Eric Lamaze facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Lamaze
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Personal information
Full name	Eric Lamaze
Nationality	Canada
Discipline	Show jumping
Born	(1968-04-17) April 17, 1968 (age 56) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Medal record Representing  Canada Equestrian Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Individual jumping Silver 2008 Beijing Team jumping Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Individual jumping World Equestrian Games Bronze 2010 Lexington Individual jumping Pan American Games Gold 2015 Toronto Team jumping Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team jumping Bronze 1999 Winnipeg Team jumping Bronze 2007 Rio de Janeiro Individual jumping

Eric Lamaze (born April 17, 1968) is a Canadian retired showjumper and Olympic champion. He won individual gold and team silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, riding his famed horse Hickstead. Lamaze has won three Olympic medals, as well as four Pan American Games medals and one World Equestrian Games bronze. He is considered one of Canada's best showjumpers.

Early life

Lamaze was born in Montreal, Quebec. He started riding at age twelve and worked in exchange for time in the saddle. He was considered a promising junior rider, and trained under Roger Deslauriers, George Morris, Jay Hayes and Hugh Graham.

Career

1991–2006

Lamaze began competing at the grand prix level in 1991 or 1992. A year later, he was named to the Canadian equestrian team. His first major competition as a national team member was the 1994 World Equestrian Games.

..... Arbitrator Ed Ratushny overturned the suspension, although Lamaze had already missed the Atlanta Games when the ruling was delivered.

Lamaze rebuilt his career and ascended the rankings, being again regarded as a key member of the Canadian team for the Sydney Games. However he tested positive for a banned stimulant, which resulted in his removal from the team and facing a lifetime ban. .....

2007–2011: Hickstead years

In 2007, Lamaze became the first Canadian jumping rider in 20 years to make the top ten in the world rankings. He was also the first North American jumping rider to exceed one million in prize money a year, a third of these earnings the result of winning the CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. The CN International Grand Prix was Lamaze's first major win with Hickstead.

Lamaze competed in the Beijing Olympics, riding the stallion Hickstead. He was awarded a silver medal after a strong performance in the team event. Lamaze went on to win a gold medal in the individual show jumping event of the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the Shatin Equestrian Venue in Hong Kong as a result of a jump off between himself riding Hickstead and the Swedish rider Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, riding Ninja.

In the January 2009 Rolex World Rankings for show jumping by the International Equestrian Federation, Lamaze was named to the top spot for the first time. In October 2009, Lamaze won the €120,000 Equita Masters in Lyon, France, riding Hickstead.

Lamaze returned to first place in the Rolex Rankings for July 2010. In July that year, he had two major wins with Hickstead, at the Aachen World Equestrian Festival and the Spruce Meadows Queen Elizabeth II Cup.

In 2011, Lamaze and Hickstead won the €200,000 Rome Grand Prix, the €200,000 La Baule Grand Prix, the Spruce Meadows Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the €23,000 1.55m in Rotterdam, the $1 million CN International Grand Prix, and the €100,000 Barcelona Grand Prix.

2012–2023

After the death of Hickstead in 2011, Lamaze selected the nine-year-old mare Derly Chin De Muze to ride at the 2012 London Olympics.

In July 2016, he was again named to Canada's Olympic team, serving as the leader following Ian Millar's decision to not compete again. Lamaze rode the Hanoverian mare, Fine Lady 5. As a member of Canada's jumping team, he competed in a climactic jump-off for the bronze medal, which was ultimately won by the German team. Later, he won a bronze medal in the individual jumping event, a single knocked rail preventing him from earning a second gold medal.

In 2017, Lamaze claimed he was diagnosed with brain cancer, which he revealed to the public in 2019. He continued competing for some time, winning a gold medal at the Spruce Meadows Masters tournament in June of 2019.

In 2021, he was selected for random drug testing at an event in the Netherlands, which he failed to comply. Also that year he announced that he would not seek to be part of the Canadian Olympic team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, saying that while his health was stable he felt there were too many risks. Lamaze's battle with brain cancer continued, and on March 31, 2022 he announced that he would be retiring from competition in order to focus on his health. He planned to remain as the Canadian showjumping team's chef d'équipe. After announcing his retirement, he said: "I've always said that I will retire under my own terms when the time is right. The situation with my health has forced me to make the decision earlier than I had envisioned, but the silver lining is that I still have the will to win and can contribute to the Canadian team and the sport I love through my new role."

During a lawsuit in 2023, Lamaze testified he was cancer-free by 2021, despite his claims at the time. In November 2023, he was found liable fo $1.4 million in damages for fraud, breach of contract, and breaking Florida law, related to the purchase and sale of two horses.

The FEI has banned Lamaze from competition until September 11, 2027.

Forgery of Cancer Documents

In August 2023, it was found that Lamaze had forged medical documents submitted to the Ontario Supreme Court.

As a result of these findings, Lamaze's lifelong attorney, Tim Danson, stepped down as counsel.

It is alleged that Lamazes ongoing Cancer and alleged treatments during his career were faked by Lamaze in order to delay and avoid several ongoing court cases brought against Lamaze in relation to horse sale disputes.

In order to dismiss this allegation that his cancer and health issues are entirely faked, Lamaze would need to produce reliable medical evidence to prove his claims- Lamaze has publicly declined to do so, stating in an 11 September 2023 article:

“They want a doctor’s note; have they seen me? People were telling me to go home, every day for years, as I was so sick. People who have never seen me and don’t know, believe what they see online. I’ve always spoken the truth and will continue to.”

Lamaze says he was unaware of letters and documents submitted to the court and cited issues such as data protection relating to his medical records, and the need to protect people who have treated him.

In a Florida lawsuit from November 2023, the judge ruled that Lamaze's conduct to obfuscate his medical condition was fraudulent and deliberate.

International Championship Results

Results
Year	Event	Horse	Placing	Notes
1994	World Equestrian Games	Cagney	7th	Team
			28th	Individual
1995	World Cup Final	Cagney	18th
1996	World Cup Final	Rio Grande	RET
1998	World Cup Final	Cagney	23rd
1998	World Equestrian Games	Cagney	10th	Team
			53rd	Individual
1999	Pan American Games	Kahlua	03	Team
			10th	Individual
2002	World Equestrian Games	Raphael	10th	Team
			69th	Individual
2003	Pan American Games	Rosalinde	5th	Team
			18th	Individual
2005	World Cup Final	Tempete v/h Lindehof	16th
2006	World Equestrian Games	Hickstead	13th	Team
			27th	Individual
2007	Pan American Games	Hickstead	02	Team
			03	Individual
2008	Olympic Games	Hickstead	02	Team
			01	Individual
2010	World Equestrian Games	Hickstead	5th	Team
			03	Individual
2011	World Cup Final	Hickstead	02
2011	Pan American Games	Coriana van Klapscheut	4th	Team
			11th	Individual
2012	World Cup Final	Coriana van Klapscheut	12th
2012	Olympic Games	Derly Chin de Muze	5th	Team
			29th	Individual
2014	World Equestrian Games	Zigali P S	8th	Team
			34th	Individual
2015	Pan American Games	Coco Bongo	01	Team
			22nd	Individual
2016	Olympic Games	Fine Lady 5	4th	Team
			03	Individual
2018	World Equestrian Games	Chacco Kid	10th	Team
			58th	Individual
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

See also

In Spanish: Eric Lamaze para niños

• Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympics