Foster eyes Olympic appearance with Lamaze

Show jumping team nominated by Canadian Olympic Committee

Tiffany Foster isn’t teacher’s pet.
But it is clear she has heeded the lessons available from being privy to trade secrets of a world-class instructor.
Working for Eric Lamaze for the past seven years has provided an inside track for the 28-year-old equestrian, who is part of the five-member show jumping team nominated by the Canadian Olympic Committee for the London Olympics.
In addition to Lamaze, the defending Olympic gold medallist, Ian Millar, Jill Henselwood and Yann Candele are also on the squad, which is to receive official approval Thursday and, at some point, presented as four competitors and an alternate.
Foster has been nominated along with Victor, a 10-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding owned by Artisan Farms and Lamaze’s Torrey Pines Stable in Schomberg.
Canada won the team silver at the Beijing Olympics in addition to Lamaze’s gold.
“I am so excited,” said Foster, who, four years ago, was recovering from a broken back but still managed to attend the Beijing Olympics to cheer her boss/mentor on to victory in the individual competition. “I don’t even know where to start. It is something you secretly dream of, but never think will happen.
“I’m looking forward to the whole Olympic experience. Representing your country is everybody’s dream. To go with Eric is exciting. I was there for the last one, but this time it is to ride.”
“I couldn’t imagine anything better than being on an Olympic team with Eric,” said the Vancouver-born Foster, who began training with Lamaze in 2006. “He is not only my coach, he is one of my best friends. I made my Nations Cup debut with him and now I get to make my Olympic debut with him. It is going to be a great experience.
Foster made her Nations’ Cup debut at Spruce Meadows in 2011 and has made an early impression.
“It has been a whirlwind experience for me,’ she said. “A lot has happened for me in the last year. It’s not something I’ve been trying to get for the past four years. I’ve had lots of success in the last year, but this wasn’t planned, for sure.”
Candele is also a Lamaze student, working under his guidance for a decade.
“It is so nice to have two people who have been so closely associated with me named to the same Olympic team,” said Lamaze, who is nominated on two horses — Derly Chin de Muze and Verdi — for his second Olympics. “Yann came to me many years ago with great ambitions and hoping to further his career. Tiffany came to me as a working student with a good, solid background. Both have worked very hard to get where they are today and I am very proud of what they have achieved.”
Lamaze and Foster are scheduled to return to their European base at Artisan Farms in Vrasene, Belgium.
For Lamaze, it will be a bittersweet return to the Olympic rings in light of the sudden death of longtime mount Hickstead last year during a competition in Italy.
“It is incredible to think that in such a short period of time, I am now in the position of having two horses to choose from,” the 44-year-old Montreal-raised Lamaze said. “We thought Hickstead would be going to London to defend the title, so we didn’t really have a back-up in mind.”
Apart from Millar, the Canadian team is working with younger horses, making London as much about development as results.
“Both horses are young, but I really like them both,” Lamaze said of his mounts. “I think I can definitely help the Canadian team be in contention and hopefully win a medal.
“Individually, I am dealing with younger horses and anything can happen. I do feel like I could have successfully defended the gold medal with Hickstead, but these are both great horses and anything is possible. For sure this year is important with the Olympics, but the most important thing is that both of these horses have big futures in front of them and are going to go on to have incredible careers.”
Anything can happen on the field of competition. It is a notion not lost on Foster, who may very well get the better of her boss and teacher.
“It’d be cool,” Foster said. “I think he’d be OK with it. He’s extremely supportive.”

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