Mac Cone and Eric Lamaze Lead Canadian Show Jumping Charge at the 2008 Olympic Games

Hong Kong, China – Mac Cone, 55, of King City, ON, and Eric Lamaze, 40, of Schomberg, ON, were two of 13 athletes to produce a clear round and tie for first place individually following the opening day of show jumping competition held Friday, August 15, at the 2008 Olympic Games in Hong Kong, China. Friday’s competition counts only towards the individual rankings.

Cone was the first competitor into the stadium for Canada. Riding Ole, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Sara Houstoun and Larry Evoy, Cone produced a clear round to put him at the top of the leader board.

“I was pleased how we started out,” said Cone, who was also a member of the Canadian Show Jumping Team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. “Everything you dreamed would happen your first time out happened. Ole just relaxed and performed like it was just another competition. The fight is just beginning but better a good start than a bad!”

Currently ranked the number three rider in the world, Lamaze also delivered a faultless performance in the Sha Tin equestrian venue. Riding Hickstead, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Torrey Pines Stables and Ashland Stables, Lamaze easily cleared the 12 obstacles comprising the track set by co-Olympic course designers Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela and Steve Stephens of the United States.

“He felt really good, he warmed-up well,” noted Lamaze of Hickstead. “It’s been a lot of rest time, more than I would normally give him, since I last showed in Calgary, but he’s got a lot of experience under his belt. Tonight’s course was a good introduction to what’s coming.”

Of the overall Canadian Team performance, Lamaze noted, “It proves that Torchy Millar put together a great team for us. All four of us have been to major competitions. We get along great, we all help each other, and it’s a great atmosphere. It is a real pleasure to be here.”

Jill Henselwood, 45, of Oxford Mills, ON, left all the jumps in place but incurred one time fault for exceeding the 88-second time allowed. With that score, she is tied for 14th position individually riding Special Ed, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Juniper Farms.

“Wow, what a start for Canada!” exclaimed Henselwood, the current Pan American Games Champion. “You can’t have a crystal ball, but we came here with four good riders and we seldom have four horses that look as good as these four do against the rest of the world.”

In his record-tying ninth Olympic appearance, Ian Millar, 61, of Perth, ON, had a rail down at fence number nine riding In Style, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Susan Grange, Lothlorien Farms. With four faults, Millar is tied for 30th place in the individual standings.

Team competition will be held over two consecutive days, Sunday and Monday, August 17 and 18. At the conclusion of competition on August 18, Team Medals will be awarded. For the Individual competition, Friday’s results will be added together with results from Sunday and Monday’s Team competition to determine the top 35 riders that move forward to the Individual Final on Thursday, August 21.

For more information, including live results, please visit www.fei.org/olympics.

PHOTOGRAPH: Mac Cone riding Ole is currently tied for first place position individually following opening day of show jumping at the 2008 Olympic Games. Photo Credit - Cealy Tetley, www.tetleyphoto.com