January 27, 2017 
“Houston, we have a problem.”
Five words Eric Lamaze did not utter after crossing the finishing line in the $35,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round III.
The Rio individual bronze medalist captured his first victory of the year at Wellington, Florida’s Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) on Thursday aboard Houston. The ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion is an up-and-coming mount for Lamaze that was purchased by Artisan Farms at the start of 2015.
“It is a horse that really came off strong towards the end of last year,” said the current world number eight.
“He is an upcoming horse, and he is a stallion, so you have to ask things nicely. He has all the talent in the world, but with my string of horses, he never truly had a chance to show off last year other than to get some great mileage at a lot of competitions.”
That mileage includes clear rounds at both the La Coruña CSI 4* and Stephex Masters CSI 5* events at the end the 2016 season.
“This is his time to step up, and we could not be happier with how it is coming along,” continued Lamaze, who divides his time between training bases in Wellington, FL, and Brussels, Belgium.
“I have been in many jump-offs with him, but I never really asked for speed because I didn’t feel like the timing was right. Now I feel like his time has come, and it’s his time now to learn it.”
Watch their blistering round here.
During the 2016 WEF circuit, Lamaze famously captured four Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup events riding Rosana du Park, Check Picobello Z, and Fine Lady 5. This year, Houston is the first horse to have his name on the list.
U.S. Olympic team silver medalist Leslie Howard took second riding Gentille van Spieveld.Molly Ashe and Audi’s Dimple, third.
