After all but two riders had jumped their second round in the $312,779 BMO Nations Cup, it all came down to two veterans—Michael Whitaker and Ian Millar in the featured event of the Spruce Meadows Masters, today, Sept. 9, in Calgary, Alta.

And as it should be, “Capt. Canada” led the charge as the Canadian team (Millar, Mario Deslauriers, John Pearce and Erynn Ballard) took its first BMO Nations Cup in the 29-year history of the competition.

But it wasn’t easy.

Great Britain has a rich history of victories in the Nations Cup—10 to be exact—and holds the record for greatest number of wins. And Whitaker has been on many of those winning teams; he certainly knows his way around the Internationale Arena. This team was particularly strong—Russel/Nick Skelton, Thesaura/Mark Armstrong, Locarno 62/Ellen Whitaker and Insul Tech Mozart Des Hayettes/Michael Witaker.

Millar went first on In Style and posted a masterful clear round, putting all the pressure on Whitaker. The spectators went wild as Millar took of his helmet and galloped out of the ring to the roar of the record crowd of 60,780.

Then, Whitaker took to the arena aboard Insul Tech Mozart Des Hayettes. He had one rail in hand. Two rails down and it would be a jump-off. So when the Dutch Bicycle fell at Fence 4, the crowd reacted with hushed cheering. Then, when the dark brown stallion rolled the rail at 7A, the crowds again cheered, but it was a reserved reaction as Whitaker, ever the professional, kept his focus and jumped the remainder of the course clear.

The 10-fault tie resulted in a two-horse sudden-death jump-off. Canadian Chef d’Equipe Torchy Millar (no relation) and the riders unanimously elected their anchor, Ian Millar, to take the stage, while British Chef d’Equipe Derek Ricketts chose Whitaker.

Ian took the jump-off course first, establishing a strong gallop. But when In Style ticked the rail of 7B, the sponsor fence, the white rail dropped to the turf.

The door was wide open for Whitaker.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Insul Tech Mozart Des Hayettes first pulled a rail at 3B, then he too ticked the white rail at 7B, which, when it dropped, gave Canada its long-awaited Nations Cup title.

“He was tired,” said Whitaker. “Being a stallion, I think he’s a little softer than a gelding. When he gets tired, he’s just finished.”

Ian was thrilled to finally see the Canadian flag raised during this Nations Cup Saturday. “I have to dedicate this win to all of the top horses and riders who have competed here on past Nations Cups teams,” he said.

The United States team (Armani/Jeffery Welles, Hidden Creek’s Wapino/Margie Engle, Neuville/Molly Ashe, Judgement/Beezie Madden) finished third with 16 faults. A team highlight was Armani and Welles, who posted one of only two double-clear performances, earning Welles a new team jacket.

Engle had the drop score in both rounds (16 and 8 faults, respectively), while Ashe clocked 8- and 4-fault rounds. Madden had just the Dutch Bicycle down in the first round and contributed a clear second round.

Leopoldo Palacios’ course featured 12 fences and 15 jumping efforts with a relatively tight time allowed of 85 seconds. The faults were spread throughout the course, although the Dutch Bicycle, caught several horses, as is typically the case.

In addition to its formidable size, the triple combination was set immediately after the water. Most riders did eight to nine strides from the 4.20-meter wide water to the first vertical. An added element to this line was that the triple also faced directly toward the in-gate, causing some horses to lose focus over the final wide oxer.

The German team (Clausen/Holger Wulschner, Hofgut Liederbach’s Abrisca/Pia Luise Aufrecht, Carino/Ulrich Kirchoff, Aboyeur W/Heinrich Engemann) was fourth with 25 faults, while the Netherlands (Noubelle/Wout-Jan van der Schans, VDL Groep Fleche Rouge/Leopold van Asten, Eurocommerce Vancouver/Wim Schroeder, Olaf/Leon Thijssen) was fifth with 30 faults and Belgium (Chatman/Ludo Phillippaerts, Mazarin des Perees/Yves Simon, Ivoire du Rouet/Francois Mathy, Turbo R/Jos Lansink) was sixth with 33 faults.