Palgrave, Ontario — Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, enjoyed an Olympic send-off by winning the $100,000 Marquest Asset Management World Cup Grand Prix on Sunday, August 3, at the CSI-W Caledon Summer Festival in Palgrave, ON.

In his final competitive appearance before heading to the 2008 Olympic Games, Lamaze rode Tempete van het Lindehof to victory. The pair was among seven horse-rider combinations to jump clear over the first round test set by Canadian course designer Michel Vaillancourt and advance to the jump-off.

When Lamaze returned for the jump-off, Keean White of Cambridge, ON, held the lead with a clear round in a time of 42.27 seconds. Lamaze was able to shave more than a full second of the leading time, stopping the timers at 41.02 seconds.

“Michel is a good course designer and I think he built a fair course,” said Lamaze, who is currently ranked number three in the world. “It all came down to only two double clear. It was a good class.”

For the victory, Lamaze was partnered with a horse he had not competed with since the 2005 season. Having gained grand prix experience under Lamaze, Tempete van het Lindehof has been shown in recent years by his amateur owner. With Lamaze’s Olympic mount, Hickstead, on his way to Hong Kong and his other string of horses making their way back from Europe where Lamaze was competing last week, he picked up the reins on Tempete van het Lindehof, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Ashland Stables.

“I rode a horse that I hadn’t ridden in years, so it was fun to be back on him, he jumped well,” said Lamaze, who also won Friday’s $25,000 Caledon Equestrian Park Open Welcome riding Tempete van het Lindehof. “It was the last time before we leave for the Olympics to have everyone, all the team members, together, and the crowd was happy that we were here. It was really nice.”

White, 25, of Cambridge, ON, settled for second with Celina Z, an eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Lindsay Schiassi. The only rider to have two horses in the jump-off, White had an unfortunate fall at the fourth fence in the jump-off riding Vienna Rouge, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Angelstone Farms and Linda Ratcliffe.

Third place went to Lamaze’s 2008 Olympic teammate, Jill Henselwood, riding Black Ice. Although the pair had a good time of 41.03 seconds, a rail fell at the second to last obstacle.

Having finished as the runner-up in 2007 riding Darios V, Toronto’s Mark Samuel took fourth place in this year’s World Cup Grand Prix riding Wembley 234. The final jump-off challenger, Erynn Ballard of Hillsburgh, ON, went for the win but paid the price for taking a risk when her horse, Robin van Roosendael, had a refusal, resulting in a total of nine faults. Yann Candele, a former Frenchman now riding for Canada, took sixth place with Mustique after incurring 16 faults in the jump-off.

The $100,000 Marquest Asset Management World Cup Grand Prix is one of six World Cup qualifying events held in Canada this year. Following the close of the Canadian World Cup League, the top two Canadians in the standings will be invited to contest the 2009 World Cup Final in Las Vegas, USA.

Marquest Asset Management Inc. offers its investment expertise to high net worth investors, pension funds, endowments and foundations through the Marquest Investment Funds. At Marquest, they pursue and achieve exceptional results that meet or exceed their clients’ goals. Further information can be obtained by visiting www.marquest.ca.

For more information on the CSI-W Caledon Summer Festival including full results, please visit the Equestrian Management Group’s website at www.equiman.com.

$100,000 Marquest Asset Management World Cup Grand Prix

Rider Hometown Horse Faults Time

1. Eric Lamaze Schomberg, ON Tempete v/h Lindehof 0:0 41.02

2. Keean White Cambridge, ON Celina Z 0:0 42.27

3. Jill Henselwood Oxford Mills, ON Black Ice 0:4 41.03

4. Mark Samuel Toronto, ON Wembley 234 0:4 45.27

5. Erynn Ballard Hillsburgh, ON Robin Van Roosendael 0:9 50.69

6. Yann Candele Nobleton, ON Mustique 0:16 42.58

7. Keean White Cambridge, ON Vienna Rouge 0:elim

8. Roberto Teran Colombia Distant Star 3E 4

9. Jenn Serek Calgary, AB Bottom Line 4

10. Amy Millar Perth, ON Piccobello du Val 4

11. Jonathon Millar Perth, ON Fahrenheit 4

12. Ian Millar Perth, ON Redefin 4


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