For the third time in her career, Amy Millar was named the $125,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Champion, emerging on top of the multi-round Championship Saturday night at the Royal Horse Show with her longtime partner, Christiano.
The Royal Horse Show, which runs Nov. 6-15, is part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world. A nine-day showcase of equestrian sport, the show features a wide variety of disciplines, from international show jumping and dressage to national show hunters, indoor eventing, and an array of unique horse breeds, with the marquee event, the CSI5*-W Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto, set for Saturday, November 14.
Rising from third after Friday’s opening competition, a pair of clear efforts Saturday propelled Millar and Christiano to the top of the leaderboard, and they finished the Championship on just .55 penalties. Kassidy Keith and Havana finished second on 1.04 penalties, with overnight leaders Sean Jobin and Grande Dame DK third on 4 penalties.
“It’s just about an absence of errors,” Millar said. “You just have to go out and not make mistakes. Being third [after the first round], I had to get a little lucky that the others did have a little mistake, and so everything worked out for me today.”
Friday’s first round was a speed challenge, testing athletes with a faults-converted format, while Saturday’s final was a technical two-round competition, with the top six riders advancing to the third and final round of jumping.
Initially, Saturday’s first round shook up the overnight leaderboard; Jobin and Grande Dame DK pulled the back rail of the final oxer, while Keith and Havana’s clear effort rose them up the standings. That pair of riders, along Jay Hayes, Sam Pegg, and Dylan Munro joined Millar for the final round of jumping. Remarkably, Millar’s five competitors all jumped clear over Bernardo Costa Cabral’s (POR) final short course, leaving Millar with no option but to produce a faultless effort of her own to win. She delivered under pressure, showing her deep championship experience.
“It’s truly a Championship, and that’s why I believe that the Canadian Championships are so important to the Royal and so important to Canadian athletes,” Millar explained. “You have to go in three times in a row and not make a mistake, which is very different than what we do on a regular basis. Every class is a new day for us, usually. This is the best way to get practice in that type of a pressure situation.”
For Millar, choosing Christiano as her partner for the Championships was an easy choice. The 16-year-old gelding was produced by Millar’s father, 12-time Canadian Champion Ian Millar, before his retirement from competitive show jumping in 2019. At that point, Amy took the reins; the pair boasts 19 international victories on their resume.
“I just wanted to ride Christiano, because I know exactly what he’s going to do, and he really enjoys this type of competition, and he’s fast, and he’s careful,” Millar gushed. “He loves it out there. He loves when the people cheer for him…He just got better and better.”
Between father and daughter, there are now an impressive 15 Canadian Championship titles in the Millar family.
“The Royal is such a special place,” Amy said. “It’s a very, very important show for my whole family, and I’m always honored to be here.”
Results here.
Coleman Claims First Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge
Will Coleman (USA) demonstrated why he is the world’s third-ranked eventing rider Saturday night in the Coca-Cola Coliseum, confidently cruising to victory in the Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge.
Will Coleman and Box Como. (Ben Radvanyi Photography)
After topping Friday’s first round with eight-year-old Box Como, Coleman returned Saturday night with the utmost pressure, as athletes came forward in reverse order of standing based on their first round scores. He and “Eddie” produced another swift clear effort over Jay Hambly’s (CAN) 17-element course. After cumulative scores and times were tallied across the two rounds, Coleman was named a decisive winner with a faultless score and total time of 179.21 seconds.
Jessica Phoenix (CAN) and ESI Nixon also completed the two rounds over two days without fault, securing runner-up honors with a cumulative time of 191.68 seconds. Colleen Loach (CAN) finished third with Clover (0/197.06s).
“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Coleman said. “I think Eddie enjoyed his Royal experience as much as I am. We had a blast in there tonight.”
Coleman first attended the Royal Horse Show for the inaugural Indoor Eventing Challenge in 2006, but he had not been back since. A guest rider invitation was an added incentive for him to return in 2026, and he made the most of the opportunity.
Hambly’s winding second round course gave riders options in track; a longer route allowed for a more open gallop, while a shorter path allowed riders to shave time off the clock with a tight rollback turn. Coleman opted for the more expedient route, making the more technical track look effortless.
“I thought I had a pretty good plan for what I wanted to do,” Coleman shared. “My whole goal was just to go in there and have fun and give the lines a go—try to be quick, because that’s what it’s all about [and] give the crowd a good show.”
Hank, Meg, and Molly Pellegrini’s Box Como was ready for the assignment, shining in his indoor debut and competing like a seasoned veteran.
“I’s nice to see that he’s not bothered by much!” Coleman said. “It is a very different experience being indoors with Clydesdales and different carriages—there’s lot going on up in those stables. But he’s a pretty cool customer. I think he grew up a little bit here and he’s got a lot of career left in front of him I think.”
Coleman is maximizing his time in Toronto, taking in the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair with his family—beaver tails, butter tarts, and all—as well as teaching some clinics in the area.
“It’s been amazing. This really is one of the most wonderful horse shows in the world,” Coleman said. “There are not many horse shows still like this, where there is something for everyone. It has a national agricultural feel to it, and I really appreciate that. It’s been a lot of fun for us and our family.”
Results here.
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