United States Eventing Association

The final tally for the seventh annual USEA Intercollegiate Championships came down to the wire with the show jumping phase proving influential. After the very last fence was cleared, it was the small, but mighty contingent from the University of South Carolina - Aiken that came out on the top of the podium.

Chants of “War Eagle” were heard from end to end of the White Oak cross-country course as the overnight leaders and defending champions from Auburn University tore between the red and white flags Saturday to remain atop the leaderboard of the 2023 Intercollegiate Eventing Championship at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC).

Twenty-three teams from 13 colleges and universities have traveled far and wide for the seventh annual USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Mill Spring, North Carolina.

USEA podcast host Nicole Brown calls this "one of my favorite shows of the entire season" because "it's the time of year that so many of us wish we could go back to college days." That's right, it's the week of the Intercollegiate Eventing Championship! The panel of Leslie Threlkeld (co-chair of the Intercollegiate Committee), Stephanie James Counts (a new committee member and coach for the Auburn University team), and Hannah Warner (president of the University of Kentucky team) get you ready for the big event taking place at the Tryon International Equestrian Center on May 26-28.

While she's won dozens of international events over her career, Liz Halliday-Sharp had never won a CCI4*-L until this weekend when she topped the Tryon International Spring Three-Day with Cooley Nutcracker.

Mill Spring, N.C.—May 14—With five international wins to her name already in 2023 and 13 last year, it’s hard to believe Liz Halliday-Sharp hasn’t won a CCI4*-L before, but she was able to tick off that box this morning at the Tryon International CCI4*-L on Cooley Nutcracker.

Mill Spring, N.C.—May 13—Liz Halliday-Sharp had nearly 4 points of time in hand as she headed out onto Mark Phillips’ CCI4*-L cross-country course at the Tryon International this morning, and she had to use most of it as she heard Cooley Nutcracker’s shoe come off when he took off from fence 7.

Mill Spring, N.C.—May 12—No one could crack Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Nutcracker’s score of 27.4 during the final day of dressage at the Tryon International CCI4*-L, but Jacob Fletcher and Fabian put in a strong test to challenge them. Scoring a 31.2, they’ll head into tomorrow’s cross-country in second place.

Mill Spring, N.C.—May 11—While Liz Halliday-Sharp has only had the ride on Cooley Nutcracker since last year, the pair have made big strides in getting to know each other.

A trip to the Tryon International for “Bali’s” first CCI4*-L last November ended in a bad luck fall at the end of the cross-country course, but the gelding’s come out much stronger and more educated this spring, according to Halliday-Sharp.

In two weeks, Collegiate teams will converge on Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) for the seventh annual USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships! Championship festivities will kick off on Friday, May 26 after dressage with the opening ceremony and close on Sunday, May 28 at the conclusion of show jumping with the awards ceremony.