Hickstead, the “superstar” stallion that carried Canadian equestrian champion Eric Lamaze to Olympic gold-medal glory in Beijing in 2008, died suddenly during a competition in Italy on Sunday, tragically ending a partnership that helped push the country to the top of the sport of show jumping.Montreal-born Lamaze, the world’s current No. 1 rider, had just taken Hickstead through a nearly faultless 13-fence course at the Rolex FEI World Cup in Verona, Italy, when the 15-year-old horse abruptly collapsed and died.
“We finished our round, I circled and was leaving the ring, and he collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack,” Lamaze said in a news release. “It is the most tragic thing that has ever happened. We had him until he was 15, and we had a great time together. He was the best horse in the world. We are all devastated.”The Federation Equestre International, the sport’s global governing body, said the competition was stopped at the request of the competing riders, and “Lamaze’s fellow competitors gathered in the Verona arena to pay their respects to one of the greatest horses of all time, and to support their colleague in his moment of loss with a minute’s silence.”
FEI president Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan, an equestrian competitor at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, said Hickstead “really was a horse in a million, and my heart goes out to Eric and everyone connected with this wonderful horse. This is a terrible loss, but Hickstead truly will never be forgotten. We were very lucky to have known him."
FEI jumping director John Roche said the official cause of death hasn’t been determined.
Canada’s equestrian community had sounded its own note of grief within hours.
“Hickstead and Eric have been one of equestrianism’s most legendary partnerships,” said Akaash Maharaj, CEO of Ottawa-based Equine Canada.
“We will always be grateful for the time and triumphs we all shared with Hickstead,” Maharaj added. “We know that generations of future equestrians will draw inspiration from his life.”
Hickstead, born in the Netherlands, was named for a famous equestrian showground in Britain. Lamaze purchased Hickstead in 2004.
The 43-year-old Lamaze recently bolstered his top ranking on home turf after a first-place finish with Hickstead in September at the $1-million International Grand Prix at Calgary’s Spruce Meadows.
"Everybody dreams of winning this," Lamaze, who lives in Schomberg, Ont., said at the time.
"For me, it’s just as exciting as it was the first time,” added Lamaze, who had won the same competition with Hickstead in 2007. “When you have a great horse that tries so hard, you want this title attached to his name as many times as possible. Sure, the money is great. But there’s more to it than that. It’s the best horse in the world.”
Lamaze, who also led Canada to a silver finish in the team jumping event at the 2008 Olympics, said after the victory in Calgary he expected Hickstead to be healthy enough to travel to London to defend their individual title at the 2012 Summer Games.
"He’s going to have the winter off — no jumping at all — and come (to Spruce Meadows) next year," Lamaze in September. He said he saw the horse doing “exactly what he’s been doing every single year, not changing anything, and go to the Olympics . . He’s healthy at the moment and jumping better than ever."
The above is taken from the Vancouver Sun
Read more: http://www.canada.com/Canadian+show+jumping+horse+Hickstead+dies+suddenly/5666204/story.html#ixzz1d2ZHPca8
Sleep well, Hickstead. You were a champion in every sense of that word. You died doing what you loved to do. Your memory will live on in our hearts. Condolences to Eric Lamaze and the entire Canadian equestrian team. So sorry you have lost such a great friend.
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