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Sunday, August 07 2022 / Published in Weekly Feature

Believing in the Horse Nobody Believed In: Cooley Quicksilver

By Liz Halliday-Sharp

I have had many young horses in my time, and one thing I’ve learned is that it’s rarely the perfect, easy baby that becomes the next superstar. In fact, I’ve always considered it a positive to have the well-behaved youngster throw a little bit of attitude my way, as I believe that it takes fight to become a great event horse.

The inspiration for this month’s piece is one of the quirkiest, most weird and wonderful horses that I have ever had: Cooley Quicksilver.   

I found Cooley Quicksilver, known as Monster, in a small dealers’ yard in Ireland in May 2016. I was on the road with Richard Sheane of Cooley Farm looking for potential sales horses. Monster was a weak, very green 5-year-old who had done a bit of hunting, but not much else. We watched him trot up and decided to see him being ridden. Richard and I immediately thought that he was a real athlete, and when I got on, I liked how loose and athletic he was despite the definite lack of controls and training.

I decided to buy him as a project, and so my relationship with the Monster began. I can honestly say that I have never had a horse quite like him to train. When he first arrived, he bounced his way around life, and everything you asked him to do he would react the opposite way. If I put my left leg on, then he would gallop sideways into my left leg, and vice versa. I was the only one that would hack the cheeky, naughty 5-year-old that my staff was scared to ride, and I found myself constantly trying to figure out how to train the rogue, wiggly grey horse that I had bought.

Another fun fact about Monster is that he is possibly the most flexible horse I have ever known, and I’m sure if he was a person he would be a double-jointed contortionist. To this day, he can easily reach over and scratch the top of his tail, and to ride him is often like sitting on a giant, over-cooked noodle. He is also incredibly arrogant and has a very high opinion of himself, which is a good thing in an event horse if you can manage it! These abilities can be great assets in show jumping and cross-country, as he is an incredible athlete, very light on himself, extremely brave and he loves to compete, but it has certainly made training him a bit challenging through the years.

I have found myself saying to countless coaches, staff and even owners, “I promise you this is a good horse.” It seemed to be the only way that I could explain why I was riding such a feral, seemingly untrainable creature that was many times turning himself inside out for no apparent reason other than he thought it was fun and a good idea.

But, through it all, the reality is that I really did believe in that weird, wiggly horse, and so I decided to keep going with him, as I knew he would probably be too difficult to sell to most people.

Monster went from the unmanageable 5-year-old to a horse that competed at the Young Horse World Championships in Le Lion d’Angers, both as a 6-year-old and 7-year-old, finishing seventh during his second trip to the venue. He then was the traveling reserve for Team USA in Peru for the Pan American Games and also represented the U.S. on the Boekelo Nations Cup team as an 8-year-old. He completed both Kentucky and Pau CCI5*-L as a 10-year-old last year. 

After some even greater soul searching on how to train him better through the winter, 2022 has been his best year yet. Monster has now stepped up to another level, and I am so incredibly proud of him. We have reached a point where we have a real friendship and a partnership where we both know each other inside and out, and the pieces are starting to fall into place. After winning the CCI4*-S at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, we went on to the Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L and came home with a fifth-place finish; he was one of only three horses to jump clear inside the time on the last day.

The moral of this story is that it’s not always the straightforward, fancy young horse that will find you success. Sometimes, it’s about listening to your gut and believing in the wild, goofy, talented horse that challenges you every day but has a true zest for life and love for his job. 

Photo:

Liz gives Monster some love after jumping clear at the Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L.

Photo by Tilly Berendt

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: Cooley Quicksilver, eventing, Land Rover Kentucky three day event, underdog

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The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

 ✨ALVESTA OWAIN✨
Thistledown Arctic Lore x Alvesta Fairy Lustre
13.1hh, Welsh section B
Stud Fee $750 (plus collection)
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Fairfield, VA

Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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