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Eric Alain Lamaze of Canada competes in the Equestrian Individual Jumping during Day 15 of the XVI Pan American Games at Guadalajara Country Club on October 29, 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images

Finally, a little cheer.

The accolades are rolling in for Olympic champion Eric Lamaze, devastated by the loss of his famous mount, Hickstead, last month.

On Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland, Lamaze received the Rider of the Year award – for the second consecutive year – and was visibly moved.

The award is determined by a vote from his peers, members of the International Jumping Riders Club.

Lamaze became emotional when his friend, Swiss rider Steve Guerdat, addressed the crowd, telling them not to be sad about the death of 15-year-old Hickstead, that Hickstead would have wanted to have heard them clapping and cheering.

The crowd stood up, giving Lamaze a standing ovation. "It was very special," said the 43-year-old from Schomberg, Ont.

On Monday, Lamaze also was chosen as CBC's athlete of the year for 2011, the result of an online poll. Voters could choose from 12 athletes. In overwhelming numbers, they voted for Lamaze. By the end Lamaze had earned 56.9 per cent of the vote, although in earlier weeks, he had garnered as much as 80 per cent.

Lamaze's sorrow at the loss of his partner – the horse that had carried him to the Olympic victory and to No. 1 world rankings – struck a chord with voters, impressed with the rollicking success of a twosome that seemed unlikely champions in early days.

In second place was world figure skating champion Patrick Chan with 11.6 per cent of the vote, after breaking all of the sport records.

"Equestrian sport is not mainstream like baseball or hockey or basketball, so it is an honour for our sport to have a show-jumping athlete win," Lamaze said.

Since Hickstead's death, Lamaze said people have been "more than kind," he said. He is still receiving emails and good wishes.

"Everywhere I have showed, Toronto, Paris and now Geneva, the crowds have been crazy," Lamaze said. "It is hard to put into words how it feels to have so much support from the fans."

Lamaze's final show of the year was in Geneva last weekend – the results less than encouraging without Hickstead – but he retains his No. 1 status still.

He will return for the winter to Florida, where he will spend the first three months of the year at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.

Recently, Lamaze was given the mount on a flashy 8-year-old black Hannoverian stallion, Hunters Scendix, formerly ridden by a Belgian. But the Canadian rider is still looking for a horse that could replace Hickstead in time for the London Olympics next summer. He has until the end of the month to find one, to meet Olympic ownership rules.

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