COLLINGWOOD, ONTARIO Ian Millar may be the most famous name in Canadian show jumping, but his son, Jonathon, showed him how to win a jump-off today. The second generation of show jumping Millars, 32-year-old Jonathon and 30-year-old Amy, have been dominant on this summer’s eastern Canadian circuit. Today, even with the senior Millar back in the country after his team silver medal performance at the Pan American Games, the day belonged to Jonathon. “Captain Canada” as Ian Millar is known to fans, settled for second place in a seven-way tie-breaker. The contest was the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake in Collingwood, Ontario.
The win didn’t come easily for Jonathon, who was riding the 9-year-old Dutch-bred gelding Noble I and was in the enviable position of riding last. Second-to-ride, his father set the pace that others tried to catch, completing the course in 35.06 seconds on Redefin. While he was doing that, Jonathon took a nasty spill in the warm-up ring, mildly injuring his wrist. “It was his first jump”, Jonathon explained, “I think he was still a little bit asleep and he tripped on landing”. As soon as Millar hit the ground, Noble I set out on a speedy gallop back to the barn. “He didn’t hurt himself and that’s always a good thing”, Jonathon said. After Jonathon’s wrist underwent a quick check by paramedics, the pair entered the ring and took advantage of every time-saving turn on the course. Shaving more than a second off his father’s pace-setting round, Jonathon stopped the clock at 33.951.
Also part of the seven-way jump-of was Noble 1’s owner, Kelley Soleau, on her other mount, Masterman. Two-time Olympian and organizer of the show jumping in Collingwood, Jay Hayes, was third on Leonidas.
All three members of “Team Millar” will be competing in Collingwood through Sunday.
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