Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Jill Henselwood of Oxford Mills, ON, won the Individual Gold Medal in show jumping on Sunday, July 29, at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, marking the first time in 24 years that a woman has claimed the honour. Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, ON, won the Individual Bronze Medal.

Following the Team Final on Friday, which also formed the second and third phases of the individual competition, Canada’s show jumping athletes were in enviable positions with Henselwood in second, Ian Millar of Perth, ON, in third, and Lamaze in sixth from an original starting field of 47 competitors. The Canadian Show Jumping Team, formed by Henselwood, Lamaze, Millar and Mac Cone of King City, ON, won the Silver Medal as well as 2008 Olympic Games qualification on Friday.

On Sunday, only 29 horse-rider combinations attempted the two-round individual final. Course designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil built a slightly shorter and less technically difficult first round track than he had for Friday’s Team Final with 12 numbered obstacles and 15 jumping efforts. Coming into the opening round of the Individual Final in 18th position, Cone and Melinda had a rail down at the final fence to improve on their position and move into 13th.

The next Canadian into the ring was Lamaze, 39, sitting in sixth place with less than one rail separating him from the leader, Pedro Veniss of Brazil. Hickstead, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion owned by Torrey Pines and Ashland Stables Inc., easily cleared the course to move Lamaze into fourth with 6.43 penalties, and within reach of the podium.

Eight-time Olympian Millar, 60, then went clear with Susan Grange's Dutch-bred gelding, In Style, adding nothing to his 4.29 penalties and putting the pressure on the two riders who followed. Henselwood needed a fault-free round to stay in medal contention and Special Ed didn’t let her down.

When the leader, Brazil's Pedro Veniss riding Un Blancs de Blanc, brought down the first element of the triple combination at fence 11, Henselwood returned to the top of the leader board with her score of 4, the position she had held following the first day of competition. Millar shifted into second position, with Olympic champion and hometown favourite Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil in third with 5.74 riding the American-owned Rufus.

Jorge took things up a notch with his course for the second round, setting a shorter but bigger track of just 10 fences and 12 jumping efforts. The highest fence was the final one, a 1.62m vertical, and the tight time allowed also played a factor with only five horses completing the course within the 61-second time limit.

Cone, 54, and Melinda, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Southern Ways, had four rails and a time penalty. Their final score of 45.31 would leave them in 14th position overall.

Veniss, riding fifth to last, gave the top four some breathing room by bringing down the last jump. Lamaze made no such mistake; Hickstead jumped as aggressively as he had in the first round, and finished within the time allowed for a double clear round. Pessoa followed Lamaze into the ring and also posted his second clear round of the day.

The pressure was on the leaders, and when Millar had an unfortunate rail at fence five, it moved Lamaze into bronze medal position and Pessoa into silver.

“I would love to have seen Ian on the podium today,” said Lamaze of Canada's most decorated show jumping athlete after the medal ceremony. “Ian has done great things in the sport.”

In a dramatic finish, Henselwood and Special Ed, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding owned by Juniper Farms, also enjoyed their second clear round of the day, giving Henselwood her first Individual Pan Am Medal, and a Gold one at that!

“I wasn’t so sure it was real! It was a home crowd, and it was very quiet out there after my round,” smiled Henselwood, 44, who also competed at the Pan Am Games in 1995 and 1999. “It was so important that Special Ed win a major title. I’m so glad for him. I thought the competition was as much a world-class competition as I’ve ever done.”

The combined efforts of the Canadian Show Jumping Team at the XV Pan Am Games resulted in a Team Silver Medal, qualification for the 2008 Olympic Games, and Individual Gold and Bronze Medals.

2007 Pan American Games - Final Individual Standings

Rider - Country - Horse - Score
Gold - Jill Henselwood Oxford Mills, ON Special Ed 4
Silver - Rodrigo Pessoa Brazil Rufus 5.74
Bronze - Eric Lamaze Schomberg, ON Hickstead 6.43
4. Ian Millar Perth, ON In Style 9.29
5. Pedro Veniss Brazil Un Blancs de Blanc 10.84
6. Bernardo Alves Brazil Chupa Chup 2 13.09
7. Antonio Chedraui Mexico Don Porfirio 14.85
8. Cara Raether United States Ublesco 20.53
9. Cesar Almeida Brazil Singular Joter II 20.66
10. Pablo Barrios Venezuela Sun God 36.03

14. Mac Cone King City, ON Melinda 45.31

ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPHS: Canadian Show Jumping Team member Jill Henselwood won the Gold Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games.
Jill Henselwood and Special Ed on their way to a Gold Medal at the 2007 Pan American Games. Photos by Cealy Tetley