Eric Lamaze
He rode a small, fiery stallion to Olympic gold, becoming a Canadian hero while battling personal demons throughout his career.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Canadian equestrian·Birthday: April 17·Generation X
Biography
Eric Lamaze's path to the top of show jumping was a turbulent ride marked by extraordinary talent and public struggle. The Montreal-born athlete turned professional as a teenager, quickly gaining a reputation as a fearless rider with a natural connection to horses. His career was almost derailed multiple times due to admitted cocaine use, resulting in suspensions and a lifetime ban that was later overturned. His redemption arc was cemented with Hickstead, a Dutch Warmblood stallion with whom he formed a legendary partnership. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the pair captured the individual gold and team silver, delivering some of Canada's most memorable Olympic moments. Lamaze continued to rank among the world's best, but a 2021 suspension for trafficking banned substances ended his competitive career. His story is a complex tapestry of supreme victory, personal frailty, and an undeniable gift for equestrian sport.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Eric was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Eric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the individual gold medal in show jumping at the 2008 Beijing Olympics riding Hickstead.
- Earned a team silver medal for Canada at the same 2008 Olympic Games.
- Achieved the number one ranking in the world in 2011.
- Won four medals at the Pan American Games throughout his career.
Did You Know?
His Olympic gold medal in 2008 was Canada's first in individual show jumping.
He purchased his champion horse Hickstead for a reported $150,000, a relatively modest sum for a future gold medalist.
Lamaze was initially given a lifetime ban from competition in 1996 for a positive cocaine test, which was reduced to a four-month suspension on appeal.
He is currently serving a suspension from FEI competition until 2027 for violations of anti-doping rules.
“A horse must trust you; that partnership is everything.”
