| Nicknames |
Captain Canada (caledonequestrianpark.com, 12 Jul 2018) |
| Injuries |
In March 2017 he suffered a shoulder separation. (theglobeandmail.com, 06 Jun 2017)
He competed with a broken hand at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. (canoe.ca, 29 Jan 2004) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto |
"There is no 'I' in team." (Facebook team page, 25 Nov 2018) |
| Awards and honours |
In 2018 he was inducted into the Perth District Hall of Fame in Ontario, Canada. (lake88.ca, 11 Apr 2018)
In 2005 he was presented with an honorary doctorate by the University of Guelph in Canada. (olympic.ca, 01 Aug 2013)
He was Canada's flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. (Calgary Herald, 07 Jun 2008)
In 1996 both he and his horse Big Ben were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. (jumpcanada.ca, 04 Jun 2007)
He was given the Order of Canada in 1986 in recognition of his contribution to international sport and the help he gives young riders. (jumpcanada.ca, 04 Jun 2007) |
| Famous relatives |
His daughter Amy has represented Canada in equestrian jumping, and competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. His son Jonathon has also participated in jumping for Canada, including on the 2018 World Cup North American League circuit, and at the 2010 World Equestrian Games [WEG] in Lexington, KY, United States of America. His daughter-in-law Kelly Soleau has represented the United States of America in jumping, and placed second in the team event at the 2018 Nations Cup event in Coapexpan, Mexico. (parkaccessories.com, 11 Feb 2019; SportsDeskOnline, 26 Nov 2018; Facebook team page, 12 Dec 2017; nationalpost.com, 13 Jul 2016) |
| Other information |
INTERNATIONAL RETIREMENT
In May 2019 he announced he would no longer be competing for Canada at international tournaments. "Representing Canada many times over my career has been my greatest honour. Each time I wore the red team jacket was very special to me, and the fact that I was able to share this experience with so many great riders is a testament to the quality of horsemen and horsewomen here in our country. It has been the journey of a lifetime with so many dreams realised, so much due to the fantastic horses I was blessed to ride, to whom I am eternally grateful." (olympics.nbcsports.com, 01 May 2019)
STABLES
He runs the equestrian facility Millar Brooke Farm in Perth, ON, Canada. (Facebook team page, 10 Dec 2019)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In 2014 the Ian Millar School of Horsemanship was founded at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON, Canada. The facility provides personalised instruction to riders of all levels. (wesleycloverparks.com, 08 Jan 2017) |
| Milestones |
He became the first athlete to compete at 10 editions of the Olympic Games when he represented Canada at the 2012 Games in London. He made his Olympic debut in 1972, and only missed the 1980 Games in Moscow due to the Canadian boycott. He was unable to compete at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro because his horse Dixson required a sinus operation, but he worked as a coach for the Canada team at the Games instead. (ctvnews.ca, 14 Aug 2016; olympics.cbc.ca, 18 Jul 2016; theglobeandmail.com, 12 Jun 2016; millarbrookefarm.com, 19 Dec 2014; Canadian Press, 18 Jun 2008; Calgary Herald, 07 Jun 2008)
He and Big Ben became the first rider and horse combination to win back-to-back World Cup Finals when they triumphed in 1988 and 1989. There is a statue of Millar and Big Ben in his hometown of Perth, ON, Canada. (rio2016.com, 14 Jan 2016; millarbrookefarm.com, 13 Feb 2014) |
FEI Database
www.millarbrookefarm.com/ 
www.facebook.com/TeamMillar 
twitter.com/TeamMillar 
instagram.com/team_millar 
