Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – The Canadian Show Jump Team is set to begin competition at the XV Pan American Games on Thursday, July 26, at the National Equestrian Centre inside the Deodoro Military Complex located 30 kilometres north of downtown Rio de Janeiro.

The Canadian Show Jumping Team is comprised of Mac Cone of King City, ON, Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, and Ian Millar of Perth, ON. Victoria, BC, native Karen Cudmore, 48, is the alternate with Blair Cudmore’s American-bred Holsteiner stallion, Southern Pride.

Canada will compete against nine other countries for team medals, including the defending champions, the United States, Mexico (silver in 2003) and Brazil (bronze in 2003) as well as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Venezuela. In addition to the 10 countries fielding teams, an additional seven nations are represented by individual athletes including Puerto Rico, whose Mark Watring riding Sapphire is the defending individual gold medalist.

Canada has more at stake at the 2007 Pan American Games than medals as the top three placed teams, excluding the already qualified United States, will each earn a berth for the 2008 Olympic Games, the equestrian portion of which will take place in Hong Kong due to equine health concerns in mainland China. Countries failing to qualify teams for the Olympic Games will have the opportunity to qualify individuals at the Pan Am Games: one from North America and four from Central and South America.

At Tuesday’s horse inspection, all went smoothly for the Canadian Team. At 60 years of age, Millar is not only the oldest show jumping competitor; he is also the oldest athlete at these Pan Am Games. The eight-time Olympian is easily the most experienced member of a Canadian team comprised of veteran international show jumping competitors. A two-time Pan Am Individual Gold Medalist (1987 and 1999), Millar noted that all the Canadian Team horses arrived in Brazil in good condition, adding that, “the jog went very well. There was not a hint of trouble for our horses. The Canadian Team is in the best of form.”

The Canadian Team horses are also experienced international competitors. Hickstead, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Torrey Pines Stables and Ashland Stables Inc, carried Lamaze, 39, to the best Canadian result at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany. Millar’s partner, In Style, a 12-year-old Dutch-bred gelding owned by Susan Grange, and Jill Henselwood’s Special Ed, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Juniper Farms, also competed at last year’s WEG. The only mare on the team is Cone’s mount, Melinda, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood owned by Southern Ways.

The team competition will take place over two days with a Table C speed class on Thursday and a two-round Table A Nations’ Cup on Friday. The courses, where the maximum height of obstacles will be 1.45m on the first day and 1.50m in Friday’s team final, will be designed by Brazil’s own Guilherme Jorge, course designer at the 2005 and 2007 World Cup Finals. Canada has drawn to compete second in the starting order with Cone, 54, leading the way followed by Henselwood, 41, Lamaze, and Millar riding in the anchor position.

Canadian Show Jumping Team chef d’equipe, Terrance Millar (no relation to Ian Millar), noted that there are two objectives for his team in Rio.

“The first priority is to qualify for the Olympics. A gold medal would be our second goal,” he stated. He also noted that several South American teams looked good during Wednesday’s training session in the main stadium, and that the United States also has “a very strong team.”

Team medals will be awarded at the end of competition on Friday. On Sunday, a two-round Table A competition with maximum heights 1.60m will determine the individual medalists.

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