{"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"u28R38WdMo","rid":"R7EKS5F","offerId":"OF3HQTHR122A","offerTemplateId":"OTQ347EHGCHM"}}
Trending:

Top contender eliminated at Maryland 5 Star first trot-up plus a British withdrawal

Pippa Roome Pippa Roome

    • Liz Halliday-Sharp’s ride Deniro Z was eliminated at the Mars Maryland 5 Star first trot-up this afternoon (Wednesday, 12 October).

    The drama came early, with Deniro Z, who is owned by Ocala Horse Properties, the sixth horse to be presented to the ground jury – president Christian Landolt (Switzerland) and members Judy Hancock (Great Britain) and Gretchen Butts (USA). He was sent to the holding box and re-presented later in the order, but not accepted to continue in the competition.

    Home side rider Liz will still compete on Cooley Quicksilver, who data analytics experts EquiRatings have put up as the favourite in the class, with a 15% win chance. Deniro Z was sitting equal second in the EquiRatings’ prediction centre for the event, with a 12% win chance.

    Twenty-five horses were brought forward for the Maryland 5 Star first trot-up and all the others were accepted the first time they were presented.

    The four horses who have flown in from Europe – Babylon De Gamma (France’s Astier Nicolas), Superstition (Britain’s Harry Meade), As Is (Britain’s Oliver Townend) and Coup De Coeur Dudevin (New Zealand’s Tim Price) – came forward first as they are kept separate to the US-based horses, for biosecurity reasons.

    US-based Brit Leslie Law has withdrawn his entered ride, Voltaire De Tre’, leaving Harry and Oliver as the only two competitors riding under the Union flag in the five-star this week.

    The loss of Deniro Z from the competition leaves just two riders with two horses in the mix – Jennie Brannigan rides Twilightslastgleam and FE Lifestyle while Buck Davidson will start on Sorocaima and Carlevo.

    Competitors from five nationalities start at Maryland – the USA, Britain, Canada and New Zealand.

    You might also be interested in:

    Keep up with all of the breaking news, behind the scenes insight and the best of the action throughout Maryland 5 Star with no limit on how much you can read from as little as £1 per week with a Horse & Hound unlimited website subscription. Sign up now. Plus enjoy our full magazine report on Maryland, including in-depth analysis and exclusive comment from Mark Phillips, in next week’s magazine (20 October).

    Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout major shows like London International and more with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

    Pippa Roome
    Pippa Roome

    H&H magazine editor and eventing editor
    Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.
    Pippa Roome

    You may like...