Liz Halliday & Fernhill by Night (USEA/Leslie Mintz)

Norwood, N.C. - When the ride times were changed at The Fork Horse Trials in Norwood, N.C., Liz Halliday-Sharp ended up with only five minutes of warm-up for her and Deborah Halliday’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse Gelding, Fernhill by Night. It turned out those five minutes were all she needed, as she was able to secure the overnight lead with a score of 41.8 – besting 41 other horse and riders.

“I walked up about five minutes before my test, which turns out suits Blackie okay,” said Halliday-Sharp. “He is super duper lazy, so he was all ‘woo-hoo’ in the ring, and so I was thinking maybe I should do this more often. I just picked up a canter, did a change each way and went in the ring.”

The abbreviated warm-up angered Halliday-Sharp at first especially because they didn’t announce the time changes at all. “It was what it was, and now I am not angry anymore. I was really pleased with his trot work and his changes were way better than at Carolina [International]. He is a good boy.”

While this is Fernhill by Night’s first foray to The Fork, second-placed Cambalda has competed at the event five times previously including winning the CIC3* in 2011, finishing second in 2013, and third in 2014...read more at www.USEventing.com.