Lamaze displaying old, top-ranked form
Renowned show-jump rider having banner season at Spruce Meadows
Eric Lamaze can almost touch No. 1.
As a former top-ranked FEI rider in the world of show jumping, Lamaze has spent the past few years trying to regain that lofty position. After a spectacular summer at Spruce Meadows, the 50-year-old catapulted from 11th to fourth in the rankings, and that puts a definite smile on his face.
“Last year I came, I had great results. I just never won a competition,” he said of the 2017 Spruce Meadows circuit. “It was the first time in a very long time. But I always say, sometimes you get on a roll, and sometimes everything ’s going well, you’re just not winning. The horses jumped very well, but nothing went my way enough to win. This year, after the first week, I also didn’t win anything. The second week I was very hungry. It gave me back confidence that I’m not too old to do this.”
On Thursday at the North American show, Lamaze and Chesney were the class of the ATCO Cup, winning in a jump-off. Later in the day, he and Fine Lady 5 added the Progress Energy Cup to their impressive list of victories, coming out in front in a five-horse jumpoff.
It was his fifth triumph of the four-week series, along with a boatful of top-10 finishes. Those results have factored into his rankings rise, as he creeps a little closer to that elusive top spot.
“I remember the first time I became No. 1 in the world, I think I went from 17th to one,” Lamaze recalled. “I was here at Spruce Meadows. Rodrigo Pessoa called me and said congratulations. I said ‘what?’ He said, ‘You just became No. 1.’ I said, ‘How can that happen?’ He said, ‘Well, you won this, you won that.’ It’s an achievement in your life that you’re happy that you have, but in the end, you have to respect the horse and not abuse the amount of time that you compete. If it was to come my way again in my lifetime, I would be very appreciative.
“I believe you get there without knowing. I had no idea I was going to be fourth. I just did my job. I think you can arrive to No. 1 the same way. If you’re starting to chase it, you’re not thinking right or doing the right thing for your horse. The horse comes first.”
His victories have come with Chesney, Fine Lady 5, Chacco Kid and Saura de Fondcombe, a loaner. It’s with Fine Lady 5, his 15-yearold Olympic mare, that he will attempt on Saturday to win his first Queen Elizabeth II Cup grand prix since 2011.
“Yeah, there isn’t a grand prix that I go in that I don’t want to win,” Lamaze said. “But I know what it takes to win. You have to get to the second round to start the competition. I love those two-round grand prix, it’s never over. Once you get into the second round, anything can happen, but I sure would like to come in on zero (faults).”
From experience to youth, it was 20-year-old Hunter Holloway of Topeka, Kansas, besting a jumpoff field of 15 in the AON Cup, providing her first victory in the Spruce Meadows International Ring. The third pairing off, Holloway and Eastern Jam sped around the shortened track in a time of 42.38 and waited a long time as some pretty big names, including Lamaze and Farrington, gave it their all.
“It was a great win,” smiled Holloway. “The horse has come a long way, and to see him have a win at such a big venue like this, it’s stuff you dream about.
“I’ve knocked on the door, so we were ready for it.
“I went early on so I really wanted to put the pressure on everyone. Just tried to be as quick as possible. There was one area that I thought they could shave off a little time, so I knew I could be beat, but I also knew I put down a pretty fast time, so I was pretty hopeful. Just crossing my fingers.”