Lexington, Kentucky-based US Olympian and first-time Bromont competitor, Liz Halliday-Sharp marked MARS Bromont CCI dressage day one with two firsts and a third at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park in picturesque Bromont, Quebec.
Halliday-Sharp leads the CCI4*-L following dressage on a score of 25.8 with the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Cooley Moonshine (Cobra x Kilpatrick Duchess) who is owned by The Monster Partnership. Dressage judges in the CCI4*-L were Marilyn Payne (USA) at C, Peter Gray (CAN) at E, and Sue Baxter (GBR) at M.
In the CCI3*-L Halliday-Sharp goes into Saturday cross-country with a top score of 28.1 on the 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Shanroe Cooley (Dallas x Shanroe Sapphire), owned by Ocala Horse Properties, just 1.2 points ahead of her other mount the Calmaria Partnership's 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse Mare Cooley HHS Calmaria (Cyrano x Chester Lass). Dressage judges were Sue Baxter (GBR) at C, Bea Di Grazia (USA) at E, and Peter Gray (CAN) at M.
When asked about her rides today Halliday-Sharp said, “I am really thrilled with the horses. Cooley Moonshine did one of the best tests he has done which is fantastic. He is a horse I think the world of. He went in and got sort of equal scores from the judges which is great, that is what you are looking for.”
When asked about the cross-country course following the rainy day Halliday-Sharp said, “my biggest thoughts are that it is unusually wet. I think it is a good track, strong enough but fair, big and bold like you would expect."
Ever on the minds of many top riders including Halliday-Sharp is that the MARS Bromont CCI is a team selection trial for the FEI World Championships happening later this year in Pratoni, Italy.
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