Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze appointed as head of the team for Canada’s show jumpers –
The Canadian show jumping Olympic champion from 2008, Eric Lamaze, had to largely put his active career on hold for health reasons. But as a coach he already has great successes and now he is the head of the team for his compatriots.
Since 2012, Mark Laskin has held the role of head of team for Canada’s show jumpers. But after the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the association took stock and decided to replace the post. A panel of highly decorated Canadian show jumpers conducted the interviews, including Gail Greenough, the 1986 World Champion, and record-breaking Olympic rider Ian Millar. They have agreed on Eric Lamaze to succeed Mark Laskin.
Eric Lamaze is the most successful Canadian rider of all time. At the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, he won individual gold and team silver with the legendary Hickstead. In 2o16 he also received a bronze medal in the individual classification on his “second horse of his life”, the Hanoverian mare Fair Lady, who retired from sport at the CHI Geneva in December. In addition, he has won the most prestigious Grands Prix in the world: Calgary, Aachen, Geneva, La Baule and Rome. At that time, however, the Rolex Grand Slam of Showjumping did not yet exist.
The young rider Zoe Conter shows that Lamaze is at least as good as a trainer as he is as a rider. They trained with him and were highly placed again just last weekend. Lamaze will have his first assignment as team captain at the Nations Cup in Wellington on March 5th. The 53-year-old is looking forward to his upcoming tasks, the first highlight of which will be the World Equestrian Games in Herning.
“I would like to open up to Equestrian Canada for their trust. 15 years ago I made the decision to settle in Europe where I had the opportunity to compete against the best in the world week after week. Through this experience I learned what it takes to be able to win at the highest level. I am thrilled to now have the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with my Canadian compatriots and take us back to where we belong: to the top of the podium.”
He will scale back his own career with his new jobs. “It is an honor to be nominated for this position. And one I don’t take lightly.” He’s excited to build on the foundation that Mark Laskin has laid.