Equestrian Canada is pleased to announce the team that will represent the maple leaf at the first jumping Nations Cup competition of the year! The following Canadian athletes will ride for Canada in the $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO4* presented by IDA Development taking place March 1-5, 2023, in Wellington, FL.
On the list are Mario Deslauriers, Tiffany Foster, Beth Underhill and Amy Millar.
The prestigious competition, held in the sunshine state during Week 8 of the 2023 Winter Equestrian Festival features teams from around the world vying for top honours. Some of the most talented riders and horses in show jumping will be there to represent their countries during the annual event.
A staple on Canada’s Nations Cup teams during his riding career, newly appointed Technical Advisor (TA) and Chef d'Equipe for the Canadian Equestrian Team, Ian Millar, will lead the team in Wellington. Millar knows the stakes well, having captured the Longines FEI Nations Cup in Ocala, Florida for Canada in 2018 during one of his last international competitions prior to his retirement.
The ten-time Olympian is looking forward to his first event as Chef and TA for Team Canada. “I am honoured to be the Chef d’Equipe of the Canadian Team,” Millar said as he and the team prepare for next week’s competition. “I am also very proud to lead this group into competition here in Wellington. Six riders from Canada are invited to compete in this week’s Wellington International™ Competition but only four can take part in the Nations Cup. It was a difficult choice to name the team of four as all six would be extremely capable of carrying the flag.”
Millar is confident the team of veteran athletes, three of whom rode at Wellington’s Nations Cup in 2022, and all of whom represented Canada on teams last year, is prepared and will bring their A-game next weekend. “They are a very strong group with great horses and a formidable team attitude. I am predicting a win for Canada in our first Nations Cup of the year.”
Last year, the Canadian team took second place behind Ireland and were fifth in the same event in 2021. This year’s competition promises to be an exciting kick off to the team’s 2023 season on the road to the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile that begin on October 20.
