United States Eventing Association

Bellissimo & Halliday Share the Spotlight in Cosequin CCI4*-S at Kentucky

Lexington, Ky.—April 26—Two riders will share the top spot on the leaderboard in the Cosequin CCI4*-S at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event upon the conclusion of dressage on Friday. Early in the morning, Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo found herself launching up the scoreboard after a beautiful test with Dyri earned them a score of 26.0. While no other pair could top their performance, one team did match it perfectly near the end of the day– Liz Halliday (USA) and her 2023 Pan American Games silver medal mount Miks Master C.

“I was really thrilled with him,” Bellissimo said of Horse Scout Eventing, LLC’s 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Diarado x La Calera). “My strategy was to not do any ring familiarization yesterday, which was sort of a big risk. I have never done that before, but I have noticed that I tend to get to the three-days and then just slightly overdo everything with him. He is actually better when he is a little bit looky, because then when you put your leg on him, he comes up at you rather than sucking into you.”

Her new plan paid off and Bellissimo was happy with the result.

“He was really attentive the whole way through the test. It was a real pleasure to ride him actually, it all suddenly fell into place finally.”

Their score today was a personal best for Dyri at the four-star level, which makes Belissimo’s first time competing at Kentucky even more special.

“[Being here representing Great Britain] is an absolute privilege,” she shared after her dressage test. “Since being in my teens, being able to come here and walk courses at any of the good five-stars is something I've very much aiming at, and being able to finally be here with a couple of nice younger horses with the intention to bring them back for five-star next year is really exciting.”

Bellissimo noted that Dyri is more of an introvert and has a more sensitive, mare-like personality. Giving him lots of praise and helping build his confidence has been key in building him up to this point in his career. Last season the pair finished second in the CCI4*-S at Stable View (Aiken, South Carolina) and fourth in the CCI4*-L at Morven Park (Leesburg, Virginia) in the fall.

“He’s a really, really, nice gelding,” she continued. “I think he is still a couple of years off of being the real deal. He still has a lot more to give.”

Halliday’s partner Miks Master C, a.k.a Mikki, needs no introduction. She and the 12-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Mighty Magic x Qui Luma CBF), owned by Deborah Palmer and Ocala Horse Properties, had a phenomenal 2023 season, never placing out of the top five at the four-star level, coming in third in the Kentucky five-star, and finishing in seventh at the Pan Am Games in Chile.

They’ve made it clear they are aiming to make just as strong of a presence in 2024, having won the CCI4*-S at Carolina International (Raeford, North Carolina) in March and now paving the way towards a win here in Kentucky. Mikki is feeling the excitement that comes along with competing in the bluegrass.

“Mikki has been pretty excited to be at the party this week,” Halliday chuckled after completing their test. “Not going to lie– he has been a lot of horse. He knows where he is, he knows what he did here last year and he is just very excited.”

Containing that power has been a learning process for Halliday as her relationship with Mikki has grown. Today she kept the preparations to a minimum before entering the Rolex Stadium.

“I just cantered him around really easy this morning in a hackamore and let him roll around how he wanted to roll around,” she shared. “In my warmup, I just tried to give him a lot of breaks and pat him and tell him he was a good boy because he was kind of boiling up a little and I didn’t want to keep pushing him. I did that right up until we went down the chute and I think that helped a lot of the work today.”

Halliday is one of a handful of riders at Kentucky with her sights set on the 2024 Paris Olympics, and she knows Mikki has a shot to be selected. That weighed into her decision to choose the four-star this year.

“I actually toyed with the idea of doing the five-star just because Mikki was brilliant here last year and he is such an incredible galloper. He's just made for five-star. But I felt that he proved himself well last year here and finished on the sub-30 score at five-star and I felt like the smart thing for his health and his longevity was to just do the four-star. I think I definitely think I made the right decision.”

Caroline Pamukcu (USA) also worked her way into the top three today with a score of 27.3 aboard USEA Young Event Horse graduate HSH Blake. She was emotional while reflecting on the young horse’s performance today.

“I try not to cry, but I get so emotional with him. He is only 9 years old and he is the youngest in the field, but he always just steps up every time. This is only his fourth Advanced and he is just a phenomenal athlete.”

Pamucku and the Irish Sport Horse gelding (Tolan R x Dougishka Lass) owned by Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin, Deniz Pamukcu, and Caroline, also represented the U.S. alongside Halliday and Mikki at the Pan Am Games last year and at the Nations Cup at Strezgom (Poland) which gave him some preparation for the atmosphere in Lexington.

“It’s Kentucky, it’s special,” she shared. “We all get very sentimental about it, but he is so workmanlike and not bothered by a big crowd. He just likes to win– he is such a unicorn. He wants to come and win.”

Yesterday’s leaders, Boyd Martin and Commando 3, will go into cross-country in fourth on their score of 27.9.

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