Background
He was born in Montreal, Quebec.
He was born in Montreal, Quebec.
He and his best known horse, Hickstead, completed the rare feat of only having one rail fall during the entire Olympic Games.
Lamaze was taught to ride at a young age by celebrated coach Diane Dubuc, in Montreal. Currently Dubuc runs a stable in Montreal called Day By Day Stables, where Lamaze still has ties. Lamaze has credited show jumping with helping him get past his tough childhood and turning around his life.
Lamaze currently lives in Schomberg, Ontario, where he coaches at his own barn, Torrey Pines.
In 2007, Lamaze became the first Canadian jumping rider in 20 years to make the top ten in the world rankings. He was also the first North American jumping rider to exceed one million in prize money a year, a third of these earnings came as a result of winning the CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows.
In the January 2009 Rolex World Rankings for show jumping by the International Equestrian Federation, Lamaze was named to the top spot for the first time. Lamaze returned to Number.
1 for July 2010
Olympics
Lamaze was named to the Canadian team for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, but lost his place and received a four year suspension after testing positive for cocaine.
Arbitrator Editor Ratushny overturned the suspension, although Lamaze had already missed the Atlanta Games when the ruling was delivered. However he tested positive for a banned stimulant, which resulted in his removal from the team and facing a lifetime ban. Right afterwards, a despondent Lamaze contemplated suicide and while drunk he smoked a cigarette laced with cocaine.
Forty-eight hours later, the test for the banned stimulate was reversed on appeal, however Lamaze then tested positive for cocaine which would also have meant a lifetime ban.
Arbitrator Editor Ratushny overturned the cocaine test, but the Canadian Olympic Committee refused to reinstate Lamaze on the Canadian team Lamaze competed in the Beijing Olympics, riding the stallion Hickstead.
He was awarded a silver medal after a strong performance in the team event. After the untimely death of Hickstead in 2011, Lamaze selected the nine-year-old mare Derly Chinese De Muze to ride at the 2012 London Olympics.
Other major wins with Hickstead
September
2011 - Grand Prix of Barcelona €100,000
September 2011 - Spruce Meadows $1 million CN International
July 2011 - Spruce Meadows $200,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Record 4x)
May 2011 - 200,000 Euro Grand Prix of Rome, 200,000 Euro Grand Prix of Louisiana Baule,
July 2010 - Spruce Meadows $200,000 Queen Elizabeth II Cup
July 2010 - Aachen World Equestrian Festival
October 2009 - €120,000 Equita Masters in Lyon, France
September
2007 - Spruce Meadows $1 million CN International.
Lamaze rebuilt his career and ascended the rankings, being again regarded as a key member of the Canadian team for the Sydney Games.