Lamaze sets record at Queen Elizabeth II Cup

Olympic champion Eric Lamaze and his horse Hickstead made show jumping history by winning the $200,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup for a record fourth time.

Having previously won the crowning event in the five-week Spruce Meadows summer tournaments in 2007, 2008 and 2010, Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., and Hickstead were strong favourites coming into the event.

Both Lamaze and Rich Fellers of the United States, riding Flexible, delivered two clear rounds to force a jump-off.

Lamaze was first to go, and laid down another flawless trip in a time of 43.32 seconds. Fellers and Flexible, renowned for their speed, were up on the clock with a time of 42.82 seconds, but the final fence came down, taking their hopes for victory with it.

"It was a big course, bigger than I would have thought," said Lamaze of the challenging track set by German course designer Werner Deeg. "I went first in the jump-off and I don't think I could go any faster if I got to do it again. Rich is incredibly fast with that horse, but he had the last rail."

For the win, Lamaze earned $66,000 in prize money, bringing his career earnings at Spruce Meadows to $3,042,297 and placing him firmly at the top of the all-time money list.