Ian Millar

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 medalist. Due to his longevity and accomplishments, he is often nicknamed "Captain Canada" in his sport. He holds the record for most Olympic appearances (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. In 2013, he was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

Biography

Millar was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He operates "Millar Brooke Farm" near the small town of Perth, Ontario.

In 1986 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and in 1996 was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

His wife Lynn died of cancer in March 2008.

Equestrian career

Millar is an eleven-time winner of the Canadian Show Jumping Championship and has captured six Spruce Meadows Derbys, having amassed $3.5 million in prize earnings there.

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. At the Pan American Games in August 1987, Ian Millar became the second Canadian to win an individual Pan Am gold medal. He holds the North American record for Grand Prix and Derby wins. He has been a member of every Canadian Equestrian Team at the Show Jumping World Championships team since 1972. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Millar competed at his ninth games, tying the record set by Hubert Raudaschl. He has been named to ten straight Olympic teams, but did not compete at the 1980 Summer Olympics because of the Canadian boycott.