Nov 20, 2020

Featured Clinician: Liz Halliday-Sharp

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill by Night at the 2020 Great Meadow International. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

The Featured Clinician article series is provided through a partnership between STRIDER™ and the USEA.

Five-star eventer Elisabeth “Liz” Halliday-Sharp has made the very most of the delayed start to the 2020 competition season. With an impressive string of self-produced horses, Halliday-Sharp has racked up top finishes at Virginia Horse Trials International, Great Meadow International, Stable View Oktoberfest, and was awarded the Jacqueline B. Mars National Competition & Training Grant to attend Galway Downs International.

Named to US Equestrian’s Eventing High Performance Pre-Elite Training List, Halliday-Sharp has represented the United States on a number of Nations Cup teams and was the reserve rider for both the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and 2019 Pan American Games.

With an unparalleled commitment to high-performance and high speeds, Halliday-Sharp’s unique background has propelled her to success in both motorsports and horse sports. Until about seven years ago, she pursued a career as a professional racing driver in sportscar and GT endurance disciplines while simultaneously producing her own string of horses to the top levels of international competition.

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Flash Cooley at the 2020 Red Hills International. USEA/Kate Lokey Photo.

“My brain operates better when it’s going fast and when it has to work hard,” says Halliday-Sharp.

Despite a whirlwind competition schedule, Halliday-Sharp is a popular instructor who enjoys traveling to teach clinics and invites riders into her own facilities in Lexington, Kentucky and Ocala, Florida. In a relatively quiet week just prior to November’s Tryon International Three-Day Event, Halliday-Sharp carved out some time to chat with STRIDER about her teaching and training philosophy, the importance of failure, and the opening of her new facility, Blue Fox Farm, in Lexington.

“This is my first full season back in the U.S. since 1999 . . . I have really been enjoying teaching since I’ve been back here in the U.S., especially as everyone is really passionate about riding and wants to get better regardless of the level. That’s exactly what I’m after. I’ve always enjoyed teaching. In a clinic setting it’s always fun because you meet a lot of people who aren’t your regulars. It’s always interesting to take on a lot of horses and riders who are new. I enjoy being able to find that breakthrough moment; to give them something new to work on and send them home with good homework.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Deniro Z at Great Meadow International. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

Halliday-Sharp asks questions of her students that enable them to leave with a positive experience. As a United States Pony Club graduate who has also gained her British Horse Society Stages 1-4 and teaching qualification, she has an incremental approach to teaching that benefits horses and riders of all levels.

“I try very hard to make it possible for my students to improve. I don’t like to throw a million things at them at once. I find it’s very difficult for riders if you get too complicated and try to take off the whole elephant in one bite. Instead, I try to give [my students] things to work on that make sense.”

“I’m happy to teach all levels and all kinds of horses. My only expectation is that people come with an open mind and come prepared to maybe change habits they have and embrace what I have to say, because I am trying to help them.”

“You can teach yourself to have an open enough mind to take something away from every experience.” Halliday-Sharp explained that this is paramount in her own training and something she hopes her students will incorporate as they develop in their own riding.

“You can always learn something from everyone. Never, ever stop learning. Even when I’ve been sent to trainers who are not really my way, I can usually take something and put it into my own practice.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver at Great Meadow International. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

With a diverse set of coaches and influences in her own program, Halliday-Sharp draws on her own experiences to provide maximum benefit for her students. William Fox-Pitt, for whom Halliday-Sharp rode when she moved to England, has been a major influence. Today, she fine-tunes her dressage work with four-time Olympic medalist Robert Dover and top UK dressage coach James Burtwell, show jumps with well-known British trainer Richard Picken and Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde, and works closely with US Equestrian Performance Director for eventing Erik Duvander.

“I definitely try and pass along what has worked for my style of riding. I’m always trying to relay what I’ve learned and am experiencing with my own horses in my lessons and pass that along to my students.”

“I’ve learned that there’s not one answer for everything. Some things work for many horses, but every horse is slightly different, and certain horses need a different way. I always say to treat every horse as an individual.”

As she produces horses to the top levels of the sport, Halliday-Sharp’s program emphasizes individuality. She has learned to work with and respect the distinct needs and personality types of a variety of horses.

“The training side of horses is so rewarding, nearly all of my top horses I’ve produced from the start.”

Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill by Night at Great Meadow International. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo.

Halliday-Sharp is quick to admit, however, that success is hardly linear- something she has learned and learned from throughout her pursuit of both motorsports and high-performance eventing.

“I’ve learned from both sports that you can’t be afraid to fail. If you never fail, you never get better. If you never put the car off the track or out-brake yourself, you’re not trying hard enough. I suppose it’s a bit the same with horse sports. If you never fall off, or never make mistakes, you’re never learning.”

To easily find and book upcoming opportunities to #LearnFromTheBest in a clinic with Liz Halliday-Sharp, visit www.striderpro.com. For more details on Liz Halliday-Sharp Eventing, head over to www.lizhallidaysharp.com.

Jul 03, 2024 AEC

Two Months Until the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds

The countdown to the 2024 United States Eventing Association (USEA) American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds is getting shorter and the tentative schedule is officially set! For the second year in a row, the AEC returns to the iconic Kentucky Horse Park from August 27 through September 1 and will offer 26 divisions, including brand new Starter divisions and all levels of recognized evening up through the $60,000 Adequan USEA Advanced Final.

Jul 02, 2024 Educational Activities

USEA Educational Activity Highlight: Sherwood Forest Hunter Pace | Sherwood Oregon | July 13, 2024

What’s a Hunter Pace? The Sherwood Forest Equestrian Center's Hunter Pace is a cross-country-style course around Sherwood Forest over various natural obstacles/terrain. The course ends with a final treat for riders to take in stunning views of Mt. Hood with a loop through the old Far Hill Farms field. The beginning of the course will first start with a warm-up loop around show jumping obstacles in the outdoor ring at Sherwood Forest and then riders will continue directly onto the course. Sign up as a solo rider, pair, or team.

Jul 02, 2024 Profile

No Longer Dreaming: Claire Allen's Goal of Qualifying for USEF Eventing Young Rider Championship is Now Reality

Claire Allen remembers when she was 11 years old, having just made the switch from the hunter/jumper ring to three-day eventing. She told her new eventing trainer that her goal was to one day compete in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing Young Rider Championships.

Jul 01, 2024 Competitions

Alliston’s Busy Weekend, Braitling’s Reuniting with Five-Star Mount, & Kalkman’s Advanced Victory Highlight Twin Rivers Summer H.T.

As he was finishing tacking up his horse in preparation to navigate the cross-country course at the 2024 Twin Rivers Summer Horse Trials, James Alliston expressed concern about navigating the 101 Freeway. That’s because as soon as he crossed the finish line aboard Intermediate level winner Addyson (Ampere x Nickerbocker) at 10:38 a.m. on Saturday—his fifth cross-country round of the morning with three at Preliminary and two at Intermediate—the West Coast-based five-star rider had to drive 185 miles on the 101 Freeway from Twin Rivers Ranch in Paso Robles, California, to San Francisco International Airport to catch a 4:35 p.m. flight to Frankfurt, Germany.

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