After more than 21⁄2 decades riding for Canada, Mario Deslauriers starts the season with a U.S. passport and a stellar string of horses.

By the time Mario Deslauriers made his debut riding for the U.S. flag during the Buenos Aires Nations Cup (Argentina) on Nov. 6, he’d already won an FEI World Cup Final and competed in two Olympic Games—but with a maple leaf on his saddle pad.

While he’s lived and trained in the United States since 1986, Deslauriers, 45, decided to make his relationship with the country official last year, acquiring his U.S. citizenship in September of 2009. Making the switch meant leaving a lot of his past behind, but it also opened doors to more possibilities to again rise to the top of the sport.

“Being from Canada we don’t get to go on the tours,” explained Deslauriers. “If all goes well I’d love the chance to compete on the [FEI Meydan Nations Cup tour] and ride in championships. There’s just a lot more options for U.S. riders.”

The hardest part of the transition wasn’t the mountains of paperwork or the attachment he had to his native country or even the camaraderie he felt toward his teammates of the past 21⁄2 decades. It was watching his parents struggle with his decision that really hit home.

“It was a really big step for my mom and dad,” he said. “To them I’m still a boy from Bromont. I rode on the Canadian team for so long—it was really tough. But they understand that it was a good decision.”

Full Speed Ahead

Armed with a new passport and stable full of top contenders, Deslauriers appears perfectly positioned to tackle the new season. He’s already won his first major outing of the season in excellent company, taking blue in
the $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix CSI** aboard Urico on Jan. 23 during week 2 of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.).

Urico caught Deslauriers’ eye when he saw a video of the Dutch Warmblood (Zandor Z—Omara) competing
in an invitational class in Vejer de la Frontera (Spain). As soon as he saw the horse jump Deslauriers immediately knew he’d found a good partner.

“Urico is exactly the style of horse that suits me,” said Deslauriers. “I prefer to ride a horse that has a lot of blood, a horse that’s very smart and always focused and looking for something to happen. He’s got a great expression and a good head. When he trots into the arena he looks around and shies away, but as soon as the bell rings and you point him to the jump he’s all business. He’s very game, and that’s a great feeling. He goes in a fat snaffle, and he’s quick. He can turn, and he’s aggressive.”

They notched a trio of wins through the 1.50-meter level while getting to know one another during the 2009 summer tour at Spruce Meadows (Alta.). Deslauriers considers Urico his top prospect for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (Ky.) this fall, should he earn an invitation.

“I happened to be in the right place at the right time to try the horse,” he said. “In this business that’s so important. That and a little luck.”

Deslauriers has had a knack for perfect timing. At the beginning of last summer he headed to Spruce Meadows with a few horses but found his schedule wasn’t jam-packed.

“At Spruce Meadows Jane Clark asked if I would ride a few horses for her, and I happened to have time,” recalled Deslauriers. “We’d known each other for ages, and it just worked out that, again, I was in the right place at the right time.”

For Clark it was an immediate match made in heaven. Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, boasts an extraordinary record of supporting Olympic-level U.S. riders, and she had admired Deslauriers’ horsemanship since seeing him become the youngest individual to win the World Cup Final when he was just 19, a record he still holds 26 years later.

Clark remembered seeing the Cana-dian prodigy take the title.

“He was an absolutely beautiful rider with an amazing horse,” said Clark, New York, N.Y. “He and Aramis were incredible together. Mario is a fantastic ring rider with a wonderful feel for a horse. When you combine those qualities in a person as competitive as Mario, you have the whole package.”

Deslauriers moved to the United States two years after winning that championship and has trained here ever since while continuing to frequently represent Canada in international competition. In April of 2009 he married U.S. rider Lisa Tarnopol Silverman (now Deslauriers) and, after 23 years as a U.S. resident, started down the path of citizenship. By the time he swung a leg over Clark’s horses, he’d already started the process.

“It was the right thing to do, but leaving was hard,” said Deslauriers. “I’ve been competing for Canada on and off since I was 17, and of course I’ve had my struggles along the way. At some point or another, of course, you think that you should be on the team instead of another guy. Everyone goes through those phases.

“But I’m always happy for the winner,” he continued. “The Canadians had a great year in 2008, and that’s wonderful for the sport and for funding the sport. It’s been the same for the Americans—they’ve done well the past few [Olympic] Games, and the sport is growing. That’s good for everyone. I don’t wish bad luck or ill will on anyone; I’m always happy for everyone.”

A Perfect Partnership

Shortly after Deslauriers took over the ride on Clark’s horses, the two started discussing their long-term goals for their partnership and their string. And it was obvious where they wanted to go: straight to the top.

“We both want to go to the World Equestrian Games in Lexington and the Olympic Games in London [England in 2012],” said Clark. “You start by defining your goals, and then you figure out what’s needed to best realize them, whether it’s selection trials or going to Europe or campaigning here. You look at the horses and say, ‘How can we peak them for what we need them to do?’ ”

“Working with Jane has been fantastic,” said Deslauriers. “She’s very focused and demanding, but above all she really likes her horses. She’s all about being a good sport, no matter what.”

Deslauriers campaigns a full dance card of jumpers for Clark through the international level, ranging from top prospects in the Young Jumper Championship program up to confirmed championship-level horses.

Vicomte D, 12, figures in with Urico at the top of the list, logging 2009 wins at the $112,822 Bromont Grand Prix (Que.) and the $55,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix (Ky.). The gelding also served as Deslauriers’ partner in Buenos Aires, where the pair jumped two four-fault rounds in the Nations Cup to help the U.S. team finish second, and they placed fifth in the Buenos Aires CSI-W.

“It was very exciting to go down and break the ice a little bit during my first trip on the team,” said Deslauriers. “Of course, I wish we could have won, but it was a good competition with [Georgina Bloomberg, Laura Teodori and Lacy Morrone-Cramer.] It was a nice way to start out.”

In addition to the eight or so horses he rides for Clark, Deslauriers keeps his own small training and sales business. His wife Lisa competes in amateur-owner and open divisions aboard Obelix (her partner during her 2007 Samsung Super League Tour) and Diablo, and she shares the ride on Ardeche Van De Zelm with her husband.

“I only have a couple clients, and between that and my wife and Jane’s horses my day is full,” said Deslauriers. “I try to limit my schedule to only what I can do well. There’s only so many horses I can ride and so many people I can meet during the day.”

Luckily, Deslauriers and Clark have an incredible partner in Bruce Burr, who manages every aspect of Clark’s show jumpers and keeps them all in peak performance.

“I’ve known Bruce a long time, and he does an amazing job running Jane’s outfit,” said Deslauriers. “He’s a great guy who’s always in a good mood. When you’re having a bad day, he’s the first one to say that things will be better tomorrow.”

Deslauriers hopes that all the changes of his tumultuous 2009 have set him up for a spectacular season—one that includes representing his new home country at the WEG, when the Games will be held here for the first time.

“I love living in the United States—I’ve been here since I was 21,” he said. “The last thing I had to do was change my passport. It was a step in life I needed to take.”

If you enjoyed this article and would like to read more like it, consider subscribing. “Deslauriers Swaps One Flag For Another” ran in the February 19, 2010 issue. Check out the table of contents to see what great stories are in the magazine this week.