Eric Lamaze to Resume Competition Schedule

Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, plans to resume his competition schedule later this month.

Lamaze underwent surgery on July 20 for a broken bone in his left foot. Lamaze was competing in the €350,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen on Sunday, July 18, in Aachen, Germany, when he sustained the injury. He went on to jump three clear rounds with his Olympic gold medal partner, Hickstead, to win the €350,000 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen over Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer.

He plans to begin competing as a member of the Canadian Show Jumping Team for Nations’ Cup events in Gijon, Spain, from August 31 to September 5 before returning to Canada the following week for the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament in Calgary, AB. He will then fly back to Europe for the CSIO5* Meydan Nations’ Cup Promotional League Final in Barcelona, Spain. He then hopes to represent Canada at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, from September 25 to October 10.

Lamaze had been hoping to compete in the CSI5* Global Champions Tour in Valkenswaard, NED, from August 13-15, but opted to withdraw.

“I was hoping to be back for Valkenswaard, but it was maybe a bit too early so I decided to take it easy and not rush it,” said Lamaze of the recovery process. “I want to make sure that things are good for riding in Gijon or, at the very worst, Calgary. The most important thing is that everything is good for Calgary and the World Equestrian Games.”

Lamaze is under the care of leading doctors in Brussels, Belgium, where he is based.

Lamaze is currently ranked the number two show jumping rider in the world. In July, he took over top spot on the Spruce Meadows all-time money list with earnings in excess of $2.7 million at the Calgary venue alone.