United States Eventing Association

Halliday-Sharp Can't Be Beat at Carolina International

At last year’s edition of the Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International, Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp could have finished in first and second, but cross-country time penalties kept her from the win. Halliday-Sharp wasn’t about to let history repeat itself and set out on cross-country with her first CCI4*-S mount, Deniro Z, on a mission.

“Deniro was a bit of a beast today,” she said of the Deniro Z Syndicate and Ocala Horse Properties’ 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Zapatero VDL x Zonne-Trend). “I was very surprised he was that far under the time. I didn’t look at my watch at all while I was going because the time was really tight last year, but we have a great partnership and he just fights the whole way through.”

Once she crossed the finish line on Deniro Z, Halliday-Sharp was going to the victor, but would it be on Deniro or his stablemate and overnight leader, Fernhill By Night?

“He definitely felt great,” said Halliday-Sharp of Deborah Halliday’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Radolin x Argentina XII). “I think I knew I could probably make the time on him because I was so far under on Deniro. He didn’t need to make the time, but I wanted to for myself and the horse hasn’t really ever made the time at this level so it was kind of a see what we can do. He was really fantastic and the horse has really come into his own now that he knows he isn’t going to be exhausted from long format now. He is quite a happy guy. He comes out and fights for me which is great.”

Hallie Coon’s ride also went to plan as she finished just one second under the time to hold on to her third-place position with Celien, a 12-year-old KWPN mare (Tenerife VDL x R Quicksilver), owned by Hallie and her mom, Helen.

“I started out with the goal in mind to make time,” Coon explained. “I was a team rider for the USEF/USET Foundation North American Futures Team Challenge and we had already finished a team so the pressure was off, but I sort of wanted to get a good, quick run in before Kentucky for fitness and everything else. I thought she was really fantastic. She is really, really game this year and she is feeling fit and I was a little bit surprised by how forward going she was. I was really pleased with her.”

Will Faudree Finds a Win in the CCI3*-S

While the overnight standings may have stayed the same in the CCI4*-S, in the CCI3*-S time penalties shuffled the leaderboard until it was Will Faudree and Halliday-Sharp in a race for the finish. The duo were sitting tied for third heading into the day.

Halliday-Sharp set out on Pru Dawes’ Flash Cooley, a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (CSF Mr Kroon x Castlefield Ruby), first and crossed the finish in a time of 6:24. With the optimum time set at 6:29, Faudree didn’t have much wiggle room with Caeleste, Jennifer Mosing and Sterling Stables’ 12-year-old Holsteiner mare (Contender x HappyGoLucky).

“I don’t really ever hear announcements, but I jumped out of the last water and was crossing the racetrack and I heard them announce Liz’s time was 6:24,” said Faudree. “I jumped through the last combination, and I was pretty up on the time so I slowed down a bit before the last fence, but then I jumped it and she bolted for the finish so I was like ‘whatever.’ She was so good and it was fun to have her back.”

Caeleste was out for most of 2016 and all of 2017 with an injury. She came back last year and Faudree just focused on short format events, but this year he is aiming her for the CCI3*-L at Jersey Fresh with hopes of Pan Am selection.

Halliday-Sharp didn’t mind losing too bad especially since she is staying at Faudree’s farm for the next two weeks before The Fork CCI. She said at least it will be a “happy household.”

Third place went to Sydney Conley Elliott and Carol Stephens’ QC Diamantaire, a 9-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Diarado x Latana). The pair were riding as a part of Team Erik Duvander and had the lowest finishing score – 29 – in all of the Team Challenge competition.

Waylon Roberts Moves Up to the Top of the Advanced

Of the 18 pairs to complete the Advanced cross-country only one made the time on Ian Stark’s track today. The plethora of time penalties opened the door for a leaderboard shuffle and Waylon Roberts took advantage and moved up from fourth with Lancaster, John and Michelle Koppin’s 12-year-old Canadian Sport Horse gelding.

“As usual Ian [Stark] sets a big, inviting track,” said Roberts. “You walk around it and makes you open your eyes up, but I think that helps you ride it better. I thought the footing was really exceptional for standing up to all of the horses they had this weekend and Lancaster was super around there. I am really pleased.”

Roberts owned Lancaster as a 4-year-old, but sold him to Boyd Martin in 2012. In 2016, the Koppins bought Lancaster and gave the ride back to Roberts who is now aiming him at the Kentucky Three-Day Event this spring.

Buck Davidson held onto his second place spot despite adding 10.8 time penalties with Carlevo, the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Eurocommerce Caresino x Ramatuelle) owned by Carlevo LLC.

Matthew Flynn moved up from fifth to third with Wizzerd, the 10-year-old KWPN gelding (Wizzerd x Amai) owned by the rider, Kathleen Flynn, A. Patrick Flynn, and Merry Go Round Farm.

Advanced finishes with show jumping tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.

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The final results from the inaugural USEF/USET Foundation North American Futures Team Challenge are:

1^st Place - Team Erik Duvander – 98.2
Sydney Conley Elliot with QC Diamantaire – 29.0
Hallie Coon with Celien – 32.3
Caroline Martin with Danger Mouse – 36.9
(Ariel Grald with Leamore Master Plan – 41.2)

2^nd Place - Team Leslie Law – 130.5
Alexandra Baugh with Mr. Candyman – 32.7
Elinor O’Neal with Zick Zack – 38.8
Cosby Green with Highly Suspicious – 59.0
(Chris Talley with Sandro's Star – R)