Page 48 - The Hunt - Fall 2021

Caitlin Silliman believes that Ally KGO will soon be a 5 Star- caliber ride. For now, though, the filly isn’t quite ready. That means Silliman, who divides her time between Cochranville and Aiken, S.C., will be witnessing the first-ever Fair Hill 5 Star at a site she’s extremely familiar with. “It’s going to be hard to watch, because I’ll wish I was out there,” she says. “But it’s also such a massive competition that it will be fun.”
Born in Malvern, Silliman began her equestrian career with riding lessons for her sixth birthday. She’s since blossomed into a 5 Star talent who’s competed in the Kentucky event three times on Catch A Star, a horse now retired. Earlier this year, she had the opportunity to ride on the new cross-country course and see the new arena. “It’s incredible,” she says.
Several parts of the Fair Hill grounds have undergone renovations and improvements in advance of the 5 Star competition. Gardner reports that the cross-country course was improved considerably to make it tough enough to challenge the world’s best riders. There’s also a new grandstand,
(Here and right) Lillian Heard will be riding in the first-ever Fair Hill 5 Star.
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temporary stands have been added, and the jumping course has been upgraded.
Fair Hill provided considerable funding, but a sizeable grant from the state of Maryland also helped. So did the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, charged with luring significant events to the state. The nonprofit organization helped assemble the bid, as it did with the Maryland Cycling Classic. It’s also heading the effort to bring 2026 World Cup soccer games to Baltimore. Co-chaired by Mike Hankin and Mike Gill and led by president and CEO Jeff Newman, the Fair Hill Organizing Committee will stage the event, solicit sponsors