Eight-time Canadian Olympian Ian Millar Begins Competition in Athens

Eight-time Olympian Ian Millar and Promise Me compete in the first individual and team qualifier for show jumping at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece photo © TetlePhoto.com

Eight-time Canadian Olympian Ian Millar of Perth, ON, competed in the opening round of show jumping events on Sunday, August 22, at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Millar, 57, was only the second of 77 athletes representing 27 nations to enter the competition ring at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Center to contest the first Individual and Team qualifier. Millar was working on a clear round until, late on the course, he incurred eight faults at the double combination when rails fell at both elements of the natural-coloured obstacle. He also incurred three time faults for exceeding the 94-second time allowed to end the first day of competition in 59th position with a total of 11 faults. Time was an issue for the majority of the competitors with 44 athletes incurring time faults over the test set by course designer Olaf Petersen of Germany.

“Promise Me jumped extremely well,” said Millar, of the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by The Baker’s Dozen. “The double combination was a pair of oxers that were very strangely lit. We started the competition at 9 a.m. and between 9 and 9:30, almost every horse had rails down at that double. Then, all of a sudden, the light changed and it wasn’t an issue, so it was a funny little factor with the lighting.”

Ten athletes were able to negotiate the course without incurring any faults to tie for first position. All athletes carry forward their scores from Sunday’s opening competition to the two-round Team Final on Tuesday, August 24. From there, the top 45 horse-rider combinations in the standings will advance to Friday’s Individual Final, where they will all start with a clean slate. Held over two rounds, the top 25 from the first round will move forward to the second round, held at 8:30 p.m. under the lights, to determine the Individual Medals.

“I am looking forward to the two rounds of the Nations’ Cup Team competition,” noted Millar, who placed 13th individually at the 2000 Sydney Olympics riding Dorincord. “The top 45 individuals from that go forward to the Individual Final and return to zero faults, so all I am doing at this point is qualifying for the Individual Final.”