Ian Millar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ian Millar
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Personal information
Full name	Ian Millar
Nationality	Canada
Discipline	Show jumping
Born	(1947-01-06) 6 January 1947 (age 77) 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, CM (born 6 January 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 medalist. Due to his longevity and accomplishments, he is often nicknamed "Captain Canada" in his sport. He holds the record for most Olympic appearances by any athlete in any sport (10). 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. 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 14 September 2014, Millar won the $1.5-million CP International at Spruce Meadows aboard Dixson, who shares bloodlines with Big Ben. This was the third time he had won the class, having won previously in 1987 and 1991 with Big Ben.

On 23 July 2015, Millar won a gold medal in the Pan American Games team jumping event.

On 1 May 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 Shoeman	6th	Team
1976	Olympic Games	Count Down	5th	Team
1979	Pan American Games	Brother Sam	02	Team
			03	Individual
1980	World Cup Final	Year of the Cat	14th
1980	World Championships	Brother Sam	01	Team
			RET	Individual
1982	World Championships	Wunderbar	5th	Team
			49th	Individual
1983	Pan American Games	Foresight	02	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	02
1986	World Championships	Big Ben	4th	Team
			10th	Individual
1987	World Cup Final	Big Ben	5th
1987	Pan American Games	Big Ben	01	Team
			01	Individual
1988	World Cup Final	Big Ben	01
1988	Olympic Games	Big Ben	4th	Team
			15th	Individual
1989	World Cup Final	Big Ben	01
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	03	Team
			01	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	02	Team
			4th	Individual
2008	Olympic Games	In Style	02	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	01	Team
			16th	Individual
EL = Eliminated; RET = Retired; WD = Withdrew

See also

In Spanish: Ian Millar para niños