Halliday-Sharp Concludes Incredible 2020 Eventing Season at Tryon National Championships

The 2020 eventing season is a wrap, culminating with an incredible adventure to the Buckeye Nutrition USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship at the MARS Tryon International Three-Day Event. For Ocala Horse Properties, the weekend was a true testament to the teamwork and camaraderie that makes the sport of Eventing so unique and rewarding.

The 2020 eventing season has certainly been one to remember for the team at Ocala Horse Properties, as we observed the regular competition season and international travel plans get up-ended by Covid-19. With many cancellations and schedule changes, we have watched with pride as Liz Halliday-Sharp regrouped and delivered her best season to date. Her entire string of horses trained and performed impressively, resulting in multiple wins throughout the country, firming up Liz’s top position on the United States Eventing’s Leaderboard!

Eventing is a sport measured by fractions, where one second over the time, or one rail at the final fence, can result in a dramatic change to the final results. Going into the stadium round at the Buckeye Nutrition USEF CCI4*-L Eventing National Championship, Liz and Ocala Horse Properties’ Deniro Z had less than a rail in hand. After laying down a personal best dressage score of 24.5, Liz and Deniro Z ate up a very technical XC track to gain the lead. As the final pair to enter the stadium arena, the pressure was high – and a rail at the last fence resulted in the championship be awarded to Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg TSF.

Any less of a competitor would have dwelled on the disappointment, but Liz proved why she is one of the top professional athletes in the country. The following is Liz’s reflection from the weekend:

“Tryon International was not without its ups and downs, but we have come away with two happy horses that have made me proud all week! Nothing hurts more then to have the last rail down in the show jumping when you are leading a big 4* and your horse is jumping his socks off – but sometimes that’s just the way this sport goes, and my horse and I have learned a lot this week and will only come back stronger for the experience!

“Thank you to Boyd Martin for giving me a hug when I needed it and for being the great sportsman that he is- congratulations! I am still thrilled with Deniro Z as he was outstanding all weekend and just keeps getting better! I am also so happy with Cooley HHS Calmaria who WON her first CCI2*L! We have only been together a short time, but our partnership is growing and she is an exciting talent for the future! A huge thank you to @tryonresort for all of the work that they put in to make this event fantastic despite the challenging weather. A special thanks also goes to my whole amazing team, owners and sponsors for all that they have done for me this year – team work really does make the dream work, and I am looking forward to 2021 already!”

Ocala Horse Properties is so proud of Liz and her entire string of horses. During an incredibly odd year, she has remained focused on the best care and training for our horses, providing us with an outlet as owners to attend several key events throughout the country. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the 2021 eventing season!