Director of Marketing & Communications                      

AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA – This past Saturday, March 6th, concluded the 2021 $50,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing at Bruce's Field. The optimum time on Capt. Mark Phillips Cross-Country course, brought to you by the City of Aiken, proved to be a formidable test, but when the dust settled it was Tamie Smith & the the 15-year-old German Sport Horse gelding Mai Baum, owned by the Ahearn family and Eric Markell, who lead the competition start to finish and brought home the win!

GPE 2021 Champions, Tamie Smith & Mai Baum

Tamie & Mai Baum laid down a 23.3 score in the Dressage ring to take the lead after the first phase of competition on Friday, March 5th, and never looked back. A flawless round over Michel Vaillancourt's Show Jumping track, brought to you by Jack Wetzel & the D&W Group, saw them head into Saturday's competition in the lead. The Cross-Country phase, brought to you by the City of Aiken, was run in reverse order of standing, so Tamie & Mai Baum were the last pair out on course. They knew they had 6 seconds to spare to stay in the lead. "'Lexus' was completely wild and crazy at the beginning of the course, but he finally settled in and we managed to make the time!" said Tamie after her "wild ride".

GPE 2020 Champions, Liz Halliday-Sharp & Deniro Z

On finishing three horses in the top 5, Liz said, "I’m thrilled with my horses! I knew coming here, Tamie’s horse is a freak of nature and I knew that if Deniro did his best he’d be close, but that horse [Mai Baum] is one of the best dressage horses in the country and one of the best jumpers. Though I’d like to think mine are not far behind! But honestly my horses were absolutely outstanding today, I couldn’t have asked for more!

3rd Liz Halliday-Sharp & Fernhill By Night

5th Liz Halliday-Sharp & Cooley Quicksilver

7th Doug Payne & Quantum Leap

9th Boyd Martin & Luke 140

4th Boyd Martin & Long Island T

6th Buck Davidson & Erroll Gobey

8th Doug Payne & Starr Witness

10th Sara Kozumplik Murphy & Rubens D'ysieux

Top: Holly Jacks-Smither & More Inspiration

Bottom: Colleen Rutledge & Confidence Game

Executive Director of the Retired Racehorse Project, Jen Roytz said, "The Retired Racehorse Project is proud to support this year’s Highpoint Thoroughbred Award, along with Dr. Kevin Pfiester of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute; Dr. Stuart E. Brown of Brownstead Farm, Dr. Andy Clark and Kathleen Sullivan and Dr. Rebecca Newell and William Griffin.

Top 3 team captains with representatives of their charities (L-R):

Liz Halliday-Sharp & Tri-Development Aiken County, Doug Payne & Brothers & Sisters of Aiken County, Allison Springer & Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County

1st Team Orange – Tri-Development Center of Aiken County

2nd Team Yellow – Brothers & Sisters of Aiken County

3rd Team Red – Community Medical Clinic of Aiken County

4th Team Blue – Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs

5th Team Green – Megiddo Dream Station

6th Team Purple – Alzheimer’s Association – South Carolina Chapter

NEW IN 2021, in addition to the traditional Ride for Charity competition, we added an online popular voting platform so YOU the fans could vote for your favorite team. At $5/vote the 2021 #RideForCharity popular vote raised $7,120! 100% of the proceeds go directly back to the represented charitable organizations. Thank you to everyone who voted and participated in this incredible event!

Aiken's own Nilson Da Silva was awarded the 2021 Triple Crown Sportsmanship Award. He was unanimously nominated by his fellow competitors after graciously retiring during Friday's Show Jumping when his horse Magnum's Martini just wasn't going right. We applaud Nilson for his horsemanship and sportsmanship and always placing his horses' well being above all.

“We are proud to support such a prestigious, competitive equestrian showcase here in Aiken,” said Triple Crown Representative Kelly Payne. “We appreciate the opportunity to help grow the sport and strengthen our long-term relationships with some of the best riders in the world while also supporting the Aiken community.” 

The 2021 Shapley's Best Turned Out Award was given to Annabelle Nieman & Alyssa Dobrotin, grooming for Tamie Smith and keeping her horses in incredible condition during their long visit from the West Coast

Shapley's loves not only the sport of eventing but the grooms who work tirelessly for their horses. To honor their contribution we want to bring attention to these dedicated individuals. With our own history in the town of Aiken, sponsoring the Best Turned Out at the LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing at Burce's Field, is a special thrill for us," says Sally Stith

Craig Duchossois presents two new awards for 2021. Alex Baugh won the Top Young Rider and Top Amateur aboard Altorac Farm's Mr. Candyman.

LiftMaster Representative Rob Guerrero (far left), AHPF President Jack Wetzel (second to right), & Craig Duchossois (far right) all present the 2021 LiftMaster GPE Championship to Tamie Smith (center) and owner Eric Markell (second to left)

The VISION of the LiftMaster GPE is to showcase the best of the sport of eventing. It will demonstrate the highest quality and innovation in competition, attracting top horses and riders internationally. Its prestige and format will make it the ideal venue to provide an engaging event drawing a wide variety of spectators from all over. Highlighting the history and character of Aiken throughout the event and involving many local charities of Aiken will exhibit our pride in our community, and fulfill the mission of making the horse park a central fixture which “promotes Aiken’s equestrian way of life and supports the community's civic, educational and charitable endeavors".

For information about the 2021 $50,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing at Bruce's Field , visit aikenhorsepark.org

To relive all the action from #AnEventLikeNoOther visit horseandcountry.tv/en-us/