Ian Millar and Redefin won the $50,000 Miele Grand Prix on Saturday, August 18, at the Collingwood Horse Show. Photo by Yavuz

August 18, 2007 – Collingwood, Ontario – Eight-time Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, won the $50,000 Miele Grand Prix on Saturday, August 18, at the Collingwood Horse Show in Collingwood, ON.

In his first competition back on Canadian soil since winning a Team Silver Medal and placing fourth individually at last month's Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Millar emerged victorious over a 35-horse starting field.  Course designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil, who had also laid the tracks at the 2007 Pan American Games, set a challenging course that saw 10 horses advance to the jump-off.

Amy Millar, 30, had just moved into the lead with a clear jump-off round in a time of 39.23 seconds riding Costa Rica Z, her 12-year-old Holsteiner mare, before her father entered the ring.  As the second to last challenger in the jump-off, the elder Millar was textbook perfect, giving a smooth and efficient performance in a time of 38.59 seconds to overtake top spot.  As the final challenger, Hyde Moffatt of Brantford, ON, gave it his best shot, but a time of 41.25 seconds would leave him in sixth place.

"We had 10 clear out of 35 starters which is a little high, but it turned out to a be a great horse race with lots of action spread all over the course," noted Millar, 60, who earned $15,000 for his victory and also saw his daughter place second and fourth place while his son, Jonathon, finished ninth and 12th with his two entries.

In reference to overtaking the lead from his daughter, Millar laughed, "It was a tough job!  You are doing a job, and I wouldn't be doing the horse and the owner any favours if I didn't go for it.  She knows that, and the same would be true in reverse."

Millar's winning mount, Redefin, is a nine-year-old grey Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Susan Grange and Lothlorien Farms of Cheltenham, ON.

"Redefin was excellent.  He was great in the first round, and he is learning to go fast," said Millar, who will contest Sunday's $60,000 Kubota Cup Grand Prix with Redefin.  "It was a great win for him because we are bringing him on for the Spruce Meadows "Masters" next month, and much more."

Breaking up the Millar family domination at the top of the leader board was Marie Hecart of France.  With Tyra, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Ashland Stables, Hecart turned in a clear round in a time of 39.69 seconds to place third.  Amy Millar and Piccobello, an eight-year-old Belgian-bred mare that she began riding two months ago, were double clear in a time of 39.92 seconds to place fourth.

In fifth position with a time of 41.21 was Lauren Hayes, 27, and Sweet Leonie, Horses North's 12-year-old Hannoverian mare.  While Moffatt, 28, took sixth with the French-bred mare Kelly du Lautier, 25-year-old Carly Campbell-Cooper produced the only other double clear performance to place seventh with Arriscraft Rocca, a horse she only recently began riding.  Arriscraft Rocca's long-time partner, Keean White, 24, of Cambridge, ON, would have placed second with this time of 39.01 seconds had it not been for a fallen rail two fences from home with Vienna Rouge.  Instead, he settled for eighth.

"The class was very exciting and kept everyone on the edges of their seats until the very end.  We had a great turn-out, the stands were full, and it was perfect show jumping weather," said Ainsley Hayes, daughter of Shawn and two-time Canadian Olympian Jay Hayes, who organizes the annual Collingwood Horse Show with the support of her family.  "We were especially pleased to welcome so many of the top grand prix riders back to our show again this year."

The second of two weeks of competition comprising the 21st Collingwood Horse Show, the 'Kubota Collingwood Classic', features one of the richest weekends in show jumping with the $50,000 Miele Grand Prix on Saturday, August 18, followed by the $60,000 Kubota Cup Grand Prix, part of the Kubota Show Jumping Series, on Sunday, August 19.

"The show is very good.  Full marks to the Hayes family for a very good job in reasonably challenging conditions," praised Millar, referring to the staging of this year's Collingwood Horse Show on the driving range of the Dunn property in Collingwood, ON, before moving to the new site, Thornbury Horse Park, in 2008.  "We had a tour of the new Thornbury facility and it is outstanding."

For more information on the Collingwood Horse Show, please visit www.collingwoodhorseshow.com or contact Collingwood Horse Show Manager Ainsley Hayes at ainsley.hayes@hughes.net.



           Rider            Hometown      Horse            Faults            Time
1.         Ian Millar   Perth, ON      Redefin            0:0            38.59
2.         Amy Millar   Perth, ON      Costa Rica Z  0:0            39.23
3.         Marie Hecart  France            Tyra            0:0            39.69
4.         Amy Millar   Perth, ON            Piccobello       0:0            39.92
5.         Lauren Hayes            Cheltenham, ON            Sweet Leonie  0:0            41.21
6.         Hyde Moffatt            Brantford, ON Kelly du Lautier            0:0            41.25
7.         Carly Campbell-Cooper            Puslinch, ON         Arriscraft Rocca            0:0            42.31
8.         Keean White            Cambridge, ON            Vienna Rouge  0:4            39.01
9.            Jonathon Millar Perth, ON      Chianto            0:4            40.12
10.       Mike Grinyer            Campbellville, ON            Moritze            0:4            43.91