Tournament of Champions helps make wishes come true

When legendary rider Ian Millar, the beloved "Captain Canada" comes to the Tournament of Champions, he considers the real stars of the show to be the young guests of the Children's Wish Foundation.

For the eighth consecutive year, Millar will be on hand as four children with high-risk, life-threatening illnesses have their wishes for a horse of their own granted at the Tournament, which runs Sept. 20 to 24 at the Caledon Equestrian Park. Millar and fellow riders, including Eric Lamaze, take part in the presentation and participate in the Celebrity Ride & Drive horse and car relay and gala dinner, which are part of the annual Children's Wish Charity Challenge, presented by The Home Depot.

"When you do that a few times, it put things in perspective when you see what these families and children are going through," said Millar. "A fallen rail doesn't seem like that big a deal anymore."

Over the past seven years, the Tournament, with substantial support from The Home Depot, has raised $400,000 for the Children's Wish Foundation and granted the wishes of eight children who wished for ponies or horses. Two years ago, the Tournament expanded its support to include CARD (the Community Association for Riding for the Disabled), with an opening day luncheon which has raised almost $100,000 to support therapeutic riding for disabled adults and children.

"The charitable aspect is a very significant component of the Tournament," says Millar. "So many horse shows are just hardcore competitive operations, but the Tournament achieves all the objectives of being a first-class competition and raising money for charity. I really look forward to it."

Millar has been a longtime supporter of such causes. Years ago, he leased one of the barns at his Millarbrooke Farm, in Perth, to a man who ran a therapeutic riding program for physically and mentally handicapped children.

"Sometimes I'd ride with them and they got to know Big Ben (Millar's famous mount) and I really got a feeling for them," recalls Millar. That experience inspired him to get involved as a spokesperson for CanTRA (Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association) and he was happy to help grant wishes, through the Children's Wish Foundation, of children who wished to meet him and Big Ben.

Chris Kotsopoulos, executive director of the Children's Wish Foundation, says teaming with the Tournament of Champions has been very rewarding for all involved.

"It's been a wonderful partnership and the riders have been just amazing," says Kotsopoulos. "Ian Millar and Eric Lamaze are there year after year and treat the children with such care. It's one of the highest profile fund-raisers for us. And The Home Depot, as a primary sponsor, is a key player. The wish horses have an impact on the healing process and the families are so grateful. Most of them couldn't afford to buy a horse otherwise."

Last year, nine-year-old Tristyn McLean from Saskatchewan had her wish for a horse of her own granted at the Tournament of Champions. Diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma, a rare cancer of the retina, at the age of 22 months, Tristyn endured a difficult threeand a-half year journey that required nine rounds of intensive chemotherapy and treatment. She lost her left eye to the disease and is legally blind, but is now cancer free.

"Owning her very own horse has always been a dream of Tristyn's, but that is just what it was, a dream, until we were introduced to the Children's Wish Foundation," says Tristyn's mother Amanda. "We were astonished by the warmth and generosity of the people running the Tournament. Tristyn was treated like a celebrity from the moment we arrived on the grounds. Words cannot express what that weekend did for her, and that was only the beginning of her dream!"

Last May, the family found the perfect dream horse for Tristyn in Miss Molly Jones, who has relocated with them to Vancouver Island. "Her wish became tangible and nothing has been the same for Tristyn since," says Amanda. "Molly brings Tristyn such joy and unconditional love and acceptance."

Saturday, Sept. 23, the 8th annual Children's Wish Charity Challenge will be presented by The Home Depot and hosted by CFRB's Carol Mott, with a gourmet dinner, live and silent auction. Returning for its seventh year will be the Celebrity Ride & Drive. Past Olympians, TV personalities and performing artists negotiate a slalom course in cars. They are partnered with grand prix riders and horses, who tackle a show-jumping course before the rider takes the wheel and drives the slalom course with direction from their celebrity partner. The fastest combined time wins.

Thursday, Sept. 21, the

Tournament, with support from the Krembil 903 LESSONS Foundation, hosts a luncheon to raise funds for CARD. Terry Liebel from CBC Sports, will be the master of ceremonies with a special demonstration of how C.A.R.D. helps disabled people. Show jumping riders Chris Pratt (Caledon) and Beth Underhill (King) will be lending their support for the occasion and have signed as joint spokespersons for the charity. Tickets are $100 each and must be reserved by Sept. 13 by calling C.A.R.D. at 416-667-8600.

Admission Thursday and Friday is free; Saturday and

Sunday is $5 per person or $10 per car including parking. The show gates open daily at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.

The 2006 Tournament of Champions is proud to support the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, C.A.R.D. (Community Association for Riding for the Disabled) and the Rotary Club of Palgrave.

For more, visit www.tournamentofchampions. ca; email info@tournamentofchampions. ca or call 905-939-8666.