Team Millar

A national treasure, Ian was awarded the Order of Canada in 1986, Ontario’s Athlete of the Year in 1989, and an honorary doctorate by the University of Guelph in 2005. Together with Big Ben, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. Big Ben was only the second horse to receive the honor; the first being distinguished Canadian-bred race horse, Northern Dancer. Both have been inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame, as well—Big Ben in 2006 and Ian in 2012. In 2016, Ian added the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame to that growing list. A statue of Big Ben and Ian Millar currently sits on the outskirts of Big Ben Park in their hometown of Perth, Ontario.

What Ian is perhaps best known for, is his unprecedented Olympic record. He has competed in more Olympic Games than any athlete in history, in any sport. As of the 2012 Games in London, he set a new World Record for number of Olympic starts—10 in total—and recorded his best individual result to date, finishing ninth overall. Ian’s Olympic attendance record from 1972 to 2012 is blighted only by the 1980 Games, which Canada boycotted. That year, he rode for Canada at the Alternate Olympics in Rotterdam in which Canada won the Team Gold.

Ironically, the year that proved most devastating in his personal life was his most triumphant on the Olympic stage. Ian earned his first Olympic Medal in 2008 at age 61, setting a record for the oldest show jumper to stand on the podium at the Olympics. With only a three-member squad riding in the nail-biting final round of team competition, Ian came through with a clutch clear round forcing a jump off with the United States. Canada won the Silver medal. It was the nation’s first team show jumping medal in 40 years. Just months earlier, Ian lost his wife and business partner of 39 years, Lynn Millar, to cancer. Ian dedicated the medal to her memory, saying: “I had an angel riding with me.”

If Ian’s Olympic record is impressive for its longevity, his Pan American Games is equally so for its medal count. Ian has earned nine medals in nine Pan American Games—more than any other show jumper. He has twice been the Pan American Games Individual Gold medalist, first in 1987 with Big Ben and in 1999 with Ivar. At the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadelajhara, Mexico, Ian was on track to add to his medal count when his Olympic mount Star Power had a catastrophic stumble on course. Miraculously, the pair still produced a clean round and were in fifth position going into the final round of individual competition. Ian opted not to compete out of concern for his horse’s welfare.

A staple on the Nation’s Cup team, Ian has represented Canada in every Nations Cup event held at a show he has attended since he was first named to the team in 1971. He has donned the red coat for Canada at six World Championships, where he has been a member of three, top-five placed teams and has finished in the top 10 individually twice. Equally impressive is Ian’s national record; he is a record 12-time Canadian Champion.

Another proud moment for Ian, came in August of 2016, when he watched daughter Amy make her Olympic debut in Rio. Although not competing himself in what would’ve been his 11^th Olympic appearance, Ian travelled with the team to Brazil and witnessed Canada finish in the overall fourth place position in the team event.

Following the Rio Olympic Games, the Millar’s logged yet another impressive family performance in November of 2016 where Ian won the first round of competition in the $100,000 Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championship aboard Susan and Ariel Grange’s Dixson on opening night of the Royal Horse Show in Toronto, ON. Following close behind, were the Millar children with Amy coming in second and Jonathon in third. That Saturday, Ian went on to clinch his record 12^th Greenhawk Canadian Championship title. Ian retired from international competition in 2019, although he continues to compete and develop young horses.

Ian Millar continues to accrue top placings in the show ring while working alongside his son, Jonathon, daughter, Amy, and daughter-in-law, Kelly, at Millar Brooke Farm in Perth, Ontario. Together, they have been dubbed “Team Millar.”

Rider Stats

Birthdate: January, 6^th, 1947

Birthplace: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Hometown: Perth, Ontario

View Full FEI Results at this link 

Career Highlights

• Ian Millar has competed in more Olympic Games than any athlete in history, in any sport.
• The 2012 Olympics in London marked his 10^th Games a new World Record.
• Ian won his first Olympic medal at age 61-Team Silver in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
• Ian became the first rider in show jumping to win back-to-back World Cup Finals: 1988 in Gothenburg and 1989 in Tampa, both aboard Big Ben.
• Ian has earned nine medals (including two individual Golds) in nine Pan American Games, more than any other show jumper in history.
• Twelve-time Canadian National Champion.
• Three-time winner of the $1 Million CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows.

Medal Record

Olympic Games

Silver: 2008 Beijing-Team Jumping

Pan American Games

Gold: 1987 Indianapolis-Individual Jumping

Gold: 1987 Indianapolis-Team Jumping

Gold: 1999-Winnipeg-Individual Jumping

Gold: 2015-Toronto-Team Jumping

Silver: 1979 San Juan-Team Jumping

Silver: 1983 Caracas-Team Jumping

Silver: 1991 Havana-Team Jumping

Silver: 2007 Rio de Janeiro-Team Jumping

Bronze: 1979 San Juan-Individual Jumping

Bronze: 1999 Winnipeg-Team Jumping

Record In Major International Championships

Olympic Games-10 starts, 4 Top 20 individual placings, 3 Top 5 team placings

Pan American Games-9 starts, 5 Top 5 individual placings (3 medals), 6 Top 3 team placings (6 medals)

World Championships-6 starts, 2 Top 10 individual placings, 3 Top 5 team placings

World Cup Finals-14 starts, 5 Top 8 placings

With more than 25 grand prix career wins to date, she’s a fierce competitor, accomplished trainer, and doting mother. As the youngest child of 10-time Olympian Ian Millar and his late wife Lynn, you could say Amy has horses in her blood. Growing up, Amy learned the ins and outs of the business from the ground up and began riding before she could even walk.

“My mom, Lynn, had a strict ‘you ride, you feed’ policy,” says Amy. “She didn’t have a horse growing up, so she was always very aware of the privilege. She tried to make sure we understood that, too.”

Training alongside her famous father, Ian, and older brother, Jonathon, Amy proved early on, that talent doesn’t fall far from the tree. After a brief, and what she calls “sporadically successful,” stint in the hunter and equitation rings, she followed her father’s footsteps into the jumper divisions and found her niche.

“Amy has always been very competitive,” says Ian Millar. “Whether it was the pony hunters or the Grand Prix, she’s never aiming for less than first place.”

At 19, Amy entered the Grand Prix ranks aboard the Danish Warmblood gelding Zagal. The pair had a highly successful season capped by an Individual Silver medal at the North American Young Riders’ Championship. The impressive result earned them a spot on the 1997 Short List for the Canadian Equestrian Team and one of two Firestone Development Scholarships. Two months later, they logged their first international victory, winning the 1997 Desert Circuit Six-Bar challenge in Indio, California. Zagal made Amy a Grand Prix rider, but it was with the Oldenburg gelding Mont Cenis that she became an international success.

Taking over the ride from her father, Amy recorded a slew of top five finishes with the black gelding in 1999. She was officially named to the Nations Cup Team that fall, tapped to ride for Canada at the Washington International Horse Show. Unfortunately, a week before the event, the gelding suffered a hoof abscess. Amy competed on a borrowed mount, narrowly missing a berth on that year’s Pan American Games team.

In 2000, her star power continued to rise with the quirky gelding Manhattan. Amy won the inaugural Jaguar Triple Crown Series that summer, narrowly beating her father, Ian Millar for the coveted car. She again earned a spot on the Canadian Nations Cup team, this time riding with her father, brother, and Jill Henselwood at the prestigious Spruce Meadows Masters tournament in Calgary, Alberta. In what would become a record of firsts, the Millars made history that day as the only Canadian Nations Cup team to include three-members from the same family.

The following year, Team Millar broke new ground again as Amy, Jonathon, and Ian found themselves the only three members of a first-place tie-breaker in a $100,000 grand prix in Ocala, Florida. Jonathon won, followed by his father, then followed by Amy. Lynn Millar called it, “the most exciting moment of my career.”

Between 1997 and 2000, Amy juggled a degree in Business Administration at Ryerson University and an increasingly competitive show jumping career. Upon graduating, she moved to the United States for two years to work for Kinloch Farm and later, Sam Edelman. She was selected as a member of the inaugural Developing Riders’ Tour that competed in several Nations’ Cup events in Europe in 2001 and 2002.

In 2003, she returned to the family’s Millar Brooke Farm full time. It was then that she found the partner she is best known for today: Costa Rica Z.

Together, Amy and the charismatic grey mare collected more than 60, top 10 Grand Prix finishes, including seven victories and numerous awards and titles. They won the Kubota Cup Series Eastern Conference in 2007 and competed for Canada on several Nations Cup teams. Amy twice finished the year on top of the national Jump Canada series both in 2007 and 2008 based primarily on results she earned with Costa Rica.

Out of competition for the first half of 2010 on maternity leave, Amy gave birth to a daughter, Lily Evelyn Millar Jukosky, in May. Two months later, she returned to competition, recording the most consistent season of her career. In January 2012, she achieved a career best on the Rolex World Rankings as the fourth ranked rider in Canada.

In 2015, Amy began competing with her current equine partner, the 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Heros. The pair were Canada’s top performers at the 2016 Nations Cup in Ocala, Florida as well as members of the third-place finishing BMO Nations Cup team during the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament in September.

One month earlier in August, Amy followed in her father’s footsteps making her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games where she and Heros were part of Canada’s fourth place finish in the team event, in a jump-off for bronze against Germany. In 2017, Amy was crowned the Canadian Show Jumping Champion at the Royal Winter Fair. Throughout 2018 and 2019 Amy has collected numerous Grand Prix podium finishes and has continued to represent Canada in Nations Cup competition.

Today, Amy works alongside her father, brother, and sister-in-law at the family’s Millar Brooke Farm in Perth, Ontario where she trains her own mounts and coaches the many students that form Team Millar.

Rider Stats

Birthdate: February 14^th, 1977

Birthplace:  Ottawa, Ontario

Hometown: Perth, Ontario

View Full FEI Results at this link. 

Career Highlights

• Two-time Jump Canada National Series Winner
• Jaguar Triple Crown Series Winner
• Kubota Cup Series Eastern Conference Winner
• Short-listed member of the Canadian Equestrian Team
• Amy made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games
• 2017 Canadian Show Jumping Champion

Jonathon Millar has been a member of the Canadian Show Jumping Team for 20 years. The firstborn child of Canada’s most decorated equestrian, Ian Millar, and his late wife Lynn, Jon grew up on the horse show circuit but he only began competing seriously himself at age 16.

Within a year, Jonathon shot to the top of the junior ranks, earning a spot in the FEI North American Junior and Young Riders (NAJYR) Finals. Aboard the Thoroughbred Simon Says, a horse he started riding just two months earlier, he helped secure the Team Gold for Canada and placed fourth in the Individual Finals, narrowly missing a podium finish. The following year in 1993, Jonathon took home the Team Silver at the NAJYR Finals with the Belgium Warmblood, Emir.

At 19, Jonathon made his Canadian Equestrian Team debut. With Emir, he was one of four horse and rider combinations to represent Canada in the Nations Cup at the Washington International in DC. (He had the dubious distinction of wrecking the team car en route to the 5:00am morning school.)

Over the next three years Jonathon and Emir went on to record a slew of top-three Grand Prix finishes. Their consistent results earned him a berth on the Canadian Developing Riders Team in 1997. Travelling to Europe with the Team, Jonathon remained abroad, taking a riding position with renowned horseman Emile Hendrix, of Stal Hendrix, in the Netherlands.

It was at Stal Hendrix that Jonathon started the Millar Brooke-bred gelding Aftershock and the Dutch Warmblood stallion Fine Line—the two horses that would thrust him into the international spotlight.

In 2000, he returned to Canada to contest the Olympic Selection Trials, this time accepting a position with US team stalwart Laura Kraut in Middleburg, Virginia. Jonathon was named second alternate to the Canadian Olympic Team. He and Fine Line moved up to first alternate prior to the Games in Sydney.

That same year, Jonathon rode for Canada on two Nations Cup teams. Together with his father Ian, sister Amy, and Canadian team veteran Jill Henselwood, he and Fine Line contested the prestigious Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament in Calgary. It was the first time three members of the same family have competed on the same team. One month later, he donned the red coat for Canada again at the Washington International in DC with Aftershock.

In 2001, Jonathon recorded his first Grand Prix victory. In the final week of Florida’s HITS Ocala winter circuit, Jonathon claimed Friday’s $15,000 Grand Prix with Aftershock. Two days later, he and Fine Line won the $100,000 Grand Prix in a nail-biting, three-way jump off against his father and sister. Ian would later place second and Amy, in third. In 2007, Jonathon made sports history again when he finished second to his legendary father, by mere fractions of a second, in the Canadian Championship with the grey mare Fancy Hill. It was one of 15, top-five finishes he recorded with the lightning fast mare.

Jonathon was a winner’s circle regular with Fancy Hill, but it was the gentle giant Contino 14 that made him a Canadian team staple. The well-matched pair made Nations Cup appearances at the 2009 Promotional League Final in Barcelona, Spain, the 2010 Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament in Calgary, Alberta, and the 2011 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Canada recorded top three finishes in each.

Contino 14 and Jonathon also represented Canada at the 2010 World Show Jumping Championships. The Team’s clutch fifth-place finish was the nation’s best result in nearly 25 years and secured Canada’s berth for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. By 2011, Jonathon was the third ranked rider in Canada, eclipsing his famous father for the first time on the Short List for the national show jumping team.

Today, Jonathon continues to be a force in the Grand Prix ring with his international mount, Calvin Klein. Alongside his father, Jonathon and Calvin Klein were part of the first-place Nations Cup effort in Mexico that qualified Canada for the 2014 Furusiyya Nations CupTM Finals. As of mid-August, the pair had recorded 13 top 10 placings in 2014, including a third-place finish in the $100,000 Synoil Energy Services Cup at Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park in Ontario.

Over the past two years, Jonathon has continued to develop his partnership with Calvin Klein and with the 2006 KWPN gelding Bonzay, owned by Isotropic Networks Inc. Jonathon piloted Bonzay to third place in a class that quickly became a family affair, the first round of the $100,000 Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championship at the Royal Horse Show. Jonathon and Bonzay finished behind his sister Amy in second, and his father Ian in first. In 2018, Jonathon piloted Daveau to a double-clear performance in the Nations’ Cup in Coapexpan, Mexico, which ultimately helped Canada secure the win. Jonathon and Daveau were the only combination to jump double clear in the 2019 $134,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix – securing the win in front of a home crowd in Ottawa.

Jonathon Millar lives with his wife, Kelly Soleau-Millar, and their three dogs on Millar Brooke Farm in Perth, where he works alongside with father and sister.

Rider Stats

Birthdate: September 25^th, 1974

Birthplace: Ottawa, Ontario

Hometown: Perth, Ontario

View Full FEI Results at this link. 

Career Highlights

• Short-listed member of the Canadian Equestrian Team since 1994.
• First alternate for the Olympic Show Jumping Team since 2000.
• Eight Nations Cup appearances.
• Member of the 5^th place team at the 2010 World Championships.

Record in Major International Championships

Olympic Games

 World Championships

 World Cup Finals

A quintessential horse-crazy kid, they were all Kelly Soleau-Millar could talk about from an early age. It took determination but, after visiting more farms than they could count, Kelly’s mom finally found an instructor willing to take on a two-year-old! Her first pony, Sweet Dreams, was purchased when Kelly was three and, despite being told that the pony would only walk and trot, she persevered and found a way to make him canter.

Her mother spent her weekends taking Kelly and Sweet Dreams to various horse shows where they started out in the leadline classes before advancing to the walk-trot and short-stirrup divisions. By the time Kelly was nine, she had qualified for the prestigious Washington International Horse Show where she and Farnley Beeware were the only pony entry competing in the Children’s Hunter division.

When Kelly was ready for the Children’s Jumper division, they imported a horse from Switzerland, naming it Vonderheyde in tribute to her father’s family heritage. Together, Kelly and Vonderheyde claimed the 1998 Marshall & Sterling League national championship title. She also qualified for the major Equitation Finals for three years with Heart’s On Fire, who did double-duty with Kelly in the Junior Hunter divisions.

Kelly represented U.S. Zone 1 at the North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championship on five occasions. For her first appearance, she leased Kinders Lucky Charm for the week and won the Junior division Farewell competition. In 2003, she enjoyed a top 10 finish individually in the Young Riders’ division with Master Man, her partner of 11 seasons and the horse she credits as being the biggest part of her career to date. Starting out in the Low Junior Jumper division, Master Man carried Kelly to her first World Cup Grand Prix as well as her debut in the International Ring at Calgary’s iconic Spruce Meadows.

With another special mount, Centre Ice, Kelly celebrated victory in the $20,000 RAM Equestrian Grand Prix in 2014 in at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON. Kelly and her now-husband, Jonathon Millar riding his father’s 2012 Olympic mount, Star Power, were the only two people to qualify for the jump-off. Having previously part-owned Centre Ice, Kelly’s father had purchased the horse for her outright shortly before his passing, making their grand prix win together both memorable and bittersweet.

Kelly’s current top mount is Cacharel, owned by Donna Vanderwoude-Dyment in partnership with Bridge Brook Arms. Kelly and Cacharel began competing together during the 2017 season and, based on impressive results at the international level, were named to the United States Equestrian Team for the €250,000 CSIO5* Longines Nations’ Cup in Coapexpan, Mexico, marking Kelly’s Nations’ Cup debut.

Competing as a professional, Kelly works full-time as a rider, trainer, and the manager of Millar Brooke Farm. She continues to ride for her family’s farm, Bridge Brook Arms, based in Wellington, FL, and founded by her parents, Mary Christine and Robert Soleau. In December of 2015, Kelly married Millar in Key West, Florida. A true animal lover, Kelly is rarely seen without her pack of Welsh corgis in tow. In addition to a regular pilates regime, Kelly enjoys interior design and renovating both houses and barns.

Rider stats

Birthplace:                             Hartford, Connecticut

Birthdate:                              March 4, 1984

Hometown:                            Wellington, Florida

Occupation:                           Full-time athlete

Stable:                                    Bridge Brook Arms

Coach:                                    Ian, Jonathon and Amy Millar

HORSES

Cacharel                                2007 grey Dutch Warmblood mare by Vingino x Clinton

Owner:  Donna Vanderwoude-Dyment and Bridge Brook Arms

Career Highlights 

2019

8th                   $100,000 RAM Grand Prix, CSI3* Classic @ Palgrave Phase II, ON          Cacharel

7th                   $36,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round VI, CSI3* WEF VI, Wellington, FL  Cacharel

2018

7th                   $35,000 1.50m Qualifier, CSI4* ESP Holiday & Horses, Wellington, FL    Cacharel

1st                   $35,500 Open Welcome, CSI2* Caledon National, ON                                Itty Bitty

2nd                  €250,000 Longines Nations’ Cup, CSIO5* Coapexpan II, MEX                 Cacharel

10th                 $35,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round X, CSI3* WEF X, Wellington, FL     Cacharel

8th (tie)           $35,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round VI, CSI3* WEF VI, Wellington, FL   Cacharel

2017

10th                 $10,000 1.40m Open Stake, ESP New Years, Wellington, FL                       Itty Bitty

7th                   $86,000 Caledon Cup – Phase III, CSI2* Canadian SJ Tournament, ON      Itty Bitty

9th                   $35,000 Caledon Cup – Phase II, CSI2* Canadian SJ Tournament, ON       Cacharel

2nd                  $25,000 RAM Equestrian Grand Prix, Autumn Classic, Palgrave, ON         Itty Bitty

9th                   $25,000 RAM Equestrian Grand Prix, Autumn Classic, Palgrave, ON         Cacharel

2nd                  $36,000 1.45m Sunday Classic, CSI3* Angelstone The Champions, ON     Itty Bitty

6th                   $86,600 1.60m Grand Prix, CSI3* Angelstone The Champions, ON            Cacharel

5th                   $40,000 Open Welcome, CSI3* Angelstone The Champions, ON                Itty Bitty

3rd                   $15,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Caledon Premier II, ON                     Centre Ice

5th                   $35,000 Open Welcome, CSI2* Caledon Premier II, ON                              Cacharel

10th                 $35,000 Open Welcome, CSI2* Caledon Premier II, ON                              Itty Bitty

7th                   $35,000 AECON Jumper Classic, CSI3* Ottawa International, ON             Itty Bitty

7th                   $50,000 Brookstreet Hotel Grand Prix, Ottawa National, ON                       Itty Bitty

9th                   $20,000 Open Welcome, Ottawa National, ON                                             Cacharel

5th                   $20,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Classic @ Palgrave Phase II, ON      Centre Ice

6th                   $20,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Classic @ Palgrave Phase II, ON      Itty Bitty

9th                   $15,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Caledon National, ON                       Cacharel

1st                   $10,000 1.30m Jumper Classic, CSI3*-W Palm Beach Masters, FL             Hoolie Hoo

2016

10th                 $40,000 Groupby Grand Prix, CSI2* Angelstone The International, ON     Itty Bitty

8th                   $35,000 Open Welcome, CSI2* Summer Festival, Palgrave, ON                 Itty Bitty

10th                 $35,000 Open Welcome, CSI2* Ottawa International, ON                           Itty Bitty

3rd                   $20,000 Open Welcome, Ottawa National, ON                                             Itty Bitty

2015

5th                   $56,000 Grand Prix, CSI2* Orangeville, ON                                                Itty Bitty

9th                   $10,000 1.45m Premier Marine Open Welcome, CSI2* Orangeville, ON    Itty Bitty

6th                   $50,000 Grand Prix, Vermont Summer Celebration, VT                              Itty Bitty

1st                   $10,000 Welcome Stake, Vermont Summer Celebration, VT                       Itty Bitty

7th                   $34,000 Open Welcome, CSI2* Angelstone Headwaters Cup, ON              Itty Bitty

9th                   $34,000 Open Welcome, CSI2* Angelstone Headwaters Cup, ON              Centre Ice

3rd                   $46,000 Grand Prix, CSI2* Angelstone Erin Welcome, ON                         Itty Bitty

5th                   $10,000 Open Welcome, CSI2* Angelstone Erin Welcome, ON                 Centre Ice

8th                   $35,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix, Ottawa International, Ottawa, ON            Centre Ice

5th                   $10,000 Karson Open Welcome, Ottawa International, Ottawa, ON            Centre Ice

9th                   $10,000 Karson Open Welcome, Ottawa International, Ottawa, ON            Itty Bitty

4th                   $35,000 RAM Grand Prix, CSI1* Classic @ Palgrave Phase II, ON            Centre Ice

9th                   $35,000 RAM Grand Prix, CSI1* Classic @ Palgrave Phase II, ON            Itty Bitty

9th                   $15,000 Omega Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Caledon National, ON           Centre Ice

10th                 $30,000 Grand Prix, ESP Spring III, Wellington, FL                                    Itty Bitty

5th                   $10,000 1.45 Friday Prix, CSIO4* HITS Ocala V, FL                                  Centre Ice

9th                   $10,000 1.45 Friday Prix, CSIO4* HITS Ocala V, FL                                  Itty Bitty

2014

4th                   $33,500 Open Welcome, CSI3*-W Angelstone International, ON               Itty Bitty

3rd                   $35,000 Caledon Cup I, CSI2*-W Canadian SJ Tournament, ON                Itty Bitty

7th                   $50,000 Zucarlos Grand Prix, CSI2* Orangeville, ON                                 Centre Ice

9th                   $50,000 Zucarlos Grand Prix, CSI2* Orangeville, ON                                 Itty Bitty

1st                   $20,000 RAM Equestrian Grand Prix, Equestrian Festival, Palgrave, ON   Centre Ice

5th                   $20,000 RAM Equestrian Grand Prix, Equestrian Festival, Palgrave, ON   Itty Bitty

5th                   $10,000 Open Welcome, Equestrian Festival, Palgrave, ON                        Itty Bitty

8th                   $10,000 Open Welcome, Equestrian Festival, Palgrave, ON                        Centre Ice

5th                   $20,000 Clark Builders Grand Prix, CSI5* S.M. North American, AB        Centre Ice

6th                   $20,000 Clark Builders Grand Prix, CSI5* S.M. North American, AB        Itty Bitty

2nd                  $10,000 1.40m Jr./Am. Jumper, CSI5* Spruce Meadows National, AB       Itty Bitty

7th                   $10,000 1.40m ConocoPhillips, CSI5* Spruce Meadows National, AB       Centre Ice

8th                   $10,000 1.40m Jr./Am. Jumper, CSI5* Spruce Meadows National, AB       Centre Ice

3rd                   $10,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Caledon National, ON                       Itty Bitty

6th                   $10,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Caledon National, ON                       Centre Ice

8th                   $10,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Classic @ Palgrave Phase I, ON       Centre Ice

9th                   $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI5* WEF XII, Wellington, FL   Itty Bitty

2013

3rd                   $10,000 Canadian Hunter Derby Final, CSI2*-W Angelstone Int’l, ON      Vianco v/d Rampaarden

9th                   $10,000 Jr./Amateur Hunter Classic, CSI4*-W Hampton Classic, NY         Vianco v/d Rampaarden

8th                   $10,000 Jr./Amateur Welcome Stake, CSI4*-W Hampton Classic, NY       Itty Bitty

4th                   $15,000 Jr./Am. Jumper, CSI5* Spruce Meadows Pan American, AB         Itty Bitty

8th                   $20,000 Jr./Am. Grand Prix, CSI5* S. Meadows North American, AB        Centre Ice

9th                   $10,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, Kentucky Spring Classic, KY         Itty Bitty

9th                   $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI4* WEF XI, Wellington, FL     Centre Ice

10th                 $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI3* WEF X, Wellington, FL      Itty Bitty

9th                   $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI2* WEF V, Wellington, FL      Centre Ice

1st                   $10,000 Medium Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI2* WEF IV, FL                   Itty Bitty

2012

9th                   $50,000 Grand Prix, Angelstone National III, Rockwood, ON                     Centre Ice

6th                   $25,000 Royal Lepage Grand Prix, Angelstone National II, ON                  Centre Ice

5th                   $10,000 Modified Grand Prix, Orangeville, ON                                            Centre Ice

7th                   $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI3* WEF X, Wellington, FL      Centre Ice

9th                   $10,000 Medium Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI3*-W WEF V, FL               Itty Bitty

9th                   $10,000 Low Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI3*-W WEF V, Wellington, FL Master Man

10th                 $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, HITS Ocala January II, Ocala, FL                      Centre Ice

3rd                   $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, HITS Ocala January I, Ocala, FL                       Centre Ice

6th                   $15,000 Open Mini Prix, HITS Ocala January I, Ocala, FL                          Centre Ice

2011

9th                   $10,000 Modified Grand Prix, CSI2* Summer Festival, ON                        Centre Ice

2nd                  $15,000 Jr./Am. Cup, CSI5* Spruce Meadows North American, AB           Vianco v/d Rampaarden

8th                   $10,000 Low Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI5* WEF XI, Wellington, FL     Master Man

3rd                   $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, CSI2* WEF IV, Wellington, FL     Centre Ice

6th                   $10,000 Medium Amateur-Owner Classic, WEF I, Wellington, FL             Vianco v/d Rampaarden

2010

Reserve Five-Year-Old National Champion, Palgrave, ON                          Itty Bitty

2009

9th (tie)           $60,000 World Cup Grand Prix, CSI2*-W Blainville II, QC                        Master Man

5th                   $32,000 Open Welcome, CSI2*-W Blainville II, QC                                    Master Man

2008

9th                   $10,000 Open Welcome, National Capital Open, Ottawa, ON                      Master Man

10th                 $35,000 Kubota Cup, CSI3*-W Bromont International, QC                         Master Man

9th                   $15,000 1.50m, CSI3*-W Bromont International, QC                                  Master Man

8th                   $25,000 Grand Prix, Beaulieu Summer Classic I, Hudson, QC                     Vianco v/d Rampaarden

7th                   $25,000 Grand Prix of St. Lazare, St. Lazare Horse Show, QC                    Master Man

5th                   $15,000 High Amateur-Owner Classic, Wellington, FL                               Vianco v/d Rampaarden

2004

4th                   Team, North American Young Riders’ Championship, Wadsworth, IL       Master Man

24th                 Individual, North American Young Riders’ Championship, Wadsworth, IL Master Man

2003

9th                   Individual, North American Young Riders’ Championship, Bromont, QC   Master Man

Alexander’s entry into the horse world came at an early age when he and his older sister began taking riding lessons at a local stable in Calgary – Teesdale Riding School.

Over the course of his childhood, Alexander participated in many other sports and activities, especially hockey and tennis, before ultimately turning his focus towards show jumping near the end of his high school years.

After graduating from the University of Calgary with a B.Sc in Oil & Gas Engineering in 2006, Alexander began his education in show jumping. He trained with celebrated Alberta horseman Frank Selinger for several years as he gained experience training young horses and riding his first Grand Prix classes.

Alexander spent a year training with top American rider Kyle King before immersing in the Millar Brooke Farm system riding with Canadian legend Ian Millar for another year. During his time with Ian, the focus on training and preparation was solidified as a major component of Alexander’s philosophy. It was also through Ian that Alexander met Emile and Paul Hendrix – world renowned Dutch horsemen – who continue to be partners and mentors to Alexander. Most recently Alexander has trained with legendary horseman and coach George Morris since 2016.

Over the past several years, Alexander has developed horses into elite horses for sport, including a National Talent Squad Finals title, National Young Horse Champion, Hunter champions and numerous Grand Prix and International victories.

Alexander has trained riders of all levels – from entering their first horse show to winning Talent Squad Finals, FEI Children’s Finals, International Grand Prix and every spot in between.

Alexander’s competitive aspirations include representing Team Canada in Nations Cup and Championship competitions as well as continuing to develop and produce high performance horses.

Alexander has also written several articles:

• The importance of Planning Backwards

• You need more canter

• Connection: How to be quiet, calm and smooth

• How I met GHM (George Morris)

• Accordion Gymnastic

• Mid Season Gymnastic

• Lunging as a training tool

• In Defense of a System

• Balancing Act

It started with a rundown property on the outskirts of a small town. Millar Brooke Farm was founded in 1972 on a small budget, big dreams, and boundless determination.

Newlyweds, Ian and Lynn Millar purchased the 500-acre parcel of land in the picturesque town of Perth, Ontario, located just 45 minutes outside Ottawa. Banked by a marsh, the Tay River, and a neighbouring cow farm, the modest property held a crumbling, 125-year-old brick house and a large rundown barn. The house had a leaky roof and no indoor plumbing; the barn housed cattle.

“There was a large tree in the field next to the house. A friend of ours attached a large light to it and Lynn would teach lessons in the snow underneath that light, every weeknight from four ‘til nine,” recalls Ian Millar. “It wasn’t unusual to find the neighbour’s cows in the yard either. They had a bull that would breakthrough the fence on a regular basis and there’d be cows everywhere.”

Within months of taking ownership, Ian and Lynn sold some 200 acres of untenable marshland to the local Conservation Authority. The savvy move ensured no development would threaten to encroach on the farm in the future and effectively paid off the initial mortgage.

Together, over 40-odd years, they transformed the rustic, rural property into a world-class training facility, adding riding rings, stables and fences. The Millars eventually purchased the surrounding properties, including the cow farm, to build an exceptionally private, self-sustaining 600-acre farm.

Today, Millar Brooke Farm boasts three barns, each fitted with individual wash and grooming stalls, separate feed and tackrooms, and oversized stalls. The property is equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, including a covered six-horse walker and treadmill, as well as an outdoor sand track, dozens of large grass and sand paddocks, and several kilometres of manicured trails.

“From day one, Lynn and I were always making improvements to the farm, sometimes I just didn’t know about them in advance. I’d go away to a show and come back a few weeks later to find various parts of the property dug up,” recalls Ian. “One year, we came home to find she’d ordered five kilometres of decorative fencing and 1500 trees!”

The crown jewel of the property is undoubtedly the stunning six-acre Grand Prix field. Complete with open water, devil’s dyke, tabletop and bank, the ring is outfitted by an extensive jump collection that includes replicas of the most challenging obstacles found in international competition. These include the famed Bicycle jump and the CN Planks, commonly featured in the $1M CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. The farm also lays claim to a newly refinished 300’ x 110’ outdoor sand ring and a massive 260’ x 60’ heated indoor arena with private viewing gallery.

Today, the entire Millar clan calls Millar Brooke Farm home—Ian, Jonathon, and Amy all have houses on the extensive property. The flagship farm of their international training program, it remains, as always, an ever evolving work-in-progress.

Photography by ©Meghan Basco