The Canadian Champion, Friday, July 11, 2008 - A19 SPORTS SPORTS EDITOR: STEVE LeBLANC e-mail sieblanc@miltoncanadianchamnpIon.com Not joust horsing ar Maclnnis determined to make it on grand prix circuit By Steve LeBlanc CANADIAN CHAMPION STAFF Witlb ant abondance of eue and an itoneasurable love borses, Heatber Maclunts domn ever questions if tbe strnggles en ro to a career in prolessional sbow jutnping wortbi i. And on) tbose rare occasions wbien does, the 26-year-old Milton native n look no lortber than ber longttine empl er/intor for newfound resolve. -Mîke bad to corne op tbe bard w5ay likec l'ni doing iîow, and ibatsI kepi tue gotng over tbe vears," saîd itie baro manager of C arpbellville's Michael Grinyer Stables. "He anîd (wîle) Stepbante biave butît sncb a successlul business ancd great repu- inaybe I cao do it too. \Vbîle bier bid te, break ont0 tbe - sport' grand prix circuit is stîll very ioucb tn its infancy Macînnis - wbo spent bier entre lîfe ni town before recently tooving to Burltngton alter get înarried - is tbe lortîtesi tbîîg froto a n coîner iii tbe wvorld of borses and rîdîng. Sbe recalled, -1 wanted tu be around bi es pretmy inucb as long as 1 cari rentetbe going to tbe hall fair and wanttng to pet ti j lien wbeu 1 was eîgbit 1 begged ioy tîot take t idtng lessons, and tbe refit is bistor Ibat's an awfolly succinct way îo desc t, given btsw tnocb she«s put itt the in mry since fîrsi coîoitg itt contact Grtoyer more tban a decade ago. Progrcsstug front a > outb cuopetito grooto and inally to a teacber and oue o coutersiones tof tbe uearby factlity, Macl bas a baud in just about every facet oh business - and more olten iban oi h berself wtîrking froto dawn tIi dusk. But tbat's bardly unique for tbose wîtl tbe inancial means lu boy top-level bt rigbt away and certatnly basut beeu a d rent lor tbe local rider. "Hier perseverance is ubeltevable. tbe bardest-worktug person I've ever a',soctated witb:- stressed Gninyer, an accom- plisbied grand prix colopetitor. Thats so important. Il she works liard and long rgv enougbi eventually sbe'll coi-ne across the for rigbt horse. sel- For night now, Maclnnis 15 bioping 12- ute year-old Holstein mate Cclebrity futs tbat bill. are Purcbasing tbe horse about four years ago - after belping it tbrougb a number of bealtb sbe problemrs since iî was turned over t0 Grinyer ecd - sbe rode ber to an encooraging fourtb- ýoy- place finisb in early-April at tbe Royal Manitoba Winter Fairs $35,000 Kubota Cup Grand Prix. Delivering a clean round and makîng a five-borse jump-off would bave been credible under is any cîrcomstaîîce, but was especial- 1ly su since it was tbe pairs officiai grand prix debut. "It was great to do well rîgbt away. 1 would neyer bave imagined sbe'd go clean the first orne out," Heather saicl MacTouts. "Sbes a big borse Macinnia witb lots of power, and certainly bas îost poteuttal. Sbe makes tbe jumnps look srnall. ting Ibat saine week sbe landed a major spon- ew- sor for 2008 - Best Western Milton - sotoetling tbat can qoîte difficult to do so or- early tri ones career. r - "Siguîug witbi Best Western Inn bas made cmin tbe biggest difference. Eriteriug grand prix o to cotopetitions costs a lot of nrey, but . " Celebrity and 1 need to get tbe experieuce so rîbe we cani get better and better." dus- Recently Maclunis got a barsb retoinder wvttb ol'jusi bosv îougb sbow jumping can be, as Celebrity caine up laine after a solid May r to stretcb and rnîssed a couple of qualifying f tbe esents for Toronto's Royal Wînter Pair - ber nuis primary goal for tbîs year. tbe 'Tiberes, four qualifiers left but we're goirig mds to bave to get a lot of points tu miake it uow. But tîtats tbe tbirig wbeu you've got ail your finut eggs in one basket," she said, referning to the )rses serînus setbacks mbhereriî witb bavirig just eter- one grand prix borse. "At some point 1 hope to get a second horse, but that'hl probably Sbe's take geting a syridicate togetber to buy une." been Wîtb competitiori now focused ou srnall- YAVUZ PHOTOGRAPHY / SPECIAL TO THEt CHAMPiON Up AND OVER: Heather Maclnns and Ce eb i cear a jump in the Kubota Csp Grand Prix er events witb ber four-year-old buter, Ton, Macînnis looks te, bave Celebrity back in action by tbe end of tbe montb iri Paîgrave. "Hopefully she'l be ready teu go by tben. Il cari take a long time to develop the mares, altbougb bavirig looked after ber for so long 1 tbink we've got tbe trust tbîng mure than if 1 just rude ber once a week. in tbis sport the rider and horse bave lu trust eacb otber cornpletely" Mucb like Gririyer, the grand prix new- corner knows sbe rnay bave years abead of ber riding cast-off borses and slowly trading up before a blue-chipper cornes ber way. But in a sport where rnany of tbe top stars are 40 or older, time is still on ber side. "Thaî's tbe great thing about show jump- ing; the more experience yotî gel îbe imore success you usually enjoy" sbe saîd. -lis ver much a mental sport as opposed to pbysical." And nu matter how long tbe road to suc- cefis may be, Macînnis seems lu bave more tbau enough desire tia sustain ber. "1 warit il su badly - une way or auoth- er lin going lu get there." 0f course being marnied îu a fellow sports enthusiasi is hound to make tbat journey a little smoother. "That certairily helps. lans farnily ix itb horses anid be's big mt rugby, su be under- stands how mucb gues mbt ibis and how important it is to me," saîd Macînnis. 1 FLOORIN