Ian Millar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ian Millar CM
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Personal information
Full name	Ian Millar
Nationality	Canada
Discipline	Show jumping
Born	(1947-01-06) January 6, 1947 (age 78) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	167 lb (76 kg; 11 st 13 lb)
Medal record Equestrian Representing  Canada 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

Ian Millar is a famous Canadian athlete who competes in show jumping. He was born on January 6, 1947. He has won the Show Jumping World Cup twice and earned a silver medal at the Olympic Games. Because of his long and successful career, people often call him "Captain Canada" in his sport.

Ian Millar holds a special record: he has competed in more Olympic Games than any other athlete in any sport, with a total of 10 appearances! He set this record when he took part in his tenth Games in London in 2012.

About Ian Millar

Ian Millar was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Today, he runs a place called "Millar Brooke Farm" near Perth, Ontario. He works there with his children, Jonathon Millar and Amy Millar, who are also riders, and his daughter-in-law, Kelly Soleau-Millar.

Awards and Recognition

Ian Millar has received many important awards for his achievements. In 1986, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This is one of the highest honors a Canadian citizen can receive.

In 1996, he was added to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. This means he is recognized as one of Canada's greatest athletes. He was also inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

Ian Millar studied business administration at Algonquin College. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Guelph.

Ian Millar's Equestrian Career

Ian Millar has had an amazing career in horse riding. He has won the Canadian Show Jumping Championship twelve times, which is a huge accomplishment! He has been a key member of the Canadian Equestrian Team for many years.

He has earned over $3.5 million in prize money at the famous Spruce Meadows competition in Calgary, Alberta.

Partnership with Big Ben

One of Ian Millar's most famous horses was named Big Ben. Together, they won more than 40 major Grand Prix titles around the world. They also won the Show Jumping World Cup two years in a row, in 1988 and 1989!

At the Pan American Games in 1987, Ian Millar won an individual gold medal. He has a total of nine Pan American Games medals, including two individual golds. He also holds the North American record for winning the most Grand Prix and Derby events.

Olympic and World Championships

Ian Millar was part of every Canadian Equestrian Team at the Show Jumping World Championships from 1972 to 2014.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in his tenth Olympic Games. His first Olympics was in 1972. He only missed the 1980 Games because Canada joined a boycott against the Soviet Union. This made him the athlete with the most Olympic appearances ever!

In 2008, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Ian Millar was 61 years old. He helped his team, which included Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze, and Mac Cone, win a silver medal. This was his first Olympic medal! He rode his horse, In Style, and had a perfect round, leading Canada into a jump-off for the gold medal against the United States.

At the 2012 Olympics, Ian Millar and his horse, Star Power, finished ninth in the Individual Jumping event. This was the best result for Canada. In the Team Jumping event, Ian Millar, Jill Henselwood, and Eric Lamaze helped Canada finish in fifth place.

Later Career and Retirement

In 2014, Ian Millar won the $1.5-million CP International at Spruce Meadows with his horse Dixson. He had won this event twice before with Big Ben, in 1987 and 1991.

In 2015, he won another gold medal in the Pan American Games team jumping event.

On May 1, 2019, Ian Millar announced that he was retiring from international competitions. He now focuses on coaching young riders and training young horses.

International Competition Results

Here are some of Ian Millar's results from major international competitions:

Results
Year	Event	Horse	Placing	Notes
1972	Olympic Games	The Shoeman	6th	Team
1976	Olympic Games	Count Down	5th	Team
1979	Pan American Games	Brother Sam		Team
				Individual
1980	World Cup Final	Year of the Cat	14th
1980	World Championships	Brother Sam		Team
			RET	Individual
1982	World Championships	Wunderbar	5th	Team
			49th	Individual
1983	Pan American Games	Foresight		Team
			5th	Individual
1984	World Cup Final	Wotan	18th
1984	Olympic Games	Big Ben	4th	Team
			14th	Individual
1985	World Cup Final	Big Ben	8th
1986	World Cup Final	Big Ben
1986	World Championships	Big Ben	4th	Team
			10th	Individual
1987	World Cup Final	Big Ben	5th
1987	Pan American Games	Big Ben		Team
				Individual
1988	World Cup Final	Big Ben
1988	Olympic Games	Big Ben	4th	Team
			15th	Individual
1989	World Cup Final	Big Ben
1990	World Cup Final	Czar	12th
1991	World Cup Final	Czar	15th
1992	World Cup Final	Big Ben	40th
1992	Olympic Games	Big Ben	9th	Team
			54th	Individual
1993	World Cup Final	Future Vision	37th
1994	World Equestrian Games	Future Vision	7th	Team
			27th	Individual
1996	Olympic Games	Play It Again	16th	Team
			47th	Individual
1997	World Cup Final		28th
1998	World Equestrian Games	Mont Cenis	10th	Team
			39th	Individual
1999	Pan American Games	Ivar		Team
				Individual
2000	World Cup Final	Ivar	30th
2000	Olympic Games	Dorincord	9th	Team
			13th	Individual
2003	Pan American Games	Promise Me	5th	Team
			7th	Individual
2004	Olympic Games	Promise Me	22nd	Individual
2005	World Equestrian Games	In Style	13th	Team
			90th	Individual
2007	Pan American Games	In Style		Team
			4th	Individual
2008	Olympic Games	In Style		Team
			22nd	Individual
2009	World Cup Final	In Style	15th
2011	Pan American Games	Star Power	4th	Team
			24th	Individual
2012	Olympic Games	Star Power	5th	Team
			9th	Individual
2014	World Equestrian Games	Dixson	8th	Team
			36th	Individual
2015	Pan American Games	Dixson		Team
			16th	Individual
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

See also

In Spanish: Ian Millar para niños