Liz Halliday-Sharp and Fernhill By Night Photos courtesy Brant Gamma Photos
When the dust settled after the show jumping phase at the Cloud 11~Gavilan North LLC Carolina International CCI and Horse Trial, presented by Lumbee River EMC, Liz Halliday-Sharp was the new leader of the Setters’ Run Farm CCI4*-S with Deborah Halliday’s Fernhill By Night. She jumped a fault free round to move up one spot after dressage and will be in a great position to defend her title on tomorrow’s cross country course
“{Fernhill By Night} was awesome today and I am really pleased with him. He went in and tried so hard. I thought it was one of his better rounds and he jumped really well. It is the perfect temperature for him being a bit colder today and I am looking forward to taking a crack at it tomorrow,” Halliday-Sharp said of her long-time partner.
Halliday-Sharp will set out tomorrow in pursuit of her title defence as the last rider to leave the start box to tackle Ian Stark’s CCI4*-S cross country course.
“I am going to do my best to give him the best ride that I possibly can tomorrow. He has been here before and that will be really helpful. The waters are big and proper and it’s a big bold course.”
Phillip Dutton and Carlchen
Dropping one spot to sit second in the CCI4*-S is Phillip Dutton and Caroline Moran’s Carlchen, a 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding. They just ticked one pole out of the cups and finished one second over the time to add 4.4 penalties to their dressage score.
“Carlchen had a really nice round just a bit of an unfortunate rail but I am really happy with him,” Dutton said of his first CCI4*-S round with Carlchen.
Rounding out the top three in the CCI4*-S after the show jumping phase is Matt Flynn and Kathleen and Patrick Flynn’s Wizzerd. The talented 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood was foot-perfect today and is sitting on his dressage score of 27.30 heading into tomorrow’s cross country phase.
Matt Flynn and Wizzerd
“Wizzerd jumped fantastic today. I was really happy that there was a good atmosphere with the tents and wind. I have been doing some practice at the new World Equestrian Center in Ocala and I think that was really good for him to get more exposure to the atmosphere,” Flynn said.
“The course looks good. It’s big not to be taken lightly,” he added about tomorrow’s cross country course.
The top three in the Attwood Equestrian Services CCI3*-S remain the same after a tough show jumping phase that saw only 11 clear rounds. The 39% clear rate was down from the average of 48% that EquiRatings reported from the previous years. The top three after dressage all produced clears to hold their spots on the leaderboard.
Phillip Dutton and Quasi Cool
Phillip Dutton and Caroline Moran’s Quasi Cool, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding, continue to hold the top spot on a 23.90 with Colleen Rutledge and her own C Me Fly, a 9-year-old Westphalian, sitting close behind in second on a 25.8. Liz Halliday-Sharp and The Stormwater Group’s Cooley Stormwater round out the top three on a score of 27.00.
“I thought Quasi Cool jumped brilliantly. He always jumps well, it is just about getting the right tempo in the ring,” Dutton detailed about his round on Quasi Cool.
The show jumping proved influential in the Breezeway Sporthorse and Diagnostic Clinic and Friendship Mobile Veterinary Imaging and Sports Medicine CCI2*-S as well. Andrew McConnon and D’Luxe Steel, a 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jeanne Shigo, jumped a double clear to move up from fourth after dressage to hold the overnight lead in the horse’s first CCI2*.
“Dean is typically a good show jumper but with the wind and the atmosphere and the jumps being a bit bigger, I was interested in how he would respond. In typical fashion, he stepped up to the plate and jumped a nice double clear. It is particularly fun to have produced him through the levels and to have him feel so great at his first CC2* is so rewarding,” McConnon said.
The CCI3*-S competitors head out on cross country at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, and the CCI4*-S is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. The CCI2*-S will wrap up the day at 1:45 p.m.. The divisions will run in reverse order of standing guaranteeing a thrilling finale.
Carolina International is also hosting Training through Advanced level horse trial divisions, which got underway Friday with dressage, and continue the competition Saturday over fences.
Andrew McConnon and D’Luxe Steel
