Upon the conclusion of the winter season in Florida, our Wordley Martin clients have had great success at early spring FEI level competitions throughout the US and abroad. Our eventing clients typically wrap up their season down south before migrating with the FEI level competitions at Carolina International, The Fork, Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event and Jersey Fresh.
We’re thrilled to watch Liz Halliday Sharp continue her winning ways aboard Deniro Z, a young horse that she’s producing to the top of the sport. Recently acquired by our friends at Ocala Horse Properties, Deniro Z took the win at the Ocala Internation 2*, and has quickly risen to the top of the USEA leader board early in the season. This pair is going to be the one to watch in the 2017/18 eventing season.
Liz then completed her season here in the US at the Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event aboard her top 4* contendor, Fernhill By Night. They had an absolutely lovely dressage test to sit in 4th position going into XC, but had an unfortunate slip at the Normandy Bank, which ended their weekend prematurely. Always poised and an exemplary horsewoman, Liz has shaken off the disappointment and regrouped back at her yard in England, where she will spend the summer before returning in the fall to Ocala. We’re looking forward to charting her success in Europe before she comes back home to train on her Wordley Martin surface!
We’d like to congratulate Phillip Dutton, who was the topped placed US rider, who levitated all 3 of his mounts in top 10 positions. Phillip then competed this past weekend at Jersey Fresh, bringing home the blue in the CCI 3* aboard Mr. Candyman, proving time and again why he’s one highest ranked riders in the world and continues to be named to every US Olympic team over the past 2 decades! At home in West Grove, Pennsylvania, both his outdoor and indoor surfaces were WM projects. In fact his outdoor ring was one of our first WM installations when Sharn and Craig founded the company!
Lauren Kieffer, who trains at Mrs. Mars’ farms in both Ocala and Virginia, also continues to rise to the top of the sport. She also battled back from disappointment at Rolex, having to withdraw Vermiculus after a stellar XC round. Kieffer rallied back at Jersey Fresh, leading the CIC 2* from wire to wire aboard D.A. Duras. Look for this pair to step up to the 3* level by 2018!
We wish all of our eventing clients the best of luck for the remainder of the spring and summer season.
2017 Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event – Photo Credits Lisa Thomas, Mid-Atlantic Equestrian
