Born: Feb. 23, 1965

Hometown: New York City

Mario Deslauriers was the youngest rider ever to win the World Cup finals when he took the title for his native Canada at age 19 in 1984. He grew up riding under the tutelage of his father, Roger Deslauriers, at the facility in Bromont, Canada, where most of the 1976 Olympic equestrian competitions were held.

For years, he was a stalwart of the Canadian team, making his Olympic debut in 1984 when he was in a jump-off for the individual bronze medal. After marrying U.S. show jumper Lisa Tarnopol Silverman, the two-time Canadian champion became a U.S. citizen in 2009.

He was named to the U.S. show jumping short list for the WEG on Urico, a horse owned by his sponsor, Jane Clark

DiscoverHorses.com WEG columnist Nancy Jaffer's Preview:

Mario's vast experience will be a good fit with his teammates as the U.S. goes for the gold. He's been there, done that, so many times that his mileage is a big plus, despite a fairly new partnership with his mount.