Just 2/100ths of a second was all Ian Millar needed to capture the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix over Brianne Goutal. A 10-time Olympic veteran for Canada and one of the sport’s most illustrious stars, Millar had a fantastic 2014 season with Dixson, including a big win in the $1.5 Million CP International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows and a trip to France for the Canadian show jumping team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Millar explained that the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Olisco) never missed a beat coming back into competition after a short rest at the end of the season. “He had been off since the third week of September, and I didn’t start him until December again because he lives with [owner Sue Grange],” Millar noted. “He had a nice break and when I got going with him, his conditioning came right back because they use a treadmill with him. Even though he’s let down, his fitness is taken care of.

“It is so interesting with these horses how they remember; they don’t forget a thing,” Millar stated. “A good, trained horse really holds it. You get on and it was like I had ridden him the day before, so you pick up where you left off and you go again. That is quite exciting.”

Watch Millar’s jump-off ride…

Canadian rider Eric Lamaze scored his second straight win in the Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Series on Thursday as he rode Rosana du Park to the top check in the $34,000 Round 2 version of the class. They beat second-placed Kent Farrington on Waomi by less than a second.

“Kent was really, really fast as an opening ride, so it just sort of answered all of the questions when you had to go for it. She is naturally so quick in the air, and she was very dependable in the rollback. I was very lucky to not only turn tight after the second to last fence, but I had a very forward distance to the oxer, which I think is where I made up a bit of time,” Lamaze said.

“When a horse is good and they are careful, everything suits them,” Lamaze said of the 10-year-old Selle Francais mare (by Kannan). “I think she is very competitive. I can ask her to go fast on a straight line or turn very sharp to anything and she gives 100 percent, so she is a great mare and she is going to win a lot.”

The Canadian horses continued their streak on Sunday, as Irish rider Conor Swail rode Ariel and Sue Grange’s Martha Louise to the top of the $34,000 Suncast 1.50-meter Jumper Classic. Martha Louise had also had a winter vacation with the Granges, not jumping since September. “We started her off last week, and she jumped very well,” Swail said. “She probably should have been second in the grand prix last week, but I made a little mistake on her. Then she jumped a good first half of the WEF [Challenge Cup] on Thursday. It was a little bit disappointing in the second half of it, but then you go away and you think about what could be better. I think I rode her a little better and gave her a little more confidence and today she was totally amazing. I thought she was great.”

Goutal was second in this class as well, marking her second red ribbon in a big class after placing second in the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix as well. 

Kelli Cruciotti is just 17, but she’s making her mark, winning the $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix on Chamonix H with a daring inside turn in an 18-horse jump-off. “I wanted to have a nice, forward round and was originally going to do the inside turn,” said Cruciotti. “Then I went back and forth and finally thought I might as well try.” The gamble worked out perfectly for the young rider who is a senior at K12 International Academy and trains with her mother Cindy Cruciotti at Serenity Farm Show Stables in Elizabeth, Colorado.

Cruciotti has been partnered with 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood Chamonix H for two years and is eager to showcase the mare’s talent. “She had a lot of experience before I got her. She has done some five-star classes and I don’t have that much experience, so it’s a nice combination to know my horse has plenty of scope and I can trust her throughout the course,” she said. “I am really looking forward to seeing her do the different classes offered [in the series] from the speed to the team event. It’s a fantastic series, and I have to thank Equine Couture/Tuff Rider, (Dutta Corp.), and Artisan Farms. “

In Ocala, Charlie Jayne kicked off the grand prix festivities with a win in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix aboard his own Playboy. As the last to go of five in the jump-off, Jayne saw that no rider had put a clean round on the board and went for the slow, careful clean trip, finishing more than 9 seconds slower than second-placed Tracey Fenny, but clear.

Fenny, however, wasn’t going to let that happen again, and she claimed the top check in Sunday’s $50,000 HITS Grand Prix aboard her faithful winner MTM Centano. Jayne was third in that class on Handel’s Classic. 

The HITS Thermal Desert Circuit also got underway in California and Will Simpson made a clean sweep of the grand prix classes. He rode The Dude to the blue in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix there. “He is a horse we are really excited about, and a horse that seems to truly understand the sport,” said Simpson.

Then he saddled up Katie Riddle for the $50,000 Tuff Rider/Equine Couture Grand Prix on Sunday and took the blue in that class, too.

In Pensacola, Fla., Andrew Kocher rode a horse he’s had just a few months to the top of the $25,000 Nutrena Grand Prix at the Gulf Coast Winter Classics series. “Land Rebel is a horse I bought in the Czech Republic about six or seven weeks ago,” said Kocher. “He’s won some big classes already in his show career. I showed him in Wellington two weeks ago and he was eighth in the grand prix there,” he said. “He’s a good, solid, experienced horse and fast as hell. All you have to do is just kick him and run,” he laughed.

Earlier in the weekend, Tim Maddrix dominated the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, winning aboard LPF Woodward and taking second on Special. He also won the USHJA National Hunter Derby on Life Is Good.

Frank Rothenberger’s track in the World Cup-qualifying grand prix was typically uncomplicated but big and bold. Key to success, as the winning rider pointed out, was the courage of the horse and the conviction of the rider. “It wasn’t enough to have a good jumper today, you needed a fighter as well,” Hans-Dieter Dreher said.

“I didn’t have much luck in last year’s qualifier in Leipzig. I was riding well but didn’t win, but today I had some good luck to help me along the way!” the German rider said afterwards. It didn’t look like luck, it looked like pure class as Embassy ll answered his every call including a big ask at the final vertical to clear the line more than a second-and-a-half quicker than Geir Gulliksen for the win. 

“I love this horse—he has such a big heart!” said Dreher.