Press release from Spruce Meadows, edited by World of Showjumping

It was a déjà vu start to the CSI5* Spruce Meadows ‘National’, presented by Rolex for Amy Millar of Canada. Just as she had done the previous week on opening day, Millar bested the rest of the competition and flew to victory aboard Christiano (Canoso x Compliment). The pair were almost five seconds faster with a time of 73.37s than fellow Canadian Erynn Ballard on De Flor 111 Santa Rosa (Der Senaat 111 x Action-Breaker), who posted a clear round in a time of 78.25s to take the runner-up spot, while Jordan Coyle (IRL) and King Kannan GP (Kannan x Warrant) placed third in 78.58. 

Ballard, while on a different mount, also picked up the same second place finish as during opening day of the ‘Continental’, presented by Rolex. Over 55 horse-and-rider combinations were slated to step through the Clock Tower onto the International to get the FEI five-star competitions underway for the week. FEI course designer Olaf Petersen Jr. (GER) set the track at 530m with 12 obstacles and 14 jumping efforts, including an option at the open water.

“I am lucky enough to have horses that grow. They walk in there and they know it's important, and they get bigger and rise to the occasion. But again, I think the most important thing is the footing. And the grass in that international ring, you can't compare it to anything. It's amazing, so the horses jump super off of it," Millar said on stepping through the International Ring Clock Tower for the first time this season.