Narcotique de Muze II turns in golden debut
Sharon Robb STAFF WRITERSouth Florida Sun-Sentinel
Narcotique de Muze II may be in the shadow of Eric Lamaze's Olympic gold medal-winning horse Hickstead, but Lamaze gave her all the credit Thursday after winning the $30,000 Braman Motorcars WEF Challenge Cup Series.
The Canadian show jumper from Schomberg, Ontario, who winters in Wellington during the circuit, and the 11-year-old Belgian warmblood topped a field of 53, including 12 in the jump-off, to win the three-hour marathon class.
It was the 2008 Olympic gold medalist's first grand prix title of the season at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
It was also the first time the world's No. 1-ranked rider showed Narcotique de Muze II, owned by Ashland Stables, at WEF. Lamaze showed three other horses Thursday and five Wednesday.
"Back to work," he said, smiling.
The pair went clear in the opening round and came back to win the jump-off with the fastest fault-free round in 34.143 seconds, just 0.224 seconds ahead of Britain's Peter Charles and Murka's Pall Mall, a 12-year-old, who overcame a career-threatening tendon injury to return to the show ring.
While the focus has been on Hickstead since their individual gold and team silver at the Beijing Olympics, Lamaze made sure Narcotique de Muze II, coming off a successful European circuit, got her share of attention.
"She is a winner and I know her well," Lamaze said. "She is always behind the scenes behind Hickstead but she has been the work horse.
"Everywhere she goes, she manages to do something good. She is fast in the air and has a big stride. You can keep pushing her at every jump. She has good instinct when you are coming forward to a fence."
Seven of the 12 riders in the jump-off were Olympians. With the bigger prize money classes coming up, the fields are growing to record proportion.
"WEF is a really hard competition," said Lamaze, who spent the first two weeks of the season getting his young horses fit. "There is great prize money here, and that makes for a competitive field every time out. The season is long so you have to pick and choose."
Lamaze, 40, won $9,000 for the victory. He will also compete Sunday in the $50,000 Braman Motorcars Grand Prix with Take Off, a 9-year-old Dutch warmblood mare owned by Artisan Farms.
Lamaze plans to compete through March 29 in hopes of qualifying for the World Cup Final in Las Vegas in April. He was also selected to compete in Saturday night's $50,000 Battle of the Sexes, pitting the top men riders against the top women riders in a speed derby and six-bar.
"That will be a cakewalk, no contest, they have no chance," said Lamaze, who will compete with his 13-year-old mount Lord. "The men will have no problem at all. It's going to be a fun event and the fans will enjoy it."
WEF ROUND 3 RESULTS
Horse, rider, faults, jump-off time
1. Narcotique de Muze II, Eric Lamaze, 0, 34.123
2. Murka's Pall Mall, Peter Charles, 0, 34.367
3. Comtesse du Lys, Marilyn Little-Meredith, 0, 34.655
4. Rothchild, McLain Ward, 0, 36.531
5. Quentin 13, Peter Wylde, 0. 36.673
6. Murka's Pom d'Ami, Peter Charles, 0, 37.164
7. Contino 14, Jonathon Millar, 0, 39.947
8. Chambertino, Ljubov Kochrtova, 0, 42.367
9. Danny Boy, Beezie Madden, 4, 35.47
10.Triviant, Shane Sweetnam, 4, 38.001
Beezie Madden
McLain Ward
Beijing Games