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If ever there was a rider to beat the odds, Eric  Lamaze is it.  He has had more comebacks then you can imagine.  A lifetime ban , a brain tumor  , numerous lawsuits. 

Arguably the best rider and chef d’equipe the Canadian Show Jumping Team has ever had, Eric’s success has often been clouded by complications. Because of this , you are always routing for him.

Sitting down with Eric was such a pleasure . He was raw, authentic, honest, funny and vulnerable . 

Despite his success as a rider, he feels his biggest strength is in teaching . I personally think he does both exceptionally well.

Don’t be too disappointed that he doesn’t share more in this episode . This is just Chapter 1.

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

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Every amateur rider will relate to Cullen Drescher’s story. 

The pursuit of a dream to ride in the bigger classes while trying to fund it with another full time career. Throw a child and partner into the mix and it really gets interesting.

Cullen’s secret superpower is her ability to focus in on the task at hand to the exclusion of everything else around her. Her other gift is that she truly loves her horses and people and if you are in her inner circle , you are family .

She was raised with a deep respect for hard work  and genuine care for those in her community. I believe those characteristics have contributed to her success in both her law practice and as a competitor in the ring.

She is quick to acknowledge that she doesn’t have it all figured out and that there are many days when she is humbled but she is also driven by a belief that she can achieve the goals she has set for herself.

She is also the first to admit that she couldn’t do any of this if she she didn’t have a trainer who is as committed to her goals as she is.

I hope that you will be as inspired as I was to continue to chase your dreams no matter how old you are.

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

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Jenna Friedman-Lopez. If you haven’t heard of her, you will.

If you have ever seen her in the ring, you will remember her.

She exudes such love for her horses and passion for the sport that you know she is destined for greatness.

Jenna is frank, authentic and genuine.

She is candid about sharing how she keeps her head in the game.

She is vulnerable when she shares how it felt to represent Israel in a Nations Cup in Europe when tensions were high in the Middle East.

I walked away from my conversation with Jenna wanting more time.

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

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When Pieter deBrabandere moved to the US to ride for Maarten Huygens in July 2024 his goal was simple- back to basics and focus on his riding.

He never expected to look back on the year and see all the firsts he accomplished - first time riding for Belgium on a Nations Cup Team, first time winning a $75,000 Grand Prix in Saugerties and finishing in the top 12 at his first 5* Grand Prix. He expresses authentic surprise at his own success.

Those in his camp however are not surprised as he has a natural calm and confidence in his ride ( a gift he thought he might have lost over the years) and is exceptionally accurate in his eye.

I was struck most by his humility and hesitancy to state his goals (lest they might not be realized) and touched by how he shared his doubts and fears .

He ultimately is hopeful he will achieve his dreams but is not married to a timeline. It was refreshing to speak with someone coming up through the ranks who is committed to developing and learning to be the best rider he can to bring out the best in his mounts. 

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

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McLain Ward has had the pressure of trying to be “the best” on his shoulders since he first had success in the equitation ring winning both the USEF and USET Medal Finals at the age of 14 .

36 years and 5 Olympic medals in show jumping later, he is very forthcoming about the pressure he still feels and the anxiety that goes  along with it-especially on those days when he is the anchor rider for the team. 

However, he is quick to admit that grit, determination and hard work have always been on his side and ultimately his competitive nature will win over his nerves. He is “in it to win it”. 2 Pan American Individual Gold Medals and 17 World Cup Finals have not lessened his desire to be the best.

He is also the first to acknowledge that he wouldn’t have any of his success without the support of his team at the farm (especially Lee and Erica McKeever) and his own family. His daughter Lilly in particular keeps him humble.

McLain share his approach to training and where he thinks the sport is heading.

He even tells me what he is thinking about when he is on the podium - it’s not what you might think.

At the end of the conversation it is very clear that McLain’s success hasn’t happened by chance!

Shout out to my listeners in Virginia and Florida-appreciated the fan mail!😊🐎

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

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When Bruce Goodin secured an invitation to the Master’s at Spruce Meadows in 1991 he had no idea how he was going to pay his entries.

However, where there’s a will, there’s a way… 

Bruce entered a speed class that he thought he had a shot of placing in and ended up winning it , ensuring that he had enough to pay his way for the week. He went on to place second in the CP Rail $1,000000 Class proving to any doubters that there was a reason he been invited.

Bruce Goodin is a 5 time Olympian and has aspirations of making it 6 in Los Angeles.

He has spent many years fine tuning his communication skills with his mounts and genuinely loves his craft.

He was very thoughtful in his responses to my questions. I hope you enjoy his conversation with me as much as I did.

Special shout out to my listeners in Arcadia, FL, and Norfolk , VA .

I received your fan mail and truly appreciate the positive feedback ! 🩷

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

Send a text

Kyle King is no stranger to winning. He has amassed many Grand Prix victories over the years. But ongoing success at the 5* Level is something new to him. He is learning a whole new skill set to navigate and facing it head on as evidenced by his 2nd place finishing in the CPKC Rail Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows in September.

I was struck by Kyle’s vulnerability and courage in navigating the new “business” of showjumping at this point in his career.

He was also quick to point out that he has a team of people supporting him along this journey and what a gift it is to find  a horse that is happy and able to go along for the ride .

I was also interested to hear that while he is proud of  his American background he is pursuing Canadian citizenship in the hopes of representing the country he has embraced as his new home.

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

Send a text

Schuyler Riley has been in the sport for more than 40 years and she has never lost sight of the reason she does it - for the connection with the horse.

Whether she is picking a horse for herself or for one of her clients, she will always put character first .

That has led her to great success as she never rushes the relationship. She believes that the bond between rider and horse is what ultimately determines how far a pair will go.

Schuyler shares her early experiences as an eventer, equitation rider and ultimately jumper rider representing the United States Equestrian Team on numerous occasions.

She gives us a glimpse of some of the techniques she has learned along the way and her hopes for the future.

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

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Sometimes you meet someone and you immediately like them. Such was the case with Kyle Dewar.

He puts his family first, is passionate about the horses and wears his Canadian pride  (and his heart) on his sleeve for all to see.

Kyle and his wife Kathy are the owners of Chestnut Hill Farms in Ocala where they run a successful training and sales business.

Kyle’s  story is one of patience and perseverance as he has pursued his dream. He shares his experience of finally getting to ride for the team - what it cost as well as how amazing it felt.

He is also brutally authentic about how painful it was to give up the horse he took to his First Nations Cup and yet graciously acknowledging what an opportunity it was.

I think he is a clear example of 🎶” Dreams never die, just the dreamer “ 🎶

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.

Send a text

Small but mighty, Lauren Hayes is a force to be reckoned with.

She juggles riding, training and motherhood with grace and a positive attitude.

Lauren shares her journey of school, becoming a parent and having to lower her expectations when riding couldn’t be her only focus.

She is a shining example of remaining positive and rolling with the punches while demonstrating that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as far as talent in the sport is concerned.

I think she is one of Canada’s most underrated riders and I think that she is going to continue to demonstrate that as she rises to the top.

This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP.

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. 

Our connection to the law firm comes through Cooley Partner and jumper rider Cullen Drescher , who competes in the High Amateur and Grand Prix levels in addition to leading Cooley's Business Restructuring practice from the firm's offices in New York City.