The FEI has suspended Eric Lamaze for four years, from Dec. 9, 2023 to Nov. 9, 2027 following an anti-doping rule violation under the Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes ADRHA Article 2.5 (Tampering), due to the submission of fabricated medical documents during an ongoing CAS proceeding.

Eric Lamaze Lamaze, 55, is a Canadian retired show jumper and Olympic champion.

Lamaze made history by becoming the first equestrian athlete to win an individual Olympic gold medal for Canada on his stallion Hickstead, just two days after Canada won the team silver medal at Beijing 2008.

 He won individual gold and team silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, riding his famed horse Hickstead.

Lamaze has won three Olympic medals, as well as four Pan American Games medals and one World Equestrian Games bronze.

Revelations that Canada’s most decorated Olympic show jumper Eric Lamaze had submitted forged medical documents to delay a lawsuit had left the equestrian community reeling.

A summary statement was been published by the FEI explaining the FEI decision in relation to the tampering violation within the ongoing CAS proceeding.

Therefore, because the CAS proceedings are still ongoing, the FEI will not be providing any further details at this moment.

The summary statement follows.

 

THE FEI has issued a Final Decision pursuant to the Anti-Doping Rules for Human Athletes (ADRHA) Article 8.3.3 in a human anti-doping case concerning Eric Lamaze (FEI ID 10000439), a recently retired Jumping athlete of Canadian nationality.

The Athlete has committed an anti-doping rule violation under ADRHA Article 2.5 (Tampering), due to the submission of fabricated medical documents during an ongoing CAS Proceeding.In accordance with ADRHA Article 8.3.2, the Athlete was deemed to have waived a hearing, admitted the violation, and accepted the proposed Consequences because he did not respond to the charge.

Given the absence of any mitigating circumstances, the Athlete shall be subject to a period of Ineligibility of four years (12/09/2023 to 11/09/2027). He is furthermore subject to a fine of CHF 15,000 and shall be required to reimburse the FEI its legal costs in pursuing the matter.

The Athlete, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and the Athlete’s National Anti-Doping Organization (the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport) each have the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 21 days of receipt of the decision. Further detail regarding this matter will follow upon the conclusion of the ongoing CAS proceedings.