Lamaze Nabs Repeat Win in Duel with Henselwood

Calgary, Alberta- In the final stretch to the Olympic Games, Canadian team-mates Eric Lamaze and Jill Henselwood found themselves the only two finalists in a lucrative individual contest today. They topped the field of 42 starters from six nations in the $200,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Spruce Meadows.

Lamaze was the defending champion in today’s competition with his Olympic partner, Hickstead. In the two-round formula, under sunny skies, Lamaze and Henselwood were the only two to produce two faultless rounds each. Henselwood was also on her Olympic mount, Special Ed.

When the team-mates advanced to a timed tie-breaker Lamaze and the always-speedy Hickstead were faultless again in 42.763 seconds. Henselwood and Special Ed set out to catch them, but with a knockdown at the third jump, she made a quick decision to voluntarily withdraw and settle for second-place and the $40,000 prize money that would go with it.

Earlier this week, Lamaze had moved up to the third-ranked rider in the world and today’s win could give him another boost when riders are ranked next month, just before the Olympics. Today he earned a $50,000 bonus, in addition to today’s $66,000 first-place prize money. The bonus is for winning two grand prix in the 2008 Spruce Meadows series, a bonus he also claimed last year.

Both Lamaze and Henselwood feel their mount’s performances are right on target, with the show jumping portion of the Games a little over a month away. “Hickstead can do a lot. He has incredible energy”, Lamaze said of the horse whose energy he was once unsure he could contain. As a young horse, Lamaze didn’t know if his partner’s incredible energy was a benefit or a hindrance, but as they approach the biggest competition in the world, he has complete confidence. “He’s just a great horse. There is no horse I would rather be going there with”, he says with a smile.

Canadians have dominated this final week at the world-renowned Calgary venue, with Lamaze winning multiple competitions on multiple mounts and Henselwood also posting a big win with Special Ed. Other team members Ian Millar and Mac Cone, as well as Olympic second alternate Mario Deslauriers were right behind, sometimes filling out the top-five. “Our team is really strong right now”, an obviously excited Henselwood said. “We have good team spirit with this group”.

Henselwood won Pan American individual gold last year, while Lamaze claimed bronze and the team claimed silver. The team there was comprised of the same four riders that will form Canada’s Olympic team. The horses, too, will be the same for all but Cone.