Eric Lamaze’s former grand prix showjumper, Mill Creek Raphael, died late last month at the age of 25. The Bay Hanoverian gelding (Raphael x Gluecksstern) was bred by Anton Zimmermann Waghausel and discovered by Hans Holtzner. Mill Creek Raphael was bought by Phil Henning of Mill Creek Stables in Cambridge, Ontario, as an eight-year-old. He originally competed under Thomas Schonig, also of Germany, before Henning imported Mill Creek Raphael to Canada in 1999. Lamaze and Mill Creek Raphael formed an incredible partnership, capturing grand prix wins across the country. In 2000, the pair won the Canadian Show Jumping Championship title at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, AB, before being named to the Canadian Show Jumping Team for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games (Lamaze did not compete). In 2002, Mill Creek Raphael made his major games debut at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, where Canada placed tenth overall. In 2003, Lamaze and Mill Creek Raphael again won the Canadian Show Jumping Championship title, this time on home ground at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, under the ownership of Equine Canada. “Raphael was a great horse,” said Lamaze, who is now based in Wellington, Florida, and Vrasene, Belgium. “I was lucky enough to ride him for Phil, and we had a lot of fun times and great wins together.”
