Olympic Champions Eric Lamaze and Hickstead won the €20,000 1.50m Prix du Conseil General de Loire Atlantique competition held at CSIO5* La Baule, France, on May 13. Photo by Cealy Tetley www.tetleyphoto.com

May 13, 2010 – La Baule, France – La Baule, France – Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, and Hickstead claimed victory in the €20,000 1.50m competition held on opening day of CSIO5* La Baule, France, running May 13 to 16.

A total of 72 horses contested the €20,000 1.50m Prix du Conseil General de Loire Atlantique with Lamaze and his Olympic champion horse completing the course fault-free in the fastest time. The pair crossed the timers in 72.45 seconds for the win, while second-place finisher Rene Lopez of Colombia clocked in at 74.00 seconds riding Noblesse des Tess. Two-time Olympic Team Gold Medalist Beezie Madden of the United States was third with a time of 74.25 seconds riding Mademoiselle.

“We were up against a lot of good horses and riders,” said Lamaze. “Hickstead jumped really well, he is really on form.”

Lamaze and Hickstead’s victory in the €20,000 1.50m Prix du Conseil General de Loire Atlantique in France was a repeat of the same scenario that had played out one week early in Valencia, Spain, when Lamaze and Hickstead opened the CSI5* Global Champions Tour event with a win in the €20,000 1.50m Trofeo NH Hotels competition.

In addition to winning the €20,000 1.50m Prix du Conseil General de Loire Atlantique with Hickstead, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Lamaze and Ashland Stables, Lamaze also jumped clear, incurring two time faults, in the €5,000 1.45m Prix Echo de la Presqu’ile competition riding a new mount, Sidoline van de Centaur. The eight-year-old bay Belgian Sport Horse mare was recently purchased for Lamaze by Artisan Farms, LLC.

Lamaze, who is based in Belgium, will compete at CSIO5* Rome, Italy, from May 27-30 before returning to Canada in June to compete at the Spruce Meadows summer tournaments in Calgary, AB.