Amy Millar Pulls out All the Aces to Win the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix at Ottawa
For the second week in a row, Canadian Olympian Amy Millar (CAN) of Perth, ON, led the victory gallop at Wesley Clover Parks after winning the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix last Saturday.
Hot off her victory riding GCS Athena one week earlier in the $50,000 RBC Grand Prix, Millar once again came out on top in the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix, this time partnered with Christiano. Millar (CAN) also won the $15,000 Open Welcome both weeks of competition riding GCS Athena, owned by Brookstreet Stables, and Don’t Worry Farmer, owned by Millar Brooke Farm, respectively, setting a record as the only competitor to ever win all four major Open Jumper events at the back-to-back Ottawa Summer Tournaments.
“It’s been a pretty special two weeks,” said Millar, who trains out of her family’s Millar Brooke Farm in nearby Perth, ON. “My horses have been super and it’s always fun to win at home. Each of my horses won something so that’s very special and makes me feel good about my string and the management of them. It’s been great.”
With three horses entered in the $50,000 Brookstreet Grand Prix, Millar qualified two for the jump-off over the course set by course designer Ana Catalina “Catsy” Cruz (MEX) . She was joined by Susan Horn (CAN) of Bolton, ON, who qualified both of her horses for the jump-off, as did Canadian Olympian Mac Cone (CAN) of King City, ON. François Lamontagne (CAN) of Saint-Eustache, QC, made it seven for the jump-off riding Chanel du Calvaire.
While five of the seven jump-off contenders again jumped clear, none were faster than Millar and Christiano, a 13-year-old Brandenburg gelding (Canoso x Compliment) owned by Future Adventures.
“Christiano is so wonderful,” praised Millar, who has represented Canada in Olympic and World Championship competition. “I’ve been riding him for awhile. I use him a lot in the Major League speed competitions so when I turn it on for a jump-off, he just snaps into gear right now. As soon as I picked up the gallop to number one in the jump-off, I knew he was with me, and he knew it was game time. He listened to everything I said and tried really hard in the jump-off.”