EQUESTRIAN

Five riders to watch at Spruce Meadows

ERIC LAMAZE

A huge fan favourite, and not just because he’s Canadian, has to be Lamaze. The Ontario rider, who is the top money winner at Spruce, has been riding high on the circuit lately. In the past two weeks, Lamaze and his horse Thalis de la Roque were runnersup May 23 at an event in Rome, and he and Fine Lady 5 finished sixth in the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix in Madrid on May 20. Lamaze is in the history books as the first to win an individual Olympic gold medal for Canada with his beloved stallion Hickstead. He earned that just two days after Canada won the team silver medal at the Beijing Games in 2008.

KENT FARRINGTON

The American had an unorthodox start to his career. He began riding lessons on a carriage horse in Chicago at age eight. He soon moved on to racing ponies and retraining ex-racehorses. He turned pro in 1999 and really upped his education a few years later when he began working with two-time U.S. Olympian Leslie Howard. He was almost an instant success, earning more than $1 million in his first three years. He has chalked up a number of notable wins with his stable of horses, including the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows.

PEDRO VENISS

Coming off his win at the Grand Prix in Geneva, Veniss has become a contender for the Rolex Grand Slam (winning three major events on the circuit). That was the first major win for the Brazilian and he is focused on winning two more majors at CHIO Aachen in July and Spruce Meadows Masters in September. He’s had previous success at Spruce Meadows, coming third in the CP International at the Masters in 2015.

DANIEL COYLE

At the tender age of 21, Coyle is one of Ireland’s leading show jumpers. Hailing from County Derry, he is now based at Lothlorien Farm in Ontario, one of Canada’s top show jumping barns. He’s already chalked up a couple of wins in his young career and is considered one of the Under-25s to watch. For inspiration, he can look to his elder brother, Jordan, who is based out of the United States.

PHILIPP WEISHAUPT

Show jumping comes naturally to Weishaupt. His parents run a training stable in Germany and he began competing at age eight. His father was a successful jumper and his brother also rides. Weishaupt’s natural talent caught the eye of Olympian Ludger Beerbaum and he now rides for his stables. The 31-year-old knows how to win, as he showed at the Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen in 2016 aboard LB Convall.