winning a $32,000 competition riding Narcotique de Muze II and placing second in a $48,000 event with his Olympic mount, Hickstead.
Not surprising, Lamaze was named the leading rider of Caen while Hickstead earned the leading horse title.
"He felt amazing, he did two classes and had two double clears," said Lamaze, noting that Hickstead, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, left all the rails in place throughout the competition. "It was a fast jump-off with an option that you had to do -- if you went around, it was useless. A couple of the horses stopped out there in the jump-off because it was a really skinny fence hidden behind a tight turn. The times were really fast."
Of 60 riders competing, nine posted clear rounds to advance to the jump-off. Lamaze, riding seventh in the order, took over the lead with a time of 38.07 seconds and neither of the two riders who followed were able to catch his time. Coming closest was the only other rider to jump clear in the jump-off, Pauline Guignery of France, who stopped the timers at 39.80 seconds.
Caen is only the second event that Lamaze and Hickstead have contested since leading the Canadian team to a silver medal and earning individual gold at the Olympic Games in August. They will now compete in Lyon, France, next week before returning to Toronto for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Nov. 7-15.