Mario Deslauriers
Born: February 23, 1965
Hometown: New York City, New York
Mario Deslauriers and Urico at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman)
Although he now rides for the United States, Mario Deslauriers is a native Canadian who began riding at a young age, coached by his father, Roger. In 1984, the 19-year-old Deslauriers became the youngest rider to ever win the FEI World Cup Final, a record he still holds today.
Deslauriers had a sensational 1997 season winning several Grand Prix competitions and capturing the Canadian Show Jumping Champion title for the second time, the first being in 1992 with Alemao.
After finishing second in 1998’s first FEI World Cup Qualifier at Spruce Meadows, Deslauriers returned home to Bromont, Quebec, to win. The following week in Quebec City, he again won the FEI World Cup Qualifier, and followed up with another second in Blainville. On a winning streak, he also captured the 1998 FEI World Equestrian Games Selection Trials with his veteran thoroughbred gelding, Amistad.
While competing again at the 1999 FEI World Cup Final, Deslauriers was awarded the World Cup Silver medal to signify that he has competed in over 100 FEI World Cup Qualifying competitions.
Deslauriers and Urico spent the beginning of the 2010 season jumping at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. In January, they won the $50,000 WEF Two Purina Mills Grand Prix. They also were second in round five of the WEF Challenge Cup Series in February.
Deslauriers and Urico traveled to Geneva in April to compete in the 2010 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final where they finished sixth. They continued their success in Europe by jumping on the U.S. team during the Meydan FEI Nations Cup. The pair jumped two fault-free rounds in La Baule, helping the U.S. secure a second-place finish. Urico took a liking to La Baule and finished second in the La Baule Grand Prix.
In October 2010, Deslauriers and Urico were part of the U.S. team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games where they won the Speed Competition.
Deslauriers kicked off the 2011 season by jumping many successful rounds at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida. In March, he and Urico contributed to the winning U.S. effort in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup CSIO4* presented by G&C Farm.
In May, Deslauriers and Cella were second in the $75,000 Empire State Grand Prix at Old Salem.
Deslauriers once again spent the winter of 2012 jumping at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. With Urico, he placed sixth in the $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier presented by Spy Coast Farm. Deslauriers and Whistler finished second in the $50,000 G&C Farm Jumping Derby and the $32,000 G&C Farm 1.45m. Deslauriers and Cella were on the fourth-placed U.S. team in the $75,000 FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm.
Deslauriers continues to have success with his horses. At the Gene Mische American Invitational, he and Cella bested the competition to take home top honors. With Urico, Deslauriers won the $75,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix, which served as an Observation Event for the 2012 U.S. Show Jumping Team. At the Devon Horse Show in May, Deslauriers competed in the two Observation Events with Cella, finishing eighth in the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon and seventh in the $50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake two days later.
Deslauriers would take Cella north of the border for another Observation Event at Spruce Meadows in mid-June for another chance to impress the selectors of the U.S. Show Jumping Team. The pair finished fourth in the Husky Energy Classic with a round that only collected one time fault. Two weeks later, Deslauriers would ride to two fourths and a fifth at the Spruce Meadows "Canada One" event before winning the RBC Financial Group Cup on Urico at the same show.
Deslauriers and his wife Lisa have three children: Sari, Lucy and Jack.