April 3, 2023 
April Fool’s Day came and went, but the joke was on anyone betting against Liz Halliday-Sharp this weekend at the Estates at TerraNova CCI4*-S in Myakka City, Florida.
The American rider and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding sat in second place to Will Coleman (USA) and Chin Tonic after dressage on a score of 26.6. They held steady with a double-clear show jumping effort on Friday evening and added just four time penalties in cross country on Saturday to hold onto the lead after Coleman withdrew prior to cross country. (Chin Tonic is slated to compete at Land Rover Kentucky later this month.)
“I’m really excited to have taken the win today on Cooley Be Cool—also known as ‘Dave’ to his friends—he’s a pretty cool dude,” Halliday-Sharp said. “He’s a horse I really believe in and he totally deserves this win today.”
On cross country, Halliday-Sharp and Dave came within 10 seconds of Captain Mark Phillips’ tight, six-minutes-flat optimum time. Looping through several fields and past the stabling and show jumping ring, the course covered a distance of 3,421 meters (a little over two miles).
Requiring 35 jumping efforts, some of the more standout obstacles included lifeguard stands flanking the water complex (pictured below), and cars and sailboats at Sarasota’s Ringling Bridge. The triple combination was considered one of Phillips’ most difficult tests, beginning with its frangible post and rails at fence A, placed at the top of a hill, followed by four strides down the hill to a left-handed corner at B, to a skinny brush wedge at C.
Cooley Be Cool was just one of three, CCI4*-S entries for Halliday-Sharp, who finished sixth with the nine-year-old Cooley Nutcracker, and ninth with the eight-year-old Shanroe Cooley. But while she clearly put the pedal down with Dave, Halliday-Sharp said she was more conservative with her two younger rides.
“I thought [the course] was great for that,” she said. “[It] gave them a really good, confident, first four-star of the year. Everything went to plan.”
This is the second consecutive win for Cooley Be Cool, who also took home the CCI3*-S at Setters’ Run Farm (SRF) Carolina International last month. The Marion Hughes-bred gelding placed seventh at the Land Rover Kentucky 3-Day Event CCI4*-S in 2022. This year, Halliday-Sharp said she plans to compete Dave in the Ocala International Festival of Eventing CCI4*-S later this month, with an eye toward a five-star debut at Luhmühlen, Germany (June 15–18).
“I’ve never been here before and this is the most spectacular venue and unbelievable footing,” said Halliday-Sharp, who also won the Estates at TerraNova CCI2*-S with the seven-year-old gelding, Maybach.
“[There were] good courses all around. I really enjoyed myself.”
Amateur Dan Krietl (USA) and Carmango moved up from ninth place to take second. Caroline Martin (USA) and HSH Blake finished third.
