Liz Halliday continues her remarkable recovery from a traumatic brain injury sustained in a fall on cross country in August of 2024, and her latest update is full of news we can all smile about.
Liz has been back in the saddle as much as she can, now up to riding three days per week at her own home base in Lexington, KY after spending the last few months riding at a facility nearby. She also welcomed back her longtime upper level eventing horse, Deniro Z, to the barn, and has been riding “Niro” as she prepares for her latest goal: para dressage.
Happy Easter everyone! I am continuing to make steady progress in my recovery, and being back home at my farm has been…
Posted by Liz Halliday Eventing on Sunday, April 5, 2026
“The best news yet is that I traveled with Mark and my mom last week to TerraNova in Florida so that I could be graded to compete in Para Dressage,” Liz posted on social media with the help of her team. “The grading didn’t involve riding this time but did allow officials to assess which group I belong in from a capability standpoint at this stage in my recovery. I am proud to say that I am now officially an FEI Grade 2 Para Dressage rider!”
For the uninitiated, para dressage is assessed at five “grades”, with Grade I being the “most severe” in terms of physical limitation, with tests performed only at the walk. Liz’s Grade II designation is described as “Walk and trot tests. Typically for riders with severe impairment in one or two limbs, or moderate impairment in all four limbs and trunk.”
“The Grade 2 FEI tests are based on movements at the walk and trot, and judging is based largely on the quality of the horse and its performance,” Liz’s update continued. “The tests are long and quite complex, and I’ve started practicing movements at home with the anticipation to dive back into competing this year. I also met a number of Para Dressage competitors at TerraNova, and they are an impressive group: resilient, friendly, and dedicated horsewomen. It was an amazing feeling to be with elite athletes who are living with and overcoming the same challenges that I am. We all know much more about the amazing sport of Para Dressage now and are ready to start digging into it. This is an exciting new direction in my career, and I’m so happy to be able to compete again. Onward and upward!”
For Grade II riders, there are several tests available that you can view here. For the Para Olympics (which, I think it’s safe to say are at least on Liz’s radar!), Grand Prix level tests are used. Inside these tests, riders need to perform movements such as leg yields, serpentines, transitions within gaits and even voltes (small, precise circles). There is also a Freestyle test used during the Para Olympics, which also contains similar compulsory movements.
We’re continuing to send Liz all of our love and support and these updates make our day — we hope they make yours, too! #KeepFightingLiz
