The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation has awarded the Jacqueline B. Mars National Competition & Training Grant to Liz Halliday-Sharp, and her mount, Cooley Quicksilver (Womanizer x Kylemore Crystal), a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by The Monster Partnership.
As the recipient of the grant, Halliday-Sharp, who is an athlete on US Equestrian’s Eventing High Performance Pre-Elite Training List, will receive $10,000 to support her trip from Lexington, Kentucky, to Temecula, California, to compete in the CCI4*-L at the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event on October 28-31, 2020.
“It’s very, very exciting, and it makes a big difference to the owners as well—we’ve got to support the good owners in the sport as much as we can,” said Halliday-Sharp of receiving the grant. “We’re very grateful to the [USET] Foundation. It’s an expensive sport, and you don’t get a lot of prize money. [This] really makes it all possible."
“I think next year, we’ll start to think about five-star competition for [Cooley Quicksilver],” Halliday-Sharp continued. “I very much hope he’ll be considered for the Olympic Games, and that’s part of our reasoning for going to Galway."
Each year, the Jacqueline B. Mars Grant is awarded to eventing riders who have been identified and recommended by the USEF Eventing Selectors, with an impressive record and the potential to represent the United States in future international competition. Halliday-Sharp, who has not yet represented the U.S. at an Olympic Games or international championship, received this select distinction following a strong performance as part of the 2019 FEI Eventing Nations Cup Team at the Military Boekelo CCIO4*-L in Enschede, the Netherlands. According to Erik Duvander, US Equestrian’s Performance Director for Eventing, it will be important for Cooley Quicksilver and Halliday-Sharp to receive the opportunity to produce a competitive performance, as the pair trend toward joining the Elite list.
Thanks to the Jacqueline B. Mars Grant, Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver can continue their training with the goal of representing the United States in future international competitions.
It's the most wonderful time of the year—and we aren't talking about the holiday season. Welcome to 2025 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event (K3DE) week! This week the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, will be crawling with eventing lovers from all across the globe for the first five-star of the 2025 season and the USEA is excited to once again be onsite for all of the action.
The USEA is saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Dr. Timothy “Tim” Holekamp on April 19. He was 79.
While we all attend the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event for the competition, the next best thing about the event is definitely the shopping! The USEA is excited to be back on-site at the Kentucky Horse Park for the competition this year and to debut some all-new apparel items for the 2025 season. Here is a sneak preview of what you can expect to see at our booth, located just behind the Rolex Stadium next to the large Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event booth, this year.
They don't call it the "Best Weekend All Year" for no reason! If you love the sport of eventing (or just horses in general) the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event is most likely a staple on your calendar or a must-see on your bucket list. This week, thousands of eventing lovers will flock to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, for one of two U.S.-based five-stars that takes place each year, as well as top-shelf CCI4*-S competition and two nights of spectacular show jumping.