Lamaze suspended by FEI

RECENTLY retired Canadian show jumper Eric Lamaze has been suspended by the FEI for four years and faces hefty fines after being found to have violated FEI anti-doping rules.

The FEI issued its final decision pursuant to the Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) Article 8.3.3, stating that Lamaze committed an anti-doping rule violation under ADRHA Article 2.5 (tampering), due to the submission of fabricated medical documents during an ongoing Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Proceeding.

“The athlete was deemed to have waived a hearing, admitted the violation, and accepted the proposed consequences because he did not respond to the charge,” the decision stated.

“Given the absence of any mitigating circumstances, the athlete shall be subject to a period of ineligibility of four years (12/09/2023 to 11/09/2027). He is furthermore subject to a fine of CHF 15,000 and shall be required to reimburse the FEI its legal costs in pursuing the matter.”

Lamaze withdrew from consideration for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in May 2021 citing health concerns and handed the reins of his horses over to fellow Canadian Beth Underhill in November 2021. He was subsequently found to have faked documents regarding his claims of end-stage brain cancer by a Canadian court during an ongoing lawsuit with Iron Horse Farm over horses he sold to them.

Further details regarding Lamaze’s case with the FEI will follow upon the conclusion of the ongoing CAS proceedings.

Grand Prix win for Mealiff

IRELAND’s Kevin Mealiff led the victory gallop in Sunday’s $25,000 Score At the Top Grand Prix at the Wellington International ESP Fall Series in Florida with his own Lodewijk.

Twenty-one competitors took to the course, with six returning for the jump-off.

Mealiff and Lodewijk were second last to tackle the jump-off, stopping the clock in a clear 52.918.

In second and quickest of the four-faulters in a time of 46.894 was Lebanon’s Jad Dana with Wyndmont’s ABC Quantum Cruise.

“Lodewijk is relatively new to me,” Mealiff explained. “My good friend in New York, Gavin Riley, found him for me and he came over around two months ago. He’s still only seven, so for a seven-year-old to win a Grand Prix is quite something... he was jumping really well, so I thought it was a good time this week to step him up into the Grand Prix.”

Lodewijk is a dark brown stallion by Great Blue (KPWN) out of Zafier (Voltaire).

Allen bags win in Belgium

BERTRAM Allen and the striking grey 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion Castigo de Amor (Cascadello) won the CSI2* 1.45m Grand Prix at Sentower Park, Belgium, on Saturday, triumphing over 50 competitors, 11 of whom had double clears.

The grey stallion delivered a flawless performance throughout the weekend, also clinching a win in Friday’s 1.35m special two-phase class and second in Thursday’s 1.35m special two-phase class.

Allen also scored wins with Quidera W Z (Quick Star x Gelha’s VDL Emilion) in the 1.40m qualifier and Gary de Cerisy (Up To You*Gfe x Nervoso) in the seven-year-old 1.30m and eight-year-old 1.35m class.

Just outside the podium placings in the Grand Prix was Allen’s fellow countryman Matt Garrigan, who finished fourth on Quantum Robin V (Carambole).