Olympic show jumping champions Eric Lamaze and Hickstead were inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame during a virtual ceremony held Sunday evening.
Inducted in the ‘Team’ category, Lamaze and Hickstead are widely considered to be the best competitors of their era. Among their many feats was claiming the Olympic Championship title at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and leading Canada to the team silver medal.
Lamaze and Hickstead also earned an individual bronze medal at the 2010 World Championships in Lexington, Kentucky, where Hickstead was awarded the title of “Best Horse.” They won team silver and individual bronze medals at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as several major grand prix show jumping titles including Calgary, Canada (2007 and 2011); Geneva, Switzerland (2008); Aachen, Germany (2010); La Baule, France (2011); and Rome, Italy (2011).
“I believe this is the greatest honour you can receive from your country,” said Lamaze, 53. “Hickstead was incredible, simply one of a kind. Together, we were proud to represent Canada on the world stage. It is well deserved on his part; I just went along for the ride.”
In addition to being inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020/21, Lamaze received the Order of Sport, Canada’s highest sporting honour. The Order of Sport was presented to Lamaze while he was competing at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, AB, in September. It was a fitting venue for the presentation, given that a life-size bronze statue of Hickstead overlooks the Spruce Meadows Plaza.
source: Press Release - Foto © ClixPhoto