Baltimore, Maryland – Aug. 16, 2022
The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is pleased to welcome several equestrian professionals to the event’s management team for its return to the Fair Hill Special Event Zone in Cecil County, MD, October 13-16. Among the team’s new faces are Chloe Bates, Katie Hasse, Nicole Hatfield, and Joanie Morris, with Jeff Newman, Marissa Melzer and Marty Bauman returning for the exciting second edition.
The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, one of only two 5 Star level equestrian events of its kind in the United States and just the seventh worldwide, made a spectacular debut last year, welcoming a total of 20,886 spectators and 184 competitors that featured four of the top eight eventers in the world. The event’s prestigious 5 Star (CCI5*-L) designation is the pinnacle of the Olympic sport of Eventing, often described as an equestrian triathlon.
“With such incredible support for the inaugural event last year, we are indeed fortunate to have such an incredible line-up of professionals to ensure the success of this year’s second edition,” said Jeff Newman, President & CEO of the Maryland 5 Star Event Committee. “It truly takes a village to run an event of this caliber, and we’re grateful and proud to say all our team members have tremendous experience in the equestrian industry.”
In addition to the 5 Star competition (CCI5*-L), the event also features a 3 Star competition (CCI3*-L), which serves as the USEF CCI3*-L Eventing National Championship, and The Dutta Corp. USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships Presented by Dubarry of Ireland. The four days of eventing competition feature Dressage (Thu-Fri), Cross-Country (Sat) showcasing Ian Stark-designed courses, and Show Jumping (Sun).
Chloe Bates of Baltimore, MD, is a creative professional who uses her marketing and communications skills to strive toward meaningful change in the community. She joins the Maryland 5 Star team as its new Credentials Manager with several years of experience volunteering for Strides for Equality Equestrians, a nonprofit seeking to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the equestrian community.
An upper-level event rider and USDF Bronze and Silver medalist, Katie Hasse has produced many horses for eventing, foxhunting, and the hunter and jumper rings at her Deerfield Sport Horses in Upperville, VA. A protégée of 5 Star eventers Sharon White and Jan Byyny, Hasse has been named the new Maryland 5 Star Tickets & Hospitality Manager.
A self-taught contemporary painter of the Comanche and Kiowa tribes, J. Nicole Hatfield draws inspiration from historical photographs of tribal people and frequently incorporates tribal language into her pieces. Recently named the Maryland 5 Star Project Manager, she travels around the U.S. working for special events and fundraisers such as the CANA Foundation #Rewild Party, which focuses on saving America’s wild horses from extinction.
Joanie Morris needs little introduction in the Eventing world, having overseen every major international competition that featured U.S. athletes during her six-year tenure as USEF Managing Director of Eventing. Her lifelong career has featured nearly every job in the equine industry, including her current positions as the Director of Logistics and Business Development at The Dutta Corp. and the new Maryland 5 Star Competition Management Consultant.
Returning to the event’s leadership team in addition to Newman are Marissa Melzer and Marty Bauman. Melzer, who has been promoted to Event Director, has over 15 years of experience across several disciplines, including working for the Maryland Horse Industry Board and the Maryland Horse Breeders Association. Bauman, who returns for his second year as the event’s Communications Director, has directed media services and operations for many of the nation’s biggest equestrian events through his Classic Communications.