PERTH,
Ont. (CP) -- Big Ben, Canada's most famous show jumping
horse, died early Friday 10th December 1999 from colic.
He was 23. Big Ben, ridden for over a decade by Ian
Millar of Perth, came down with colic around 6 p.m.
EST on Friday. He was euthanized in order to stop the
suffering at 6 a.m. this morning. Millar, who was in
Toronto on Friday, travelled to Perth today and arrived
at Millar Brooke Farm an hour before Big Ben's death.
"You look back on his life and things come to mind about
the impact he had on people," said Millar. "And it was
not just the people that were close to him, but also
the people from afar, and not just while he was competing,
but he continued to have that impact long after he retired."
With Millar aboard, Big Ben won two World Cup titles,
two Pan American Games gold medals and appeared in three
Olympic Games. He is one of two animals, thoroughbred
Northern Dancer being the other, to be inducted
into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Big Ben
retired from competition in 1994 following a national
farewell tour. Through his career, Millar estimates
his number of Grand Prix victories at 135. Of those,
about 40 came with Big Ben while the rest came from
40 other horses. Ben won show jumping's World Cup in
1988 and 1989, the only Canadian horse to accomplish
the feat. Big Ben was buried at Millar Brooke Farm
covered with the blanket given to him by the people
at Spruce Meadows in Calgary during his retirement tour
five years ago. It says "Thanks For the Memories, Big
Ben."
PERTH,
Ont. (CP) -- Big Ben, Canada's most famous show jumping
horse, died early Friday 10th December 1999 from colic.
He was 23. Big Ben, ridden for over a decade by Ian
Millar of Perth, came down with colic around 6 p.m.
EST on Friday. He was euthanized in order to stop the
suffering at 6 a.m. this morning. Millar, who was in
Toronto on Friday, travelled to Perth today and arrived
at Millar Brooke Farm an hour before Big Ben's death.
"You look back on his life and things come to mind about
the impact he had on people," said Millar. "And it was
not just the people that were close to him, but also
the people from afar, and not just while he was competing,
but he continued to have that impact long after he retired."
With Millar aboard, Big Ben won two World Cup titles,
two Pan American Games gold medals and appeared in three
Olympic Games. He is one of two animals, thoroughbred
Northern Dancer being the other, to be inducted
into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Big Ben
retired from competition in 1994 following a national
farewell tour. Through his career, Millar estimates
his number of Grand Prix victories at 135. Of those,
about 40 came with Big Ben while the rest came from
40 other horses. Ben won show jumping's World Cup in
1988 and 1989, the only Canadian horse to accomplish
the feat. Big Ben was buried at Millar Brooke Farm
covered with the blanket given to him by the people
at Spruce Meadows in Calgary during his retirement tour
five years ago. It says "Thanks For the Memories, Big
Ben."
