Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, continued his impressive winning streak in Europe with a victory in Rome, Italy, on Saturday, May 28.
The Canadian anthem has played in Spain, France and now Italy with Lamaze’s victory in the €23,000 Trofeo Marine and Aviation riding Coriana van Klapscheut. With 46 entries vying for victory, 14 advanced to the jump-off. Lamaze guided Coriana over the shortened jump-off track in a time of 36.45 seconds to take the win over Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, who crossed the timers in 37.02 seconds riding Satisfaction FRH.
“This is the biggest class in Rome other than the Grand Prix, and it is a hard class to win,” said Lamaze who is based in Brussels, Belgium. “It is a big jump-off class; today there were 14 clear with good riders and good horses. And like always over here, the jump-off was fast.”
Lamaze continued, “The most amazing thing is that the horse already won two classes in Valencia and one in La Baule, and to win another big class in Rome is not easy to do. To only be nine years old, she has already won a lot. Usually, to win one class out of three weeks would be good, and this is her fourth win.”
Lamaze began riding the nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Darco x Heartbreaker) for owner Artisan Farms in 2009. Of Coriana’s success, Lamaze noted, “She got a lot of great mileage last year in Europe, and she is a horse that suits me well. She is able to jump a grand prix just as easily as she can jump a speed. She is naturally fast, and she adapts well to a lot of situations.”
Rome marked the third tournament in a row that Lamaze and Coriana van Klapscheut have claimed victory. In Valencia, Spain, the pair won the €23,000 Trofeo Iberia on May 7 before returning to the spectacular City of Arts and Sciences venue on May 8 to win the €23,000 Trofeo Repsol.
The following week in La Baule, France, Lamaze rode Coriana to victory in the €23,000 Prix Groupe Lucien Barriere on May 14. It was also in France that Lamaze captured the €200,000 Longines Grand Prix of La Baule with his Olympic partner, Hickstead.
Lamaze will ride Hickstead in the €200,000 Loro Piana Grand Prix of Rome on Sunday, May 29, to conclude the CSIO5* Rome show jumping event.
The competition in Rome, Italy, is Lamaze’s final European appearance before returning to Canada for the Spruce Meadows summer tournaments in Calgary, Alberta. Lamaze will then return to Europe to defend his title in the €350,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen on July 17 in Aachen, Germany, which he won last year after jumping three clear rounds with a broken bone in his left foot.
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