STRINGER/GERMANY
Olympic show-jumping champion Eric Lamaze has earned laurels as the world's top rider on paper, through points won during competitions. But now he has won respect of his peers.
While competing at Maastricht, the Netherlands last weekend, Lamaze won honours as the world's top show-jumping rider for 2010, an award decided for the first time by a vote of the International Jumping riders Club.
The award is given by the equestrian yearbook publication, L'Annee Hippique.
"It is special to know that it is judged by the other riders," Lamaze said. "It's an impressive year when you win at Aachen and get a medal at the world championships, as well as have good results at various competitions with other horses. If you think about it, it is quite amazing for a North American rider to achieve this."
Lamaze is based in Wellington, Fla. during the winter and for the rest of the year in Belgium.
His two main achievements of the year were to win the prestigious $479,171 (Canadian) Grand Prix of Aachen in Germany, as well as the individual bronze medal at the world championships in Lexington, Ky. in October. He also helped Canada qualify a berth for the 2012 London Olympics as he led the Canadian team finish fifth at the world championships.
In the next three weeks, Lamaze will compete at Brussels, Belgium, Paris and Geneva, Switzerland before returning to Florida. He'll also undergo surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot, incurred while riding in the Grand Prix of Aachen. Despite the injury, he rode three clean rounds in the event with his Olympic mount, Hickstead.
He missed three weeks of competition after Aachen, but now thinks he may have returned too soon. Currently, he is ranked No. 2 in the world.
Achievements in 2010:
Grand Prix win in Wellington, Fla. with Ultra Boy.
Grand Prix win in Wellington, Fla. with Coriana van Klapscheut.
Led Canadian team to a win in the Nations Cup in Wellington, Fla.
Won a $68,453 Grand Prix in Paris in April.
Had 10 victories at Spruce Meadows summer tournaments near Calgary, including the $100,000 CN Performance Grand Prix and the $200,000 ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup with Hickstead.
Became Spruce Meadows' top money-winner of all time with earnings of more than $2.7-million at Calgary alone.
Became the world's top -ranked rider after Spruce Meadows
Won the $479,171 Grand Prix of Aachen with a broken bone in his foot.
In his first competition after surgery, riding Atlete Van't Heike to help Canada to a second-place finish at a Nations Cup in Gijon, Spain.
Finished third the next week in the $1-million CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows with Hickstead.
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Japanese three-day event rider Kenki Sato says he is pursuing "a special life path" after winning the individual gold medal with his horse, Toy Boy, and helping Japan to a team gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.
He is a Buddhist monk.
Japan finished 26 points ahead of second-placed Thailand.
Thirty years ago, Sato's father, Shodo, was chosen for the Japanese eventing team for the 1980 Olympic Games, but did not compete because of the Japanese boycott of the event in Moscow.
Sato's younger brother, Eiken, rode on the Japanese show-jumping team at the Beijing Olympic Games before shocking the world by winning a World Cup qualifier in Belgium last December.
The 26-year-old Buddhist monk has been riding since he was seven years old, and believes his equestrian career balances well with his Buddhist background. He has spent years studying at a Buddhist monastery, where his father is the clerical leader.
"I like riding and do what monks do, and I take both seriously," he said.