STE. JUSTINE-DE-NEWTON, QUEBEC The younger generation of Canada’s first family of show jumping battled for victory in today’s $25,000 Desjardin Grand Prix at Beaulieu’s Summer Classic II, in Ste. Justine-de-Newton, Quebec. Amy Millar, of Perth, Ontario, 30-year-old daughter of Ian Millar, snatched the victory from her brother in a 7-way jump-off. 32-year-old Jonathon Millar settled for a close second, as they were the only two entries to jump fault-free in the tie-breaker.
Amy was aboard Navarre, whose regular rider, Alison Moore, is sidelined with a broken ankle. Navarre is an 8-year-old gelding, owned by Mikaly Farms, who was competing in his first grand prix. Although his sister defeated him, Jonathon got a bonus by qualifying two mounts for the jump-off and claiming, not only second, but third-place too. He rode Chianto to second and Fancy Hill to third.
It was a successful day for “Team Millar” all around, with two of the students who train at the family’s Millar Brooke Farm also finishing in the top five. Kelly Soleau was fourth and Rebecca Irvine fifth. Today marked the second grand prix in two weeks at the same venue, where a Millar has claimed grand prix victory. Jonathon won last week’s $25,000 grand prix at Beaulieu’s Summer Classic I.
1-2 finishes are becoming a habit for this brother-sister show jumping pair. They logged another in the “Open Welcome Stake” in May, in Old Salem, New York, where Jonathon rode Fancy Hill to victory and Amy was second on Costa Rica Z. All three members of “Team Millar” will compete in Blainville, Quebec this week before Ian Millar departs for Rio de Janeiro, where he will be part of Canada’s team at the Pan American Games.
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