Tiffany Foster leads Canada to third place at Nations’ Cup

CALGARY — Tiffany Foster made up for a difficult day from Eric Lamaze to help lead the Canadian show jumping team to a third-place finish in the $300,000 Nations’ Cup on Saturday at Spruce Meadows.

Foster, Kara Chad, Amy Millar and Lamaze produced a total score of 23 faults to come in third among the ten countries at the event.

The 32-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., was the only rider in the entire field to jump double clear over the tracks riding Victor, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Andy and Carlene Ziegler’s Artisan Farms in partnership with Lamaze’s Torrey Pines Stable.

“I know Victor so well, and that makes a big difference in a situation like today when you have to go in first,” said Foster.

“I’m so proud of Victor. The good ones rise to the occasion, and he’s a champion.”

Question of the Week

With B.C. moving to end the time change, do you prefer permanent Daylight Savings Time, permanent Standard Time, or the status quo?

Mar 02, 2026

1000 WAYS TO HEAL

1000 WAYS TO HEAL: What are we doing with the land in Kamloops?

Mar 02, 2026

LOOPED IN

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: March 2, 2026

Mar 02, 2026

Switzerland prevailed to take its first Nations’ Cup victory over Brazil, the defending champions. The two countries were tied on a total of 18 faults following two rounds of jumping, which forced a tie-breaking jump-off that saw Alain Jufer jump clear riding Wiveau M to secure the win for the Swiss.

Foster has competed in every Nations’ Cup held at Spruce Meadows since 2011, including in 2014 when Canada emerged as the winners.

Twenty-year-old Chad had the pressure of making her Nations’ Cup debut in front of her hometown crowd.

Riding in front of a record-setting audience of 89,701, Chad produced scores of five and nine faults riding Bellinda, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. Chad and Bellinda, owned by Stone Ridge Farms Ltd., served as the travelling alternates for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

As the third rider in the rotation for Canada, the 39-year-old Millar from of Perth, Ont, was aboard her Rio Olympic mount Heros, a nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding. Having incurred eight faults plus one time fault in the opening round, Millar returned to jump an impressive clear and keep Canadian hopes alive in the second round.

Lamaze, who won an individual bronze medal and helped Canada to a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics riding Fine Lady 5, had to rely on his teammates after his mount. Check Picobello Z, a 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding owned by Artisan Farms LLC and Torrey Pines Stable, proved to be less than cooperative. The pair finished with a total of 12 faults in the opening round before retiring the second time out.

“You have good days and you have bad days, and Eric had a bad day because his horse became very difficult out there,” said Foster, who trains with Lamaze.

“For him to even complete the first round, you have to hand it to him. For anyone watching, it was a lesson in how to get through to the end, because you never know if his score is going to be needed or help for the next round. He’s our leader, and we have a lot of respect and admiration for him.”

The Canadian Press