When people think of the relationship between Eric Lamaze and Eddie Creed, the name Cagney immediately comes to mind. Inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame in 2010, Cagney was the first top international horse in Eric’s career in the 1990’s, and it was Eddie who made the partnership between Eric and Cagney possible. But Eddie’s support of Eric’s career goes far beyond the ownership of one horse. “Most people think of Cagney, but for me, the fact that Eddie gave me a place to start my business is as important as a horse,” says Eric. Eddie’s unwavering support over the past two decades is inseparable from the Eric Lamaze of today, the man known to most of the world as an Olympic champion.
Eric’s path first crossed Eddie’s when Eric was in his very early twenties. He had been working for Hugh Graham, and when Graham decided to pursue a new business opportunity, he offered Eric a small group of his clients. “My idea was to start a business and look for a stable,” Eric says. He had met Eddie’s daughter-in-law, Beverly, at Graham’s, where she was a client. “Beverly said her father-in-law had a place on the 8th Concession that was empty. It was originally meant to be a polo barn. When I went to meet Eddie, he was wearing his cowboy hat. He was still very active in business, and I was a bit intimidated.” Eric came away from the meeting with the impression that Eddie wasn’t particularly keen to have a young stranger take over the facility, which was on the same property as his home. But with some encouragement from Eddie’s son and daughter-in-law, he offered Eric the chance to rent the farm.
Eddie had played polo at one time, and his daughter, Dodie, was a rider, but when Eric took over the barn, it was in a state of disuse. “It was a beautiful facility, but it wasn’t being used. The arena was full of hay.” The deal Eddie struck with Eric was that Eric would do the work to get the barn ready for horses, and Eddie would give him a break on the rent for a few months – something that Eric needed. “I didn’t really have any money to pay rent immediately,” says Eric. “When we moved in, I had a few clients from Hugh and I was doing a bit of business buying and selling racehorses. We had six or seven horses; that’s where I started Torrey Pines.”
Eric assumed that the situation at the farm, which had just ten stalls, was a short-term arrangement, partly because Eddie still seemed to be slightly uncomfortable about having Eric at his farm. “He still wasn’t sold on the idea of having someone he barely knew on the property every day.” Eric’s business grew quickly, however, and before long Eddie began taking an interest in what was going on in his barn. “He would come down from time to time and check it out. He was starting to warm up to the idea.”
Eric’s business soon outgrew the barn. “I had 14 horses and ten stalls. I got some stalls from Craig at EMG – those old metal stalls – and there was a shed we used for storage where I put them. To get the first horse out, we had to take the others out!” Eric realized he needed a bigger facility; he approached Eddie and told him he would start looking for a bigger farm to rent. “He was quiet, which is typical of Eddie. He would go away, then come back a few minutes later and ask me a question. Then he’d go back to the house and come back to ask another question.”
One of his questions was how many stalls Eric needed. Eric told him he thought he needed 20. Eddie contacted a builder and got a quote for the cost of building 20 stalls. “He came out with his pen and calculated how much he would have to pay to build these stalls, and he asked me how long I was going to stay and how much would I pay him for each stall. For one reason or another he just agreed to do this for me without me putting in a cent other than the rent I paid.” Ultimately, 28 stalls were constructed, one of which Eric requisitioned for an office. When the greatly expanded barn filled again, Eric went to Eddie once more. “I said ‘I’m maxed out, Eddie,’ but by then he was coming to shows and watching me ride, and following what I was doing.” Eddie had another 10 stalls built.
As Eric’s business continued to grow, Eddie became more involved in Eric’s career in the show ring. He asked him, “what do we need to do to compete in these big classes?” Eric was riding several good horses, but none of them was in the league to take him the final step. Eddie suggested that perhaps they could put together a syndicate with a few of the Torrey Pines clients and buy Eric a horse. “‘Do you think you can find one?’ he asked.
Eric found Cagney; he tried him and was given a chance to ride him in a class at the Tournament of Champions (a show that also owes Eddie a debt of gratitude for his involvement and support). “Everything was good, but now we needed to buy the horse,” says Eric. The syndicate was not yet in place, but if they didn’t buy the horse quickly they would lose their chance. Eddie told Eric that his wife would kill him, but he bought Cagney anyway. He later sold shares in the horse to friends, and Eric sold some shares to clients. When Cagney started to be successful, potential buyers took an interest; at the same time, some of the syndicate partners were interested in getting out of the horse business. “We had offers of close to a million dollars, which in those days was quite something,” Eric says. Eddie was determined to keep Eric and Cagney together, but it became apparent that the only way to do that was for him to buy out the other owners. “He was kind enough to see that I really needed that horse.” Eddie bought out the other owners – effectively buying Cagney twice – before donating him to the Canadian Team.
Eddie and Eric bought and sold horses together for a number of years, and Eddie built yet another 25 stalls at Torrey Pines. Eddie would travel to Spruce Meadows and Florida to watch Eric compete. He is no longer able to travel to watch Eric, but he still stays in contact. “If I win something, it doesn’t take long until I get an email,” says Eric.
Eddie’s loyalty to Eric and his belief in him never faltered, not even when Eric faced personal difficulty and harsh criticism from outside. “Even when I had harder days, he really stood by me – not only stood by me, but rallied everybody to stand by me.” Eric believes that Eddie was motivated by what he saw on a daily basis when Eric arrived at his farm. “I think he appreciated what I’d accomplished. I think he’d see me at the barn all the time and he knew I was serious. He believed in what I was doing and could see it going places. He didn’t think it was fair for a career to end over the difficulties I had and he fought hard for me.”
Eddie also stayed the course long enough to see Eric succeed. “Some people step up to be owners or sponsors but they have the wrong attitude. They think they are going to win a gold medal and then two years later they are out.” Eddie had the right attitude. He never gave me anything other than great support and the chance to succeed. But he never just handed me his farm. I rent the stalls to this day.” Eric is currently based in Belgium during the summer, and he spends most of the winter in Florida. He no longer keeps his business at Eddie’s farm, but the address on Torrey Pines’ website is still the 8th Concession in Schomberg; other trainers now occupy the stalls.
In addition to Eric, Eddie has supported two other athletes in the sports of skiing and golf. “It was in his heart to help. I think he’s always loved sport. He spent a lot of time with me. He loved coming down in the afternoon to sit and watch me teach. He would sneak out of the house to come and watch Palgrave.”
Eric sees working students every day whom he thinks may be better riders than he was at their age. It makes him certain that without Eddie, he would not be where he is today. “I can name a hundred people that, if they had got the kind of support Eddie gave me, it would have changed their lives completely – and they would be where I am now.”
