Ottawa Area Athletes Dominate Show Jumping's Tournament of Champions

by Jayne Huddleston

Palgrave, ONTARIO -- In the final stretch of what has been a sensational season, Jonathon Millar galloped to the winner's circle in the $25,000 Speed Derby at Tournament of Champions, north of Toronto. Riding the 11-year-old Danish-bred gelding, Chianto, Millar was both fast and free of knockdowns, stopping the clock at 67.02 seconds.

In the runner-up position Marie Hecart, of France, on Obourg, came closet to Millar's time, in spite of a knockdown. In this speed formula, 4 seconds are added to the actual clocked time for each knockdown. Hecart incurred a knockdown early on the course but managed to make up the added time to earn second-place. Hecart is in Canada to train with Canada's current leading show jumper, Eric Lamaze.

Like Hecart, the third-place finisher actually had a faster time than Millar, but was unable to leave all the jumps up. Roberto Teran, formerly of Colombia, now living in King City, Ontario was penalized at the same jump as Hecart, but made up enough time for a score of 68.06.

Ottawa-area riders have dominated the feature events of this tournament, to date, with only one day remaining. Pan American Games gold medalist Jill Henselwood, of Oxford Mills, recently won the $25,000 Canada Cup Phase I, riding Black Ice. Eight-time Olympian, Ian Millar, of Perth rode in style to win the $50,000 Canada Cup Phase II. The senior Millar then had the pleasure of watching his son, also of Perth, be victorious in today's speed derby, which is not part of the three-leg Canada Cup series.

The win adds to a memorable season for Jonathon, who will celebrate his 33rd birthday next week. He had netted a half-dozen major wins coming into this tournament and added a seventh to his 2007 résumé.

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