IF Liz Halliday-Sharp makes the US team for the Tokyo Olympics, it’ll be her first major championship. But it certainly won’t be the first time the 42-year-old has performed under pressure. Because Liz is not just an elite athlete in equestrianism. At the same time as she was climbing the grades in eventing through her twenties, she was also a professional racing car driver.
“It was crazy – for a lot of years I raced and rode together,” she explains. “It was pretty cool when I was young – I was on a plane or in a car or on a horse. I just bombed around the world doing crazy stuff. It was a really fun part of my life and I’ll never regret it, even though I’m sure I would have achieved better things with horses earlier in my life if I hadn’t been racing.”
Having done some media work during her years in the cockpit, Liz was a commentator and live pit reporter for Eurosport at the Le Mans 24-hour race for 10 years after she stopped driving there.
“I absolutely love live TV,” she says. “It’s a lot of fun to be in front of the camera, knowing you can’t get it wrong.
“I’ve always been someone who enjoys pressure – of course we all get nervous, but it’s definitely where I thrive, in that real adrenaline situation. Maybe it’s because I have such a busy brain, it’s the only way I can make it focus. I think every time we’re under a huge amount of pressure – when you go into the arena in the lead – it makes you more educated and better.”
Ability under pressure is just one of the attributes Liz hopes will stand her in good stead for championships. Looking to Tokyo, she already knows about performing in “extreme heat”.
Denne historien er fra February 25, 2021-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
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Denne historien er fra February 25, 2021-utgaven av Horse & Hound.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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'Sorry, but I wasn't feeling it'
Fresh from the opening meet, Tessa Waugh hasn't quite yet been bitten by the hunting bug. Without the crisp autumnal air and cheek-pinching cold she hoped for, it's a sluggish start
New pair pull off a win
A former European Championships pony is on form with his new rider, while elsewhere former showjumpers and eventers take ribbons
Lording it over the rest
Horses who have returned from injury, a second generation homebred and a long format specialist score on the final weekend of the British season
Smith hits flying form
A \"her way or no way\" mare helps Zoe Smith to an impressive ribbon haul and a rider beats his own boss to the top spot
Jankorado hits the jackpot
Paul Sims is triumphant despite his interrupted jump-off preparation and a borrowed horse comes up trumps
Peanut
From \"dangerous, scary\" to hedge-hopping brilliance, hunting has been the making of this unstable but very lovable equine character
She's a corker
Communication, says long-standing and highly respected Belvoir master Lady Sarah McCorquodale, is the key to all, as Catherine Austen discovers
Access all areas Cavalier Centre
The Cavalier Centre is a fully accessible, state-of-the-art equestrian centre designed to improve lives through horse-based activities. Ellie May Forrester pays a visit
'Use it or lose it'
Not everyone wants to reach for the pipe and slippers at a certain age. Becky Murray speaks to some veteran horse-and-rider combos for their secrets of human and equine longevity
A new way forward
Worm control in horses is vital, but established methods will not remain effective for much longer. Tim Mair FRCVS explains why and how we need to change
