November 2020 Issue

Page 4 November 2020 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp of Lexington, KY led the 2020 Plan- tation Field International Three Day Event from start to finish to win the CCI4*-S. She rode Deniro Z, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Ocala Horse Properties to a score of 26.80. Phillip Dutton of West Grove, PA riding Z, owned by the Z Partnership, finished sec- ond (29.3) followed by Woods Baughman of Lexington, KY riding C’est La Vie 135 (36.90). There were 53 horses entered in the division, and Halliday-Sharp rode two other horses at this level as well as one in the CCI3*-S. “Deniro Z is such a star,” said Halliday-Sharp. “I rode him around his first event ever, a few years ago now, and we’re just a good team. For the most part I felt the round was spot-on, I had a little bit of an exciting moment at the first water where he jumped so big over the jump in and then got really deep to the skinny and he sort of hooked a little leg and smacked me in the face, so I was seeing double on the way to the coffin, but luckily my vision came back just before we had to jump in! It shows what a great Halliday-Sharp Wins the Plantation Field International CCI4*-S horse he is, and I’m just lucky to ride him.” She said she plans to com- pete him at the CCI5*-L at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in November and has her eye on the US Eventing Team at the Tokyo Olympic Games next summer. Earlier in the day Halli- day-Sharp had a fall when she was riding Flash Cooley around the four-star, which left her with a black eye. “He’s still green and very careful, and he just panicked a little and jumped into the mid- dle,” she said. Dutton, who sits on the Board of the event, said, “I thought it was a great competi- tion and the cross-country caused a little more trouble than expect- ed – the time was tight and there were quite a few riders having a crack at the it.” Dutton’s daughter Oliv- ia was second in the CCI2*-S riding Iniesta. Phillip said, “She just started at the University of Kentucky, where she’s studying business, and flew in to com- pete this weekend. She won the dressage and had a little time on the cross-country yesterday, then jumped around clear today. This was the horse’s first FEI class and she was really pleased with him. She’s got Mighty Nice with her in Kentucky, so she’s still riding regularly.” As for the event, Dutton said, “It would’ve been ideal to have spectators, it’s too bad they weren’t allowed due to Covid-19. A couple months ago we were trying to decide if we could actually do an event this year, and we had to keep it kind of bare-bones since we wouldn’t have spectators, etc. coming in. But people wanted to run their horses and we wanted to give them that opportunity. All credit goes to Denis and Bambi Glac- cum and Mary Coldren, who put it all together.” With the future of the event in doubt due to a dispute over the name of the competition that prompted the landowner to terminate the lease on the property, Glaccum commented, “I had numerous people come to me today telling me this is an institution that we can’t afford to lose. This event this weekend went as well as any event I’ve been associated with, which is due to the expertise of the volun- teers. We have people who have volunteering with us since 1986 and they all feel a great sense of pride over being involved with this. Hopefully we can keep it going somehow.” Canadian Holly Jacks-Smith- er of Ontario claimed the award for the top-placing Thoroughbred when she finished fifth with More Inspiration, a horse that she gal- loped on the track and got off the track at age four and has com- peted internationally in eventing at Aachen (Germany) and Pau (France). Three Star Maya Black of Upperville, VA won the CCI3* riding FE Black Ice on their dressage score of 25.20. Hannah Sue Burnett on Capital M finished in a close second on a score of 26.10 with Natalia Neneman and Electric Lux rounding out the top three on 28.80. Over- night leader Boyd Martin, who was placed first and second after dressage and show jump- ing, took the cross country slow as was his plan after returning to competition following rehab from an injury. He finished well down the leader board in 10th place riding Christine Turner’s On Cue and 15th with the syn- dicated Long Island T. Meghan Donohue and Palm Crescent finished 13th overall to win the Valant Trophy for the highest-placing Thoroughbred in the CCI3*-S. The gelding previ- ously raced at Charlestown, WV and was acquired by CANTER Mid-Atlantic before beginning his sport horse career.