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The First Annual Champions Grand Prix Presented
by Eric Lamaze to Premiere
in August at Angelstone Tournaments
North America’s Top Show Jumpers Will Compete
for FEI World Ranking Points and a $100,000 Purse
Rockwood, ON. July 17, 2013 – As the summer show jumping season shifts from Calgary Eastward to Quebec and Ontario, preparations are underway at Angelstone Tournaments. Three weeks of equestrian competition in August will be highlighted by one of the East Coast’s most anticipated events of the season, The Champions Grand Prix, presented by Eric Lamaze on Saturday, August 24th.
“In conversations with Eric Lamaze, it became clear that we shared a vision of launching an annual marquee event in Ontario that would attract a true field of all-stars. The Champions Grand Prix is our vision come to life,” said Angelstone President Keean White. “We are grateful to Eric for his collaboration on The Champions and for lending his support to an event that we hope will grow into one of the most prestigious titles on the North American competition circuit.”
The Champions Grand Prix will be held on Saturday, August 24th at 6:00 pm, at Angelstone, one of North America’s newest show jumping destinations. Riders will compete for both FEI World Ranking Points and a $100,000 purse, the largest offered in the province of Ontario. Located near Rockwood, Ontario, less than an hour’s drive northwest of the city of Toronto, the facility is an easy trip for spectators looking for a fun time for the entire family. Admission for The Champions will be free to the general public, making the event truly inclusive and accessible, integral to Angelstone’s priority of raising the profile of show jumping to a wider audience within the surrounding region.
Additionally, Lamaze will be leading a unique clinic experience on the previous evening, Friday, August 23rd. The event will provide a rare opportunity for the equestrian community to gain valuable insights into Eric’s approach to riding while allowing the Olympic Individual Gold Medalist to give back to the country’s next generation of talented riders and enthusiasts. The clinic is open to the public, and all proceeds will benefit Angelstone’s Commitment to Educate Scholarship Program, supporting the post-secondary dreams of the area’s young people.
Angelstone Tournaments’ August series will feature the Ottawa Launch Event in Rockwood from August 7th to 11th and The National Phase I and II, August 21st to 25th and August 28th to September 1st. Each week will feature main events on Thursday and Saturday nights starting at 6:00 PM.
Spectators are encouraged to visit the venue’s website at www.angelstone.ca for more information on attending the Grand Prix events this August.
About Angelstone Tournaments:
Founded in 2010, Angelstone has grown into one of the East Coast’s pre-eminent equestrian parks, showcasing world-caliber hunter, jumper, and dressage competitions over nine weeks. Located in the picturesque countryside, Northwest of Toronto, the facility attracts thousands of spectators from across North America, making Angelstone one of the most visited sporting venues in Southwestern Ontario. For 2013, the venue will host up to 1200 horses during each competition week, offering a prize purse exceeding one million dollars.
About Eric Lamaze:
In his Olympic debut in 2008, Eric won the Individual Gold Medal riding the great Hickstead and helped Canada capture the Team Silver. These remarkable achievements represent the greatest success ever of the Canadian Equestrian Team at the Olympic Games. At the end of the 2008 year, Eric became number one in the Rolex World Rider Rankings, a feat he has since repeated on numerous occasions.
With Hickstead, a stallion small in stature but huge in heart, Eric won countless grand prix events in some of the most impressive show jumping venues in the world. At both the 2007 and 2011 editions of the Spruce Meadows “Masters” Tournament, Eric and Hickstead won the $1 million CN International, the richest grand prix event in the world. Before his tragic death at the Verona horse show in November of 2011, Hickstead won several major grand prix titles including Geneva (2008), Aachen (2010), La Baule (2011), and Rome (2011). Partnered with Eric since he was seven years old, Hickstead won more than $3.75 million (Canadian) in prize money during his career and was widely acknowledged as the best show jumping horse of his era.
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