Silver Medal for Canadian Show Jumping Team

Hong Kong, China - The Canadian Show Jumping Team claimed the Silver Medal on Monday, August 18, at the Olympic Games. Equestrian events are being held at the Shatin equestrian venue in Hong Kong, China.
Forty years after it last won a team medal, gold at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, the Canadian Show Jumping Team once again stood on the podium. Mac Cone of King City, ON, Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, and Ian Millar of Perth, ON, completed the Team Final with a total score of 20 faults, as did the United States, to force a jump-off for the Gold Medal.
In the jump-off, all three American riders posted clear rounds while Canada had to count a four fault score from Henselwood, giving the United States the Team Gold and Canada the Team Silver. Norway earned the Team Bronze with a score of 27 faults.
Canada came into the second round of the Team Final on Monday tied for fourth place with 16 faults. Unfortunately, Cone's horse, Ole, was not fit to compete, meaning that Canada had to count all three scores from Henselwood, Lamaze and Millar. Henselwood, 45, and Special Ed, a 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Juniper Farms, opened strong for Canada by delivering a clear round.
"He gives an extraordinary amount of effort," said Henselwood, who is making her Olympic debut. "We had the pressure of a three-man squad and also of wearing the flag, but we also had all the support from our Canadian fans as well."
Lamaze, 40, was the next Canadian into the stadium and had an uncharacteristic four faults with Hickstead, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Torrey Pines Stables and Ashland Stables. However, Millar kept the Canadian score to a minimum when he delivered a clear round riding In Style, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Susan Grange of Lothlorien Farm. His performance guaranteed a Team Medal for Canada.
"I've been riding on the team for39 years and a lot of good things have happened, but the Olympics have never quite gone my way," recounted Millar, 61, who is making a record-tying ninth Olympic appearance. "This is remarkable for me. I can't say enough about our great team and horses, and our chef d'equipe Torchy Millar, and all the people in Canada who are behind us. We had great synergy."
The top 35 riders in the individual rankings move forward to Thursday's Individual Final. Lamaze, Millar and Henselwood all made the cut. Lamaze was tied for second place with four faults, Millar was tied for eighth with eight faults and Henselwood was ranked 26th with 19 faults. All riders start from zero in the Individual Final. Following the first round of competition, the top 20 riders move forward to the second round, and any ties are then broken by a jump-off before Individual Medals are awarded.

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