Ian Millar has competed in more Olympic Games than any Canadian in history, in any sport. He shares the world record for number of Olympic starts with retired Austrian yachtsman Hubert Raudaschl. Both have competed in nine Olympic Games. Millar’s ninth Olympic start, in 2008, brought him his first Olympic medal – a team silver, at age 61. It was the first team show jumping medal that Canada had earned in 40 years. Millar is hoping to represent Canada at the 2012 Olympic Games when he will be 65.
If Millar’s Olympic record is impressive for longevity, his Pan American Games record is equally so for his medal count. He has earned 9 medals in 8 Pan American Games, more than any other show jumper. He earned a team silver and narrowly missed an individual bronze in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro. He has twice been the Pan American Games individual gold medalist (1987 and 1999).
In spite of his Olympic and Pan American Games records, it was the World Cup of show jumping where Millar first broke new ground. In 1988 and ’89 he and his legendary partner, Big Ben, became the first-ever rider and horse combination to win back-to-back World Cup Finals. He has represented Canada in fourteen World Cup Finals and recorded five top-eight finishes.
Millar has represented Canada at six World Championships, where he has been a member of three top-five-placed teams and has finished in the top-ten individually twice.
He is a ten-time Canadian Champion, having last won the title in 2007. That national championship made Canadian show jumping history, as Millar and his son, Jonathon, logged a 1-2 finish in a close battle for the title.
Millar is the most decorated equestrian in Canadian history. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1986 and was Ontario’s Athlete of the Year in 1989. In 1996, he and Big Ben were both inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Big Ben was only the second horse to receive this honour, the first being Northern Dancer. Millar was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Guelph, Ontario, in 2005.
Millar works closely with his son, Jonathon, and daughter, Amy, who are both successful riders in national and international grand prix. They operate Millar Brooke Farm together and have been dubbed “Team Millar”.
HORSES
Dryden – 9-year-old, Belgian-bred stallion, owned by Susan Grange, Lothlorien Farm
Star Power – 10-year-old, Dutch-bred gelding, owned by Team Works
RECORD IN MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Olympic Games – 9 starts, 3 top-20 placings individually, 3 top-5 team placings
Year Horse Individual Placing Team Placing Location
2008 In Style 23rd T Silver Medal Hong Kong/Beijing
2004 Promise Me 24th DNC Athens
2000 Dorincord 13th 9th Sydney
1996 Play It Again 47th 16th Atlanta
1992 Big Ben 54th 9th Barcelona
1988 Big Ben 15th 4th Seoul
1984 Big Ben 14th 4th Los Angeles
1976 Countdown DNC 5th Montreal
1972 Shoeman DNC 6th Munich
Pan American Games – 8 starts, 5 top-5 placings individually (3 medals), 6 top-3 team placings (6 medals)
Year Horse Individual Placing Team Placing Location
2007 In Style 4th Silver Medal Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2003 Promise Me 7th 6th Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
1999 Ivar Gold Medal Bronze Medal Winnipeg
1995 Mistral 26th 7th Mar del Plata, Argentina
1991 Future Vision 22nd Silver Medal Havana
1987 Big Ben Gold Medal Gold Medal Indianapolis
1983 Foresight 5th Silver Medal Caracas
1979 Brother Sam Bronze Medal Silver Medal San Juan
World Championships – 6 starts, 2 top-10 placings indivdually, 3 top-5 team placings
Year Horse Individual Placing Team Placing Location
2006 In Style 88th 13th Aachen, Germany
1998 Mont Cenis 38th 10th Rome
1994 Future Vision 27th 7th The Hague
1986 Big Ben 10th 4th Aachen, Germany
1982 Wunderbar 49th 5th Dublin
1978 Brother Sam 9th 4th Aachen, Germany
World Cup Final – 14 starts, 5 top-8 placings
Year Horse Placing Location
2009 In Style 14th T Las Vegas
2000 Ivar 30th T Las Vegas
1997 My Girl 28th Gothenburg, Sweden
1993 Future Vision 37th Gothenburg, Sweden
1992 Big Ben 40th Del Mar, California
1991 Czar 15th Gothenburg, Sweden
1990 Czar 12th T Dortmund, Germany
1989 Big Ben 1st Tampa, Florida
1988 Big Ben 1st Gothenburg, Sweden
1987 Big Ben 5th Paris
1986 Big Ben 2nd Gothenburg, Sweden
1985 Big Ben 8th Berlin
1984 Wotan 18th Gothenburg, Sweden
1980 Brother Sam 14th Baltimore
RECENT PLACINGS AND CAREER HIGHLIGHTS, OTHER THAN MAJOR GAMES:
2010
3rd $75,000 Prix de Penn National, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Star Power
3rd €200,000 Gijon Grand Prix, Gijon, Spain Star Power
2nd Member of 2nd-placed team, nations cup, Gijon, Spain Star Power
1st $118,000 Grand Prix, National Capital Tournament, Ottawa, Ontario Dryden
2nd $118,000 Grand Prix, National Capital Tournament, Ottawa, Ontario Star Power
2nd $35,000 Open Jumper Welcome, Summer Festival, Palgrave, Ontario Dryden
3rd $31,000 Canada Cup, Spruce Meadows Continental, Calgary Star Power
1st $50,000 Grand Prix, Classic at Palgrave II, Palgrave, Ontario Star Power
2nd $25,000 1.5 metre Classic, Winter Equestrian Festival X, Wellington, Fla Dryden
2nd 1.4 metre competition, Winter Equestrian Festival V, Wellington, Florida Wheels Up
1st 1.4 metre competition, Winter Equestrian Festival II, Wellington, Florida Redefin
3rd 1.45 metre competition, Winter Equestrian Festival I, Wellington, Florida Dryden
1st 1.4 metre competition, Winter Equestrian Festival I, Wellington, Florida Dryden
2009
2nd Canadian Show Jumping Championship, Royal Winter Fair, Toronto Redefin
2nd $75,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix, Ottawa Redefin
2nd $25,000 National Capital Grand Prix, Ottawa Stedet’s Leroy
3rd $175,000 Mercedes Benz Classic Derby, Spruce Meadows North American, Calgary Redefin
2nd $30,000 Enerflex Cup, Spruce Meadows North American, Calgary In Style
1st $25,000 West Jet Cup, Spruce Meadows Canada One, Calgary Dryden
1st $25,000 Devon Cup, Spruce Meadows Continental, Calgary In Style
3rd $175,000 Nexen Cup Derby, Spruce Meadows National, Calgary Redefin
1st $200,000 CN Reliability Grand Prix, Spruce Meadows National, Calgary In Style
1st $25,000 ATB Financial Cup, Spruce Meadows National, Calgary In Style
2nd $25,000 Grand Prix of St. Lazare, Quebec Stedet’s Leroy
3rd $25,000 Spring Grand Prix V, Wellington, Florida Stedet’s Leroy
3rd $25,000 Spring Grand Prix IV, Wellington, Florida Stedet’s Leroy
2nd $200,000 World Cup Qualifier, Winter Equestrian Festival, Wellington, Florida In Style
1st Member of winning team, $75,000 Nations Cup, Winter Equestrian Festival, Wellington, Florida In Style
2008
1st Jumping competition, Syracuse, New York Redefin
1st $100,000 World Cup Qualifier, Tournament of Champions, Palgrave, Ont In Style
1st Speed competition, Madrid, Spain In Style
3rd Grand Prix of Lummen, Belgium Redefin
2nd T Member of 2nd-placed team, €50,000 Nations Cup, Lummen, Belgium In Style
1st $75,000 grand prix, Palm Beach International Equestrian Centre In Style
2007
Leading International Rider, Royal Winter Fair, Toronto
Leading Canadian Rider, Royal Winter Fair, Toronto
1st Weston Canadian Open, Royal Winter Fair, Toronto Redefin
1st $100,000 World Cup Qualifier, Royal Winter Fair, Toronto In Style
1st Kubota Cup National Final, Royal Winter Fair, Toronto Redefin
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship, Toronto In Style
1st $100,000 World Cup Qualifier, Tournament of Champions, Palgrave, Ontario In Style
1st $50,000 Grand Prix, Tournament of Champions, Palgrave, Ontario In Style
1st $30,000 Zeidler Financial Cup, Spruce Meadows Masters tournament, Calgary Redefin
1st $50,000 Miele Grand Prix, Collingwood, Ontario Redefin
1st $25,000 Devon Cup, Spruce Meadows Continental Tournament In Style
1st $25,000 Open Cup, Spruce Meadows National Tournament, Calgary Redefin
1st First selection trial for Pan American Games team, Palgrave, Ontario Redefin
1st $50,000 Classic at Palgrave Grand Prix, Palgrave, Ontario In Style
1st $20,000 Open Welcome Stake, Palgrave, Ontario In Style
1st Member of winning team, $75,000 Nations Cup, Wellington, Florida In Style
1st $25,000 Winter Equestrian Festival VII Grand Prix, Wellington, Florida In Style
1st $35,000 Wellington Inaugural Grand Prix, Wellington, Florida Redefin
1st $25,000 Winter Equestrian Festival I Grand Prix, Wellington, Florida In Style
2006
Leading Canadian Rider, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto
1st Member of winning team, $350,000 Nations Cup, Spruce Meadows Masters, Calgary In Style
1st Member of winning team, $75,000 Nations Cup, Wellington, Florida In Style
2004
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship In Style
2002
2nd $1,000,000 CN International (world’s richest grand prix), Spruce Meadows Masters, Calgary Aftershock
1993
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship Big Ben
1991
1st $680,000 duMaurier International (world’s richest grand prix), Spruce Meadows Masters, Calgary Big Ben
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship Big Ben
1990
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship Czar
1989
#1-ranked show jumper in the world
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship El Futuro
1988
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship El Futuro
1987
#1-ranked show jumper in the world
1st $250,000 duMaurier International (world’s richest grand prix), Spruce Meadows Masters, Calgary Big Ben
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship Warrior
1986
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship Big Ben
1983
1st Canadian National Show Jumping Championship Warrior
