August 7, 2005 – Palgrave, Ontario – Equestrian athlete Ian Millar of Perth, ON, captured yet another Grand Prix title in his illustrious career by winning the $100,000 Alliance Homes World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix held Sunday, August 7, at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON.

A total of 38 horses attempted the course set by Conrad Homfeld of the United States with 10 posting a clear round and advancing to the jump-off. Riding his 2004 Olympic mount Promise Me, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Millar was the first to challenge and was again faultless and stopped the timers at 44.26 seconds. None who followed were able to better his performance, leaving the eight-time Olympian to collect a cheque for $28,000 on behalf of Promise Me’s owners, The Baker’s Dozen.

His closest challenger was 22-year-old Keean White of Cambridge, ON, who clocked in just shy of Millar’s time at 44.87 seconds. Riding Arriscraft Rocca, an 11-year-old selle francais gelding owned by Randy White, White collected $20,000 in prize money and earned valuable points towards being one of two Canadians to qualify for the 2006 World Cup Final to be held in Malaysia.

Third place finisher was Laurie Bucci, 33, of St-Hiliare, QC, riding the ‘one-eyed wonder’, Catesko. Injured in a field accident as a youngster, the nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding may only have one eye but it does nothing to prevent him from excelling at the sport of show jumping. With a clear jump-off round in a time of 45.88 seconds, Bucci and Catesko had a satisfying result that netted them $15,000 in prize money.

Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, has enjoyed an incredible 2005 season which included representing Canada in the 2005 World Cup Final in Las Vegas. Riding the same horse, Special Ed, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Henselwood was double clear in a time of 46.35 seconds. The only other rider to post double-clear rounds was 24-year-old Erynn Ballard of Hornby, ON. Riding her 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, Robin Van Roosendael, Ballard clocked in at 46.80 seconds.

The fastest four-fault round in the jump-off belonged to Courtney Vince of Milton, ON. Just two days after celebrating her 26th birthday, Vince set a blistering fast pace aboard Cassius, a nine-year-old black Oldenburg gelding, but the final fence on course came down. Her time of 41.78 seconds would have garnered her the win, but the four faults left Vince in sixth place.

Her older sister, two-time Canadian Show Jumping Champion Ainsley Vince, had the opposite problem. The defending champion of the Alliance Homes World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix knocked down the first fence on course riding Catch 22, her 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, to finish in seventh position.

Orangeville’s Frankie Chesler, 24, gave it her best shot but finished eighth riding VDL Nuit de Pomme while Belgian challenger, Eric Flameng aboard Roxanne, placed ninth. Rounding out the top ten was Yann Candele and Dutch, who incurred eight faults in the jump-off.

Held as part of the CSI-W Summer Festival from August 3-7 and produced by the Equestrian Management Group (EMG), full results for the $100,000 Alliance Homes World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix and all other classes can be found by visiting www.equiman.com.

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Rider Hometown Horse Faults Time
1. Ian Millar Perth, ON Promise Me 0:0 44.26
2. Keean White Cambridge, ON Arriscraft Rocca 0:0 44.87
3. Laurie Bucci St-Hiliare, QC Catesko 0:0 45.88
4. Jill Henselwood Oxford Mills, ON Special Ed 0:0 46.35
5. Erynn Ballard Hornby, ON Robin Van Roosendael 0:0 46.80
6. Courtney Vince Milton, ON Cassius 0:4 41.78
7. Ainsley Vince Milton, ON Catch 22 0:4 44.46
8. Frankie Chesler Orangeville, ON VDL Nuit de Pomme 0:4 45.93
9. Eric Flameng Belgium Roxanne 0:4 46.24
10. Yann Candele France Dutch 0:8 45.85