Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Be Cool Hold the Lead After Day One of Dressage at TerraNova

Myakka City, Fla.—March 30—In the third year of hosting FEI three-day events and recognized horse trials, TerraNova Equestrian Center welcomes an eventing date to their busy spring competition schedule. Riders from all walks of life, Olympians to young eventers, flocked to TerraNova to experience the previous two fall three-day events. The addition of the spring date gives riders an opportunity to run an FEI event and horse trials before heading home after the winter season.

This weekend is TerraNova’s first spring event showcasing the newly minted The Estates at TerraNova CCI4*-S. With over 415 entries across 14 divisions and 219 entries in the four FEI levels, the organizing committee added a fourth day of competition to accommodate the volume of riders. As event organizer Shelley Page said during the rider’s meeting, the word has gotten out about TerraNova and people are here to compete and experience it.

Thursday dawned bright and beautiful for the initial 41 entries in the CCI4*-S to trot down centerline for the judges, President Jane Hamlin (USA) and Ground Jury member Debbie Adams (USA).

Leading the first dressage session is Liz Halliday-Sharp (USA) with Cooley Be Cool (Heritage Fortunus x HHS Carlotta). “Dave,” as he’s affectionately known in the barn, is a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse owned by Ocala Horse Properties LLC and The Monster Partnership.

“I was thrilled with him,” Halliday-Sharp said. “He was very professional in the ring. He is a good mover, and he's very correct. Now that he's sort of grown up a bit more, he doesn't get marks taken away from him now, which is good. This test should be tough for him because he doesn't have the biggest medium trot and there's a lot of medium trot. I was thrilled with him and I think he's progressing all the time.”

Colleen Rutledge and longtime partner Covert Rights. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo

Sitting in second on 27.2 in the CCI4*-S are Colleen Rutledge (USA) and Covert Rights (Black Fox Farm Incognito x Let’s Get It Right/Covert Operation xx), her own 17-year-old Thoroughbred cross gelding.

Looking to defend their win at The Event at TerraNova CCI4*-S this past October, Jacob Fletcher (USA) and the Fletcher Farms-owned Fabian (Up To Date x Ineke), a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, sit in third with 27.5.

Jacob Fletcher and Fabian, the winning duo of The Event at TerraNova CCI4*-S in October 2022. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo

Ten horse and rider combinations received sub-30 scores from the judges at E and C, with scores ranging from 26.6 to 29.6. The remaining twelve riders in the division will ride their test Friday morning with all combinations jumping around Michel Vaillancourt’s (CAN) CCI3*-S show jumping course Friday afternoon.

Dutton and Denim Going Strong in CCI3*-S

Phillip Dutton and Denim lead the CCI3*-S after day one of dressage. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo

Olympian Phillip Dutton (USA) and Denim (Dinken x Celia II) lead the enormous 72 rider-deep CCI3*-S division after the first dressage session. Dutton and the 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding, owned by Ann Lapides, Caroline Moran and Neill Sites, head to show jumping on 29.4.

Caroline Martin, in second with HSH Connor (Connor 48 x Galwaybay Merstona) with 29.7, was the only other rider to earn a sub-30 from judges Christina Klingspor (SUI) and Julio Sanchez (URU). Fifteen pairs will ride their test Friday morning to wrap dressage, and all competitors will face Vaillancourt’s CCI3*-S show jumping course in the early afternoon.

Coleman and CHI Anchorman Top Field of Almost 60 Riders in CCI2*-S

Will Coleman and DHI Anchorman. Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photo

Leading the CCI2*-S division of almost 60 riders is Olympian and world-ranked No. 5, Will Coleman (USA) on DHI Anchorman (Dallas VDL x Easter Uno M), a bay 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by the Team Rebecca Syndicate. Earning a flawless 10 on their entrance from the judge at C, Coleman and DHI Anchorman received the lowest score of the day, 21.5.

Once the first session of dressage wrapped for the evening, riders could be seen walking and wheeling the expansive and curving cross-country course. Captain Mark Phillips (GBR) designed CCI4*-S course, and Mogie Bearden-Muller (USA) designed the CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S, CCI1*-S and horse trials courses.

Competition resumes Friday morning at 8 a.m. with the remaining dressage rides for CCI4*-S. CCI3*-S, CCI2*-S, CCI1*-S, Preliminary, Training, Novice, Beginner Novice, and Intro riders will have their time in the sandbox. CCI3*-S show jumping starts at 12:55 p.m, and the CCI4*-S at 4:20 p.m. First to leave the start box on the cross-country course are the training horse-and-rider pairs at 3 p.m.

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