Worthy causes will be a big winner at Tournament of Champions in September

Schomberg area resident Eric Lamaze was among those taking part in the celebrity Ride and Drive at last year's Tournament of Champions.

The "horse show with heart," the annual Tournament of Champions, gallops into the spotlight Sept. 20 to 24 at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave.

It will combine sensational international show jumping, celebrities behind the wheel in a thrilling horse-andhorsepower relay and family friendly activities.

As always, this year's tournament will put charitable causes front and centre, namely the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, which grants wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses and

CARD (Community Association for Riding for the Disabled).

The tournament is one of the premier show jumping events in Canada, bringing together top North American horses and riders, including members of Canada's 2006 World Equestrian Games team, who will have just returned from the Games in Aachen, Germany.

In the $175,000 John Deere Canada Cup, grand prix riders vie for supremacy in an exciting three-phase competition, which concludes with the $100,000 final Sunday. Horses and riders will compete in three different, international-style classes, which will test power, speed and consistency to determine the John Deere Canada Cup Champion. Last year, the "Captain Canada," Ian Millar, captured the championship with his horse, In Style.

These horses were taking things easy in one of the local fields last week.

The Saturday (Sept. 23) will see the eighth annual Children's Wish Charity Challenge, which will be presented by The Home Depot, with a gourmet dinner, live and silent auction. And there will also be the nail-biting action of the Celebrity Ride and Drive which kicks off the fundraising evening. The crowdpleasing show will feature celebrity drivers who must negotiate a slalom course in cars. They are partnered with grand prix riders and horses, who tackle a showjumping course before the rider takes the wheel and drives the slalom course with direction from their celebrity partner. The fastest combined time wins. When "Captain Canada"

comes to the tournament 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, lifethreatening illnesses have their wishes for a horse of their own granted. Millar and fellow riders, including Eric Lamaze, take part in the presentation and participate in the Celebrity Ride and Drive horse and car relay and gala dinner.

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

"The charitable aspect is a very significant component of the Tournament," he added. "So many horse shows are just hardcore competitive operations, but the Tournament achieves all the objectives of being a firstclass 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 legendary mount) and I really got a feeling for them," Millar recalled.

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, said 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," Kotsopoulos commented. "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," Kotsopoulos added. "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 three-and-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," Tristyn's mother Amanda observed. "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," McLean said. "Molly brings Tristyn such joy and unconditional love and acceptance."

Over the past seven years, the tournament has ." raised more than $400,000 for the Children's Wish Foundation and granted the wishes of eight children who wanted a pony or horse. The CARD luncheon, to be held Sept. 21, has brought in in excess of $125,000 to support therapeutic riding for the disabled.

The tournament is much more than a horse show, and kids of all ages and their parents will enjoy the Re/Max Family Village, which includes the DogSmart performing team, Birds of Prey demonstrations, Home Depot Kids' Workshop, the Ken Jen Petting Zoo of YTV fame, Irish dancing, bouncy castle for the kids and the Boulevard of Champions trade fair with specialty crafts and gifts for everyone. New for this year is the Classic Car Show, scheduled for the Sunday (Sept. 24) with a team of keen automotive journalists judging 'best of show' in the British, European and North American classes.

"The Tournament of Champions has now called Caledon home for the last three years and we could not be more pleased," commented Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison. "Each year the event grows, creating a ripple effect of tourism and community spirit. I have had the honor of participating at

this spectacular event and I would encourage all horse enthusiasts to travel to our wonderful countryside and partake in the experience that is the Tournament of Champions."