22 SIDELINES MARCH 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
to do it with three riders was unbelievable! We
put in three solid rounds and to find ourselves
in a jump-off for the gold medal was amazing.
For us, it was meant to be. You can’t kid yourself
and say that you just need a lucky day to win
a medal. You have to have all of the elements
already there and then you need to have luck on
top of it.”
With the team competition behind him, Eric
focused on what would prove to be a dramatic
individual final. Held at night under the lights
in a huge stadium, Eric and Hickstead jumped
two rounds fault-free to force a jump-off with
the only other rider to equal his performance,
Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson riding Ninja.
Tensions were running high as rain began to
fall, signalling the impending typhoon that would
soon shut down the city. First to challenge the
jump-off track, Rolf-Goran was clear until he
toppled the final fence, the imposing Chinese
wall. Incredibly, Eric stopped the clock in the
exact same time as Rolf-Goran, but left every
brick in place over the final obstacle to claim
the individual gold medal. For a rider who had
fantasized about competing at the Olympic
Games his entire career, it was a dream come
true.
“You can win at Spruce Meadows or in
Aachen and it is a great thing to have on your
resume, but when you win the gold medal, it is
an honor that you cherish and carry with you
forever,” said Eric. “The impact of winning the
gold medal is huge, especially for our sport in
Canada. It is really amazing!”
After the Olympics
For the next three seasons, Eric and Hickstead
were fan favorites at every show they entered.
An individual bronze for Eric and the ‘Best
Horse’ title for Hickstead, who jumped clear
for all of his riders in the ‘Final Four’ at the
2010 World Equestrian Games, were their next major games
achievement. With grand prix wins at such prestigious venues as
Geneva, Aachen, La Baule and Rome, Eric spent the better part
of three years at or near number one in the World Rankings. A
sponsorship deal with Rolex was a natural fit for the charismatic
Canadian.
On September 11, 2011, in front of 89,632 fans, Eric and
Hickstead won the $1 million CN International for the second
time in their career at the Spruce Meadows Masters Tournament,
bringing Hickstead’s career earnings to $3.65 million. It would
prove fitting that their final win would be at home in Canada.
At the height of their success came the biggest fall. As the
pair casually walked out of the arena after jumping the World
Cup Grand Prix in Verona, Italy, Hickstead suddenly collapsed
and died from an aortic rupture. In a moment, Eric’s life was
changed forever. The international show jumping community was
stunned and the outpouring of grief both in Canada and around
the world offered overwhelming proof of Hickstead’s stature in
the sport and the incredible number of hearts he had captured on
his way to superstardom.
Today
In the shadow of Hickstead’s death, Eric questioned whether
he would, or even could, keep going in the sport. Supporters
gathered round, ensuring that he had a mount to defend his title
With Hickstead, Eric Lamaze
enjoyed major grand prix victories
around the world.
Photo by Cealy Tetley
at the 2012 London Olympics, with the Fleischhacker’s Derly
Chin de Muze ultimately becoming his partner. After nine months
of pushing forward, Eric stepped out of the spotlight in the fall of
2012 to absorb the loss of Hickstead, and to focus on rebuilding
for the future.
Thanks to his sponsors Carlene and Andy Ziegler of
Artisan Farms, Eric now has a new string of top horses, led by
Powerplay, Quelmec du Gery and the newly acquired Zigali P
S. As the 2014 season dawns, Eric will compete throughout the
Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida before returning
to Europe, where he has been based in Belgium for the better
part of eight years.
“We would normally give the horses a break in Florida, but
this year we’ve planned our schedule differently to keep the
horses going,” said Eric. “There is more prize money than ever,
more world ranking points available than ever, and, with the new
Rolex sponsorship, Florida has become a much more serious
show. We’re hoping to have a super competitive season.”
Eric will spend the 12 weeks of the Winter Equestrian Festival
developing his horsepower. “I’ll spend some time getting to know
Zigali,” said Eric, of the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding
acquired by Artisan Farms in November. “He’s a horse that I
love. He’s super, and I think he’s a winner. Fast, careful and
easy to ride. He has all the qualities that everyone looks for in a
horse these days. He’s the whole package. I put him in the same
league as Powerplay.”
Continued on page 24
