Ian Millar CM (born January 6, 1947) is a Canadian Equestrian Team athlete for show jumping. He is a two-time winner of the Show Jumping World Cup, and an Olympic silver medallist. Due to his longevity and accomplishments, he is often nicknamed "Captain Canada." He holds the record for most Olympic appearances by any athlete in any sport (10), shared with Georgian shooter Nino Salukvadze. A member of Canada's 2012 Olympic Games team, he broke the record when he took part in his tenth Games in London 2012.
Biography Millar was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He operates "Millar Brooke Farm" near the small town of Perth, Ontario, alongside his children Jonathon Millar and Amy Millar, and daughter-in-law Kelly Soleau-Millar.
In 1986 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 1996 was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.
He has a degree in business administration from Algonquin College, and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Guelph.
His wife Lynn died of cancer in March 2008.
Equestrian career Millar is a twelve-time winner of the Canadian Show Jumping Championship. He has been a staple on the Canadian Equestrian Team for decades, and has amassed over $3.5 million in prize earnings at the prestigious Spruce Meadows venue in Calgary, Alberta.
With his horse, Big Ben (1976–1999), Millar won more than 40 Grand Prix titles worldwide and the Show Jumping World Cup two years in a row (1988 & 1989). At the Pan American Games in August 1987, Ian Millar became the second Canadian to win an individual gold medal. He now has nine Pan American Games medals, including two individual golds. He holds the North American record for Grand Prix and Derby wins. He was a member of every Canadian Equestrian Team at the Show Jumping World Championships from 1972 to 2014. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Millar competed at his tenth games (his first having been in 1972, having only missed the 1980 Games due to the US-led boycott against the Soviet Union), breaking the record set by Hubert Raudaschl.
On 18 August, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, at the age of 61, Millar anchored his team (also including Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze, and Mac Cone) to a first-place standing. Riding In Style, he completed a faultless round to lead the Canadian team into a jump-off for gold with the United States. Ultimately Canada would finish behind the American team to capture silver – Millar's first Olympic medal.
Millar was named to the 2012 Olympic team, making that appearance, his tenth, a record for any Olympic athlete's appearances at Olympics.TSN, (April 18, 2012) ("Top 12 Canadian reasons to watch London in 2012", CTVOlympics.ca, Retrieved May 29, 2012 In the 2012 Olympics' Individual Jumping event, Millar finished in a three-way tie for ninth aboard his gelding Star Power, the best Canadian result. In Team Jumping, Millar, along with fellow riders Jill Henselwood and Eric Lamaze, scored a fifth-place finish for Canada.
On September 14, 2014, Millar won the $1.5-million CP International at Spruce Meadows aboard Dixson, who shares bloodlines with Big Ben.CBC, (September 14, 2014) ("Ian Millar wins CP International at Spruce Meadows", cbc.ca, Retrieved September 15, 2014 This was the third time he had won the class, having won previously in 1987 and 1991 with Big Ben.
On July 23, 2015, Millar won a gold medal in the Pan American Games team jumping event.The Globe and Mail (July 23, 2015) ("Ian Millar leads Canada to gold in team equestrian at Pan Am Games", theglobeandmail.com, Retrieved July 26, 2015
On May 1, 2019, Millar announced his retirement from international competition to re-focus his attention on coaching and developing young horses.
International championship results Results Year Event Horse Placing Notes 1972 Olympic Games The Shoeman6thTeam 1976 Olympic GamesCount Down5thTeam 1979 Pan American Games Brother SamTeamIndividual 1980 World Cup Final Year of the Cat 14th 1980 World Championships Brother SamTeamRETIndividual 1982 World Championships Wunderbar5thTeam49thIndividual 1983 Pan American Games ForesightTeam5thIndividual1984World Cup FinalWotan18th 1984 Olympic Games Big Ben4thTeam14thIndividual1985World Cup FinalBig Ben8th1986World Cup FinalBig Ben1986World ChampionshipsBig Ben4thTeam10thIndividual1987World Cup FinalBig Ben5th1987Pan American GamesBig BenTeamIndividual1988World Cup FinalBig Ben1988Olympic GamesBig Ben4thTeam15thIndividual1989World Cup FinalBig Ben1990World Cup FinalCzar12th1991World Cup FinalCzar15th1992World Cup FinalBig Ben40th1992Olympic GamesBig Ben9thTeam54thIndividual1993World Cup FinalFuture Vision37th1994World Equestrian GamesFuture Vision7thTeam27thIndividual1996Olympic GamesPlay It Again16thTeam47thIndividual1997World Cup Final28th1998World Equestrian GamesMont Cenis10thTeam39thIndividual1999Pan American GamesIvarTeamIndividual2000World Cup FinalIvar30th2000Olympic GamesDorincord9thTeam13thIndividual2003Pan American GamesPromise Me5thTeam7thIndividual2004Olympic GamesPromise Me22ndIndividual2005World Equestrian GamesIn Style13thTeam90thIndividual2007Pan American GamesIn StyleTeam4thIndividual2008Olympic GamesIn StyleTeam22ndIndividual2009World Cup FinalIn Style15th2011Pan American GamesStar Power4thTeam24thIndividual2012Olympic GamesStar Power5thTeam9thIndividual2014World Equestrian GamesDixson8thTeam36thIndividual2015Pan American GamesDixsonTeam16thIndividual EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew
References
External links
Athlete profile at London 2012 web site Ian Millar at The Canadian Encyclopedia Late-blooming Ian Millar just hitting his stride? Equestrian Sports at The Canadian Encyclopedia