Ranking results
After scandal prevented him from competing at two different Olympics, show jumper Eric Lamaze will finally make his debut in 2008 aboard his horse, Hickstead. Ranked third in the world, Lamaze could be Canada's shot at an individual gold medal. Three time national champion, Lamaze has competed at four World Equestrian Games and three world cups. In 2007, Lamaze and Hickstead earned an individual bronze medal at the Pan American Games and contributed to a team silver, securing Canada a team slot at the 2008 Games.

Misjudgment, missed opportunity
For one of the most successful riders in the world, Lamaze came from an atypical background. With a mother in jail for drug-trafficking and no father, Lamaze showed up on renowned trainer, Roger Deslauriers' doorstep when he was 15 years old. He worked there for three years, and first made the national team when he was 26. By the time the 1996 Games rolled around, Lamaze was a sure lock for the show jumping team. But Lamaze never made it to Atlanta: After being named to the team, Lamaze tested positive for cocaine, and was handed a four-year ban from competition. While the suspension was eventually reduced to seven months, he missed his opportunity at competing on the Olympic stage.

Bad déjà vu
Lamaze worked toward his next chance: the 2000 Games. Seemingly plagued by scandal, Lamaze was cut from the team again, this time with a heavier penalty. He was given a lifetime ban in the summer of 2000, after he tested positive for substances found in cold remedies and a diet supplement. Upon learning that he could no longer ride competitively, Lamaze relapsed and used cocaine again. In an ironic turn of events, he would soon learn the ruling had been overturned on grounds that the medicine had been mislabeled. But when it came time for drug testing, Lamaze once again tested positive for cocaine. He was cut from the Olympic team on the eve of the Opening Ceremony.

Making a long-awaited debut, and making up for lost faith
Eight years later, the 40-year-old rider will finally realize his dream of competing at the Olympics. But for Lamaze, it also means paying off a debt to his fans and his peers: In a 2008 interview with CBC he said, "Every day I feel that it doesn't matter if I win or what I do. I feel like I'm paying people back and the Olympics I guess will be the final payoff, the last of the loan so to speak."

A horse with smarts
Lamaze will ride Hickstead, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion. "We spend our entire career looking for horses. And so many of them have talent, but they lack the drive, or the understanding of why they are out there," says Lamaze. "He really does sense the importance of the day, the importance of a big event," he told Macleans in 2008.

Out of the ring
Lamaze lives in Schomberg, Ontario with his wife, Megan, an American rider. When he is not competing he trains horses and coaches young riders. In his free time, he enjoys tennis and squash.