Florida family donates show horse to Liberty University’s equestrian program

One of the newest members of Liberty University’s equestrian program hails from Belgium and is well-established as a champion in the sport.

His name is Bernoulli (aka “Icey”), a 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding who was bred in Europe before being imported to the United States to compete in U.S. Equestrian Federation-sanctioned shows.

Bernoulli now makes his home at the Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center. His former owners, Chris and Jackie Cottone, made the generous donation last fall when their daughter, Anabella — who formerly trained Bernoulli and currently rides for a college equestrian program in Florida — left home to attend college and they knew they weren’t going to be as involved in showing him.

Chris Cottone, vice president of Greentree Financial Group, Inc., in Plantation, Fla., has been a regular speaker and participant in Liberty’s annual CEO Summit, and when he was in town for the summit in late September, he visited the Equestrian Center and met Suzanne Flaig, director of the center and head coach of the Flames’ and Lady Flames’ Hunt Seat equestrian team. The family donated the horse, valued at $250,000, to the university in November.

“It was such a pleasure getting to know Coach Flaig and the wonderful equestrian program at LU,” Chris Cottone said. “The student riders we met there were amazing, and we knew right away that LU would be the perfect destination for Bernoulli. We are so happy to hear how he is adapting and getting loved and cared for.”

Flaig said Bernoulli ranks as one of the top show horses at Liberty: “Bernoulli is an accomplished show horse, with an extensive career record, so we are really excited about having him complement our program and give our students an opportunity to ride a very seasoned and athletic horse.”

Flaig said Liberty’s equestrian program has a range of horses to serve students at various riding levels.

“For more serious students, Bernoulli is one of our more decorated horses based on his experience. We tend to have horses that are already trained, but they are normally a little older. His age is like the perfect age, definitely still in his prime with a lot of years left. We are very excited about how we’ll be able to utilize him in the future.”

She is grateful for the Cottones’ generous donation.

“The Cottones are big supporters of Liberty and loved the horse and knowing where he would be. They are happy to be able to see him when they visit and know that he is well taken care of while helping the school and our program.”

The Cottones’ son, Christian, plans on attending Liberty after his high school graduation next year.

The Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center, a 380-acre venue that features a total of 72 stalls, currently has 28 horses that it uses for programming, along with another eight in some form of semi-retirement. The university also houses several horses belonging to residential and commuter students through its boarding program. The center features a 300-by-120 indoor riding arena that is one of the largest in the state.

> Watch a video overview of the Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center.