JULY 2022 THE RIDER /39


Eric Lamaze’s Chacco Kid Retired from Competition


Calgary, Alberta – Eric Lamaze has announced the retirement of Chacco Kid from competition. The 16-year-old chest-


nut Oldenburg gelding (Chacco Blue x Come On) sustained an injury while competing in the 1.50m ATB Cup on Sunday, June 21, at the Spruce Meadows ‘National’ tournament in Calgary, AB. “‘Chacco’ was landing


and turning from the double Rolex vertical when one of his hind feet clipped the front


foot,” Lamaze. “Normally,


front shoe would come off but in this case it didn’t. He tried to step out of it, result- ing in an injury to his check ligament. At 16 years old, it’s too much to expect him to come back and jump again. Instead, we’re look- ing forward to giving him a nice retirement in the field in Belgium where we can see him every day and enjoy reliving many memories.” Lamaze discovered


Chacco Kid through Marcel Delestre, who was training the Colombian show jump- ing team at the time. Chacco Kid was imported from Colombia


and joined


Lamaze’s string in the win- ter of 2016. The pair began showing at that year’s Win- ter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. Partnered with Chacco


Kid, Lamaze enjoyed nu- merous victories around the globe


and represented


Canada at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, NC. For Lamaze, his most meaningful win with Chacco Kid came in the $500,000 RBC Grand Prix of Canada, presented by Rolex, during the 2019 Spruce Meadows ‘National’ tournament in Calgary, AB. It was Lamaze’s first com- petition since publicly re-


explained the


Eric Lamaze has announced the retirement of Chacco Kid, owned by the Chacco Kid Group. Photo by Starting Gate Communications


Eric Lamaze and Chacco Kid competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. Photo by Starting Gate Communications


vealing that he had been bat- tling a brain tumour. “My favourite memory


with Chacco was winning the RBC Grand Prix when I wasn’t well,”


recalled


Lamaze. “The win was 70 percent horse and 30 percent rider. He knew he had to take care of me and seemed to rise to the occasion.” In addition to Lamaze,


several riders for his Torrey Pines Stable also cam- paigned the horse with im- pressive results including Kara Chad and Beth Under- hill of Canada and Nina Mallevaey of France. “Having success with


four different riders over the course of his career is ex- ceptional,” said Lamaze. “His personality, his heart, and his carefulness allowed him to manoeuvre some of the biggest courses in the world.”


Chacco Kid is owned


by the Chacco Kid Group, consisting of Rick and Sara Mershad, Ludi and Carol Sollak, and Andy and Car- lene Ziegler. “It’s sad to see a horse


that has done so much for so many riders leave the sport this way,”


concluded


Lamaze. “I’m very sorry for Carlene and Andy, Carol and Ludi, and Sara and Rick for this sad ending. It’s the sport and we have to live with it, just like athletes have career-ending injuries in hockey and basketball and other sports. There are accidents that, even with the best care, we cannot pre- vent. On days like these, we should remember and cele- brate this extraordinary horse and all that he accom- plished.”


“It has been an honour


to be part of Chacco Kid’s career,” said Carol Sollak. “He has the biggest heart and is always happy to see everyone who walks into the barn. Chacco is a competi- tor and thrives on winning. He and Eric had such a suc- cessful career together and, after Eric’s


retirement,


Chacco had the same drive to win with his new riders. I have many fond memories traveling the world to watch Eric and Chacco.


I will


miss seeing him in the show ring, but I will always be there with oranges and ba- nanas and a heart full of love for him.” For more information


on Eric Lamaze, visit www.EricLamaze.com.


Your horse has given you a lifetime of love and it is hard to walk away when the time has come to say goodbye


Honouring the life of your horse.


“ONTARIO’S LARGEST EQUINE CREMATION SERVICE”


Let the staff at Ontario Equine Cremation Services provide you with individual equine cremation.


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Servicing all of Ontario Government Licensed


their win in the $133,700 CANA Cup at the 2019 CSIO5* Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ tournament in Calgary, AB.


Photo by Starting Gate Communications Eric Lamaze and Chacco Kid following www.ontarioequinecremationservices.ca


Craig Hunter and Family and Staff clearblufarms@bellnet.ca


1.888.668.2989 519.268.2989


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