August 20, 2004 – Athens, Greece – Canadian Show Jumping representative Ian Millar, 57, of Perth, ON, took one step closer to making his eighth Olympic Games appearance by successfully passing Friday’s Horse Inspection.
A total of 90 horses were presented to the veterinary commission including Millar’s Olympic mount, Promise Me, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by The Baker’s Dozen. An additional two horses will be inspected on Saturday, including the late entry of Carnute ridden by Thomas Velin of Denmark.
Show jumping is the last of three equestrian disciplines to compete at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Center located just outside the Athens city center. Competition begins Sunday with a Team and Individual speed phase, followed by Tuesday’s Team competition. The top 40 individuals in the standings will carry their scores forward to Friday’s two-round Individual Final, used to determine the Individual Medals.
The 2000 Olympic Team Champion, Germany, is a heavy favourite to defend the Gold Medal but will face strong competition from the World Championship French team. As none of the Individual Medallists from Sydney are competing in Athens, the race is wide open.
Millar made his Olympic debut at the 1972 Munich Games at the age of 25 and has been named to every Canadian Olympic Team since, only missing the opportunity to compete in 1980 when Canada was among the nations that boycotted the Olympic Games in Moscow. In his most recent Olympic appearance in Sydney, Millar placed 13th individually riding Dorincord.
In an illustrious international career spanning more than 30 years, Millar was the first athlete to win back-to-back World Cup Finals in 1988 and 1989, claiming the title on both occasions riding the legendary Big Ben. An eight-time Canadian Show Jumping Champion, Millar was awarded the Order of Canada in 1986 and, ten years later, both Millar and Big Ben were inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
For complete results from the equestrian competition at the 2004 Olympic Games, please visit www.athens2004.com.
