CALGARY, September 7, 2007 – Show jumping fan Krista Rivet of Oshawa, Ontario, rode with Canadian show jumping legend Ian Millar on Friday after winning the BMO Financial Group Spruce Meadows contest that included a riding lesson with the eight-time Olympian.
The 18-year-old’s name was selected from among 65,793 entries received from across the country. BMO launched the contest in 2005 as part of its long-standing support of show jumping in Canada and to coincide with the BMO Nations’ Cup at Spruce Meadows, AB. A trip for two to this year’s Spruce Meadows “Masters†Tournament, including two seats in the BMO Skybox during the $350,000 BMO Nations’ Cup on Saturday, September 8, was also part of the grand prize.
When Rivet received the news that she had won the contest, she could hardly contain her excitement. “It was hard to believe at first,” said the young woman who began taking weekly riding lessons five years ago at a local stable. “It is pretty amazing. Ian is my riding hero.”