Edited Press Release
October 4, 2024 – Upper Marlboro, MD – Twenty-year-old Elizabeth Cram had the good fortune to have her winning equitation mount, Liverno, “fall into her lap” in May of 2024 as he made the transition from eventing to equitation. The horse arrived at her family’s farm, and it became a quick connection between “Vern” and Cram.
After a second-place finish in last week’s North American Adult Equitation Championships, Cram had to return to school at the University of Georgia, where she rides on the equestrian team and studies accounting and finance. She flew back to Maryland on Thursday evening and was in The Show Place Arena with Vern to impress the judges Friday afternoon. The judges rewarded them with a score of 91.5, which put them into the lead at the end of the first round.
The top ten riders returned for a second round which included places to shine, inside turns, a bounce, and a gallop to the final oxer. Cram completed a neat, mistake-free ride, and her score of 89.16 and total of 180.66 was enough to place first without need for additional testing.
“We weren’t actually looking for him,” admitted Cram. “Someone sent him to us to sell, and he ended up being the perfect match for me. My mom Cathy was amazing and bought him. She was going to show him herself, but I kind of took over the reins myself over the summer. We started showing in the Ariat classes, got qualified, and now we’re here.”
Cram noted that the biggest aspects of equitation that they worked on with Vern were slowing down and collecting his giant stride.
“When we first got him, he was definitely faster. He has always wanted to be a slow horse, but he was used to galloping across the cross-country field,” she explained. “He’s 17.3 hands, so he has a huge stride already. The biggest thing we’ve been working on is managing that and getting him comfortable going in the bridle.”
The Ariat National Adult Medal Finals marked the first time Liverno competed in an indoor arena, and Cram was proud of her eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Hampshire VDL). “I was a little bit nervous because I didn’t know what he was going to do,” she said, “but after the first couple of jumps I knew he would be fine. My sister Celia has been riding him in the ring in the morning all week. That’s been super helpful. It’s been a team effort this week.”
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