THE STORY OF HICKSTEAD; A memorial page for one of the worlds greatest horses.To some he may just be a horse, but to the world of riding he was the little stallion that COULD.
Foaled in 1996 in the Netherlands, Hickstead (Sired by Hamlet, his dam is Jomara) was not your typical show jumper. He was small, a mere 16 hands, and had an extremely fiery disposition- apparent to all those privileged enough to watch him roar around a course. His jump was like none other, he could fly at a massive vertical and have the ability to spring up off the ground, clearing it by nearly a foot- sometimes even jumping the standard.
The 15 year old Dutch Warmblood stallion was ridden and owned by Canada’s Eric Lamaze. Together, Lamaze and Hickstead have amassed an impressive list of accomplishments. In addition to winning Individual Gold and Team Silver Medals in dramatic fashion at the Olympic Games, the pair also won Team Silver and Individual Bronze medals at the 2007 Pan American Games. They claimed the richest annual event in show jumping, the $1 million CN International, at the 2007 Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament, making Lamaze only the second Canadian rider in the event’s history to capture the title. In 2008, the pair enjoyed an emotional homecoming by winning the $100,000 CN World Cup Grand Prix in front of a home crowd at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON.
Unfortunately November 6th marks the end of Hickstead’s career and life. The stallion passed away at a competition in Verona, Italy-he collapsed as he left the arena after a successful round.
“We finished our round, I circled and was leaving the ring, and he collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack. It is the most tragic thing that has ever happened. We had him until he was 15, and we had a great time together.” Eric Lamaze following the passing of Hickstead.
He is one of the greatest show jumpers in history in my opinion. The excitement he brought to the show jumping world was unmissable. His legacy will forever live on, he will never be forgotten.
“Hickstead and Eric have been one of equestrianism’s most legendary partnerships,”
“We will always be grateful for the time and triumphs we all shared with Hickstead,” said Maharaj. “We know that generations of future equestrians will draw inspiration from his life.”
“This horse has left hoof-prints in the hearts of the equestrian community all across the world. The gravity defying action of these two was just amazing and truly unimaginable. The impact this horse also had on the training and breeding of horses throughout all of Europe was just amazing as well.
That gallant little horse just loved to run and jump, and Eric beautifully and skilfully indulged him.”
“There will never be another one like him.”
The horse of all horses
“I was built to be the best, number one and nothing less”
Above is a photo of their last jump together before Hicksteads passing.
