26/ JULY 2020 THE RIDER Eric Lamaze Welcomes New Tokyo Olympic Prospect


more I rode it the more I got an incredible feel from it and wanted to find a way to keep it,” explained Lamaze. “Once again, I thank Mark and Tara Rein for partnering with me to secure this horse for Canada. As fellow Canadians, it is super exciting for them to have a horse that could potentially rep- resent Canada at next year’s Olympic Games.”


Lamaze has purchased Dieu Merci van T&L, an 11-year-old Belgian Sport Horse stallion (Toulon x Corrado I), as his Tokyo Olympic prospect. Lamaze had originally brokered the sale of the horse at the end of 2019 to Chris and Thea Stinett’s Heathman Farm LLC of the United States as a top mount for their rider, Ireland’s Cormac Hanley. When Heathman Farm and Hanley parted ways this spring, Stinett asked Lamaze to take the horse back to Europe to sell. “After the horse came to me in Europe, the


Brussels, Belgium – 2008 Olympic champion Eric Lamaze has welcomed a new Olympic show jump- ing prospect to his Torrey Pines Stable. In partnership with Mark and Tara Rein,


d’Esprit, a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood geld- ing (Carabas v/d Wateringhoeve x Nabab de Reve) owned in partnership with the Stinetts, toward the Tokyo Olympics. However, the rescheduling of the event to 2021 led to the dissolution of the contract, which was in place until after the Olympic Games’


active breeding stallion, standing at stud at Torrey Pines Stable alongside another recent acquisition, Falco de Tatihou, a five-year-old chestnut Selle Français stallion (Ogrion des Champs x JPC Modesto) also owned in partnership with the Rein Family LLC. Lamaze had originally been aiming Idalville


future,” said Lamaze. “He is a breeding stallion that already has five and six-year-olds on the ground; I’ve seen some of his babies jump and was blown away.” Dieu Merci van T&L will continue to be an


by Luc Tilleman and has been lightly campaigned at the five-star level. “He’s only 11, and I’m very excited for his


Dieu Merci van T&L was bred in Belgium


base in Écaussinnes, Belgium. As COVID-19 re- strictions begin to ease in Europe, he is carefully weighing all options and erring on the side of cau- tion before resuming his competition schedule. He continues to train at home and has added Canadian Show Jumping Team member and 2006 World


Olympics were cancelled for this year, but consid- ering all that is happening in the world, it was the right decision as health and safety must come first,” continued Lamaze. “I am grateful to have had Idalville for the short amount of time that I did and grateful to Chris for putting his trust in me. I wish him nothing but the best with the horse in the future.” Lamaze is currently at his European training


provide me with Idalville as a prospect for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said Lamaze, who has won Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals in his three Olympic appearances. “I took my time with the horse with that goal in mind. I’ve ridden a lot of horses in my career and consider him to be one of the best. “It was very disappointing when the


original dates. “It was very generous of Chris (Stinett) to


outside Brussels, Belgium, Lamaze’s Torrey Pines Stable is a large training and sales business special- izing in international sport horse sales. For more information, visit www.ericlamaze.com.


low Canadian show jumping teammates, Chris Pratt, who is based nearby in Holland has joined the team,” continued Lamaze, 52. “Chris is a good rider with loads of experience and is a great addi- tion to what we do. We’ll see what the future holds, but my hope is that he’ll find a permanent home within the Torrey Pines organization.” With locations in Wellington, Florida, and


COVID-19, Spencer Smith, who is a big part of our team, decided to stay in the U.S. and work in his parents’ business this summer. We miss him very much and look forward to his return. We are also awaiting the arrival of another one of our American riders, Hayley Barnhill, once COVID- 19 abates,” explained Lamaze. “In the meantime, one of my long-time fel-


Equestrian Games veteran Chris Pratt to the Torrey Pines Stable team. “With everything that is going on due to


Sierra Acres Equine Assisted Learning Centre


Whispering Hearts


is a non-profit organization that relies on public support and donations.


Our mandate is to provide care and


rehabilitation to abused and neglected horses. We assist community members that can no longer care for their horses in an


attempt to prevent innocent animals being subjected to auctions and slaughter.


Visit our website to see how you can help!


Hagersville, ON (905) 768-9951


www.whhrescue.com whhr08@gmail.com


Freelance coaching.


Lessons at your farm.


I'll watch you and your horse working as a team, with some practical, do-able suggestions, based on equitation science.


I can provide a judge's perspective and a homework plan for your next ride!


Sharing the science of horse behaviour and learning.


Visit www.lindsaygriceridingcoach.com


Where the Whispers of Many Horses in need are Heard!


Teachings from Molly My passion is helping


my clients transition learning from the arena to life at home or work. I provide a safe environment for self- discovery and self-develop- ment.


As discussed


previously, metaphors help me understand how clients are experiencing their world. This story is about Adele, who arrived one day quite frustrated with a person in her life. Adele decided to set up a course that would repre- sent her experience with this individual incorporating py- lons of various sizes. The py- lons represented her attempts to communicate and her at- tempts to “make things better with others”. While Adele


was telling me about her cre- ation, one of my horses, Molly walked over slowly and proceeded to knock over all the pylons. Unusual be- havior for Molly. I asked Adele “what’s going on here?” She replied Molly just “trashed my course”. I asked Adele, why Molly might have done this. “Be- cause Molly knows it’s not the way I feel; I’m really quite afraid of this person”. I invited Adele to create how she really felt which resulted in one large pylon [individ- ual] and one small pylon [Adele]. With the truth now exposed, Adele and I were able to explore boundaries, body language, and how to


be assertive without aggres- sion.


If you are experiencing


obstacles that are holding you back, it’s time to tell your story in a safe and non- judgemental environment. According to Adele, she left “feeling empowered, gained confidence and self worth.”


About the Author: Anne Porteous, owner of Sierra Acres Equine Assisted Learning Program can be contacted on Facebook, or anneporteous@sympatico.ca For more information about services go to www.sier- racres.ca


Have an interesting photo from your farm, event or show?


Send it to us with a caption and we will try to include it in our next issue! Email to barry@therider.com


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