Chef

Robert Costello

Hometown: Southern Pines, N.C. Birthday: 7/26/1965 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing

Robert "Bobby" Costello started as the U.S. Eventing Team Chef d'Equipe and Technical Advisor for the program in 2022. With a decorated career as an international athlete, actively competing up until 2010, Costello was a member of the XX World Championship Team and was a XX at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Costello has led the team to several key championship results, including a team silver at the 2022 FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro Italy and a team silver at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Paris 2024 will be his first Olympics serving as Chef d'Equipe of the team.


Competitor

Elisabeth Halliday

Hometown: Lexington, Ky. Birthday: 12/14/1978 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing

Elisabeth Halliday has represented the U.S. in international eventing competition, most notably as part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. She has an impressive resume of developing young event horses, including podium finishes at the FEI Young Horse World Championship in 2018 and 2019 with Cooley Moonshine. In 2020, Halliday earned the title of World Equestrian Brands USEA Rider of the Year after nine wins and 23 total top-ten finishes at FEI competitions that season.

 

Cooley Nutcracker

Nickname: Bali Owner: The Nutcracker Syndicate Groom: Mia Braundel and Abby Steger Gender: Gelding Breed: Irish Sport Horse Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Tolan R. Dam: Ballyshan Cleopatra Foal Date: 6/15/2014

Cooley Nutcracker (Bali) joined Liz Halliday’s program in 2022 after beginning his career with Astier Nicolas in France. Halliday and Cooley Nutcracker debuted at the CCI3*-S level in 2022 and worked their way up to the CCI5*-L level by 2024. The duo collected two wins at the CCI4*-L level in 2023 in their preparation for their 2024 season. The first at Tryon International in Mill Spring, N.C., and the second at Galway Downs in Temecula, Calif., at the end of the year, where they topped the division to earn their first National Championship together. The pair have placed outside of the top ten only twice in their FEI career and finished eighth in their debut at the CCI5*-L level at the 2024 DEFENDER Kentucky Three-Day Event. The pair were called up into the three member team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.


Competitor

Boyd Martin

Hometown: Cochranville, Pa. Birthday: 8/20/1979 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing Olympic Years: 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024

A native of Australia, Boyd Martin has competed for the U.S. since 2009. He is a three-time Olympian and has three Pan American Games gold medals to his name, including a team gold from 2015 with Pancho Villa and team and individual gold from 2019 with Tsetserleg TSF. Tsetserleg TSF was also his partner for the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championship, where they were part of the silver medal-winning team. Martin has won the USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event twice, in 2019 with Tsetserleg TSF and in 2021 with On Cue. In 2021, he and On Cue won the inaugural Maryland 5 Star, becoming the first American combination to win a CCI5* event since 2008. Martin had a strong 2023 season at the CCI5*-L level with numerous horses, piloting his string around some of the world's most difficult tracks, only finishing outside of the top ten twice, including two top-ten finished with Fedarman B at Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L and Pau CCI5*-L. He also won the CCI4*-L at Morven Park with Commando 3 in the fall of 2023. The 2024 season saw another strong start for Martin and his string, with his two top mounts earning consistent results at the CCI4*-S level, with both Fedarman B and Commando 3 earning top-five finishes at the CCI4*-S at the Kentucky Three-Day Event. Martin was selected for his fourth consecutive Olympics, choosing to take Fedarman B with Commando 3 as a direct reserve for Paris 2024.

 

Fedarman B

Nickname: Bruno Owner: Annie Goodwin Syndicate Groom: Stephanie Simpson Gender: Gelding Breed: KWPN Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Eurocommerce Washington Dam: Paulien B Foal Date: 5/8/2010

Fedarman B (Bruno) has become one of the top-performing mounts in Boyd Martin’s string of international horses. Fedarman B was sourced, purchased, and started by the late Annie Goodwin, who Boyd continues to represent in each competition aboard the 2010 KWPN gelding. Fedarman B’s FEI record with Martin has been strong and consistent, with the pair finishing inside the top ten twice at the CCI5*-L level in 2023, with completions at Luhmühlen and Pau. The pair also finished fourth in the CCI4*-S at the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2024, adding to their international top-five finishes as a combination.


Competitor

Caroline Pamukcu

Hometown: Springtown, Pa. Birthday: 12/8/1994 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing Olympic Years: 2024

Caroline Pamukcu (neé Martin) is a five-star eventer who has produced numerous young horses to the upper levels of the sport. She represented the U.S. Eventing Team at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, riding HSH Blake, where she won individual gold and team silver medals. She had a successful young rider career, competing in the North American Youth Championships in 2011 with Classic Touch, and in 2013 with Quantum Solace where she won individual and team gold. After several strong finishes at the CCI4*-S and CCI4*-L level with HSH Blake, including a win at the Tryon International CCI4*-L in May, Pamukcu was named to her first Olympic Eventing Team with HSH Blake and will representing the U.S. at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

 

HSH Blake

Nickname: Blake Owner: Caroline Pamukcu, Deniz Pamukcu, Mollie Hoff, Sherrie Martin Groom: Chloe Teahan Gender: Gelding Breed: Irish Sport Horse Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Tolan R Dam: Doughiska Lass Foal Date: 5/10/2015

Caroline Pamukcu started HSH Blake (Blake) as a young horse, developing him through the levels as the only registered rider in his entire career. The pair debuted at the CCI2* level in 2021 and have increased their international experience and success as they’ve continued to rocket up the levels. HSH Blake has notched seven international wins throughout his career with Pamukcu. The duo earned a team silver medal and individual gold in their first championship representing the U.S. Eventing Team at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, were they added just four jumping faults to their initial dressage score of 26.8.


Reserve

Sydney Elliott

Hometown: Benton, La. Birthday: 12/14/1984 Sport/Disciplines: Eventing

Sydney Elliott made her CCI5*-L debut in 2016 at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event with Cisko A. The pair represented the U.S. on the Nations Cup Team at Great Meadow International in 2018. With QC Diamantaire, Elliott has represented the U.S. Eventing Team in FEI Nations Cup competitions, including a silver-medal team finish and fifth-place individually in 2021 at the CCIO4*-L at Boekelo, The Netherlands. They were part of the silver medal-winning U.S. Eventing Team at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Sydney and QC Diamantaire were named as alternates to the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

 

QC Diamantaire

Nickname: Q Owner: Carol Stephens Groom: Caitlin Martin Gender: Gelding Breed: Oldenburg Disciplines: Eventing Sire: Diarado Dam: Lantana Foal Date: 5/6/2010

QC Diamantaire started his international career with Sydney Elliott in 2016, quickly rising through the levels and producing top results from the CCI1* level up through the CCI5*, where they made their debut in 2021 at the Kentucky Three-Day Event. In 2023, they were part of the U.S. Eventing Team that won silver at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. QC Diamantaire and Sydney Elliott were named as traveling alternates for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.