30-01-2010

Ultra Boy continue à prester ! Interview de Lamaze sur Ultra Boy.

Après la victoire de Butterfly, Patrik ne savait pas continuer sur la même voie. Pas de chance avec Withney et Wrangler, mais aujourd’hui est un autre jour. Mais hier dans le gros tour, on entendait encore la brabançonne. Cette fois pour Gregory Wathelet.
Pour notre écurie on doit aller voir haut delà des frontières.
Regardons à Spruce Meadows, comment ça se passe pour Ultra Boy. Il était vraiment de grande valeur pour notre écurie et il semblerait qu’il le devient de plus en plus pour Eric Lamaze. C’est ce qu’on peut en conclure suite à cet interview. Une bonne petite leçon d’anglais ! Et pour les éleveurs ? On nous a promis du sperme d’Ultra Boy mais on ne sait pas si cela sera pour cette année. On devra le demander à Wolvertem. En tout cas, le sperme disponible on l’utilisera d’abord pour nos juments. Merci pour votre compréhension.

"By Jennifer Wood

The reigning Olympic individual gold medalist, Eric Lamaze of Canada, was in top form today, January 28, 2010, when he qualified all three of his mounts for the jump off. He took home the top prize in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round Three on Ultra Boy, owned by Ashland Stables, over a field of 18 in the jump off.

There were 54 entries in today's Grand Prix. The course was designed by Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany, and it featured 13 numbered obstacles. Eighteen were clear through to the jump off, which had two turns where riders could shave precious time off. Lamaze and his first mount, Ronaldo, also an Ashland Stables-owned entry, were the early leaders with a clear round in 38.16 seconds.

That lead would change hands when Brianne Goutal and Ballade van het Indihof, owned by Remarkable Farms LP, made a daring run to the final jump to lower the winning time to 37.91 seconds.

Lamaze immediately followed Goutal on Ultra Boy, a nine-year-old KWPN stallion by Heartbreaker xx Jus de Pomme. Lamaze made an excellent left-hand turn to the triple bar, which led in to the double combination. Lamaze kept up his thrilling pace in the right-hand rollback to the G&C wall jump and then galloped to the final oxer. He was clear in a time of 36.49 seconds. This would hold up through six other riders for the win.

"I think I won it to the triple bar," Lamaze revealed. "I was very, very short to the triple bar and he didn't blink. You put your faith in the horse at that point. You're committed, and you hope they do the right thing. The great horses sense that."

He added about Ultra Boy, "I don't know him that well in a jump off. I've never gone this fast with him, ever. I was very happy with how he handled the speed. He kept the height of his jump. I'm looking forward to a great season with him. I'll see how he feels, there's a chance I might ride him on Sunday."

Coming close to Lamaze's time was Pablo Barrios of Venezuela on G&C Quick Star 11, owned by Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal. They had a slower last line and finished in 36.92 seconds. Lauren Hough and Highlife Farms' Prezioso S were also quick in 37.41 seconds for third place.

Lamaze has had Ultra Boy for two years and believes that he is ready to compete at the top level. The Fleischhackers of Ashland Stables and Lamaze purchased from Stephex Stables. Lamaze said, "I've been really taking my time with him. I did some indoor shows with him this winter and was looking forward to stepping up with him here in Florida."

He went on to say, "He has a quality of Hickstead and a winning mind of a horse like that. He just has to do as much as a horse like that! He has a character of his own; he doesn't really like to work. I have a good rapport with him, and I feel competitive with him."

Lamaze believes that with the support of his owners, he can bring along young horses that need time to develop into champions. "You wait for your turn to come and bring them along and see what happens," he explained. "The Fleischhackers are great owners. When you have great owners that let you bring the horses along, it's really nice. We can only make them up as nice as our owners allow us to do it. I'm lucky to have great people."

For full results and more information, please visit www.shownet.bizwww.equestriansport.com. or "



In een artikel, gepubliceerd in 2009, lezen we het volgende:


"Eric Lamaze knows how to produce a winner.

Two of them, actually.

The 2008 Beijing Olympian rode a pair of second-string mounts into the jumpoff and winner’s circle Thursday afternoon at Spruce Meadows’ Continental/Skyliner tournament.

Narcotique De Muze II, his reliable 12-year-old Belgian warmblood, won the $22,000 Akita Drilling Cup via a six-horse jump-off.

But according to Lamaze, his eight-year-old stallion Ultra Boy — the event’s third place finisher, who was aggressive and quick to start the final round — will be a name to remember.

“He’s a superstar,” said Lamaze, who claimed a combined $9,000 from the first and third place finishes. “I love that horse. He’s the real deal, for sure. I have a lot of hopes for him.

“He’s all power. His carefulness is just unbelievable.”

During the Spruce Meadows National last week, it was 10-year-old gelding Lord du Janlie that the Schomberg, Ont., resident guided to victory in a speed competition, winning the $60,000 Trans-Canada Parcours de Chasse last Saturday.

Lamaze compares Ultra Boy to Hickstead, who was his individual gold and team silver medal-winning mount from last summer’s Olympics.

“He’s a real stallion and he’s fussy,” said the third-ranked rider in the world, following a brief rain delay which passed through Spruce Meadows Thursday afternoon.

“He doesn’t like when you tell him what to do. But once you kind of go with him a bit, he’s kind of easy to ride.”

“I think a lot of him.”

Meanwhile, Thursday was Narcotique De Muze II’s first class of the week and brought Lamaze some extra pocket change.

During the winter, the horse needed an operation after X-rays revealed a bone behind her knee was pinching a nerve in her leg.

“At times, she could be sound,” said Lamaze.

“By the time you finished your warm-up and were walking down the ramp (into the ring) it looked like she had a broken leg.

“You’d call the vet and she’d be sound. We went through that for like six months.”

The only rider in Lamaze’s way was amateur Jaime Azcarraga of Mexico City, the jumpoff’s second-last rider, who finished clear in 36.41 seconds aboard Forastero. That time edged Lamaze and Ultra Boy’s round of 37.23.

“He’s a very competitive horse,” said Azcarraga of his 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding, whose performance earned the rider a $4,100 cheque. “But today, Eric did best.

‘‘It’s hard for an amateur rider but I’m still happy,” said Azcarraga.

But Narcotique De Muze II was faster and finished in 34.54, leaving all of the 1.4-metre jumps standing.

“She’s not overly jumping fit or she doesn’t feel overly wonderful but she’s a great winner at that height,” he said.

n In last night’s Husky Energy Cup, American Beezie Madden and Authentic beat Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa, riding Cazino, and New Zealander Guy Thomas on Peterbilt.

Competition at Spruce Meadows continues today with the big events kicking off at 5 p.m. with the $25,000 AltaGas Cup, followed by the $25,000 Devon Cup at 7 p.m., both at the Meadows on the Green rings.


kodland@theherald.canwest.com

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