Gladstone, NJ—April 28, 2003— Bruce “Buck” Davidson, Jr. of Unionville, PA, won the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Pinnacle Trophy emblematic of the USET Four Star Championship held at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bayer CCI****, April 24-27, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.

Davidson won the Championship as the top American finisher in the CCI**** with a fourth-place finish overall, behind three riders from Great Britain, aboard Mystic Mike, a 10-year-old American thoroughbred gelding bred by owner Janis Smith.

“It’s an exciting time,” said Davidson, the son of five-time Olympian and two-time World Champion Bruce Davidson. “Every time I go into the start box with ‘Mikey,’ I think about breaking him as a two-year-old. To have him do this well is a dream come true.”

With a penalty-free show jumping round, Davidson catapulted from eleventh position into fourth and the top U.S. finish. A true competitor, Davidson commented, “Did I think that one day this would happen? Of course I did. Did I think that it would happen today? Last night, it didn’t occur to me to even think about it! I just hope that I will not only have my name on this trophy a few times, but on the big one at the end of the day, too!”

Davidson won the USET Markham Trophy three times as a Young Rider and is also a past recipient of the USET’s Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy, a trophy that is awarded to a Young Rider (age 16 – 21) who exemplifies the USET’s ideals of sportsmanship and horsemanship.

Two-time European Champion Pippa Funnell won the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** riding Primmore’s Pride, a 10-year-old English thoroughbred gelding owned by Roger and Denise Lincoln. She tied fellow Brit Polly Stockton with a score of 44.6 penalty points. Funnell earned the win based on having the better Cross-Country score. Another British rider, William Fox-Pitt, finished third with the Irish-bred Moon Man.

The United States Equestrian Team is a non-profit organization that selects, trains, equips and finances equestrians of the highest possible standard to represent our country in major international competition, including the Olympic Games and the World Championships. To accomplish this, the USET seeks out and nurtures the development of talented athletes - riders, drivers, vaulters, and horses - and provides the support and guidance they need to help them attain their fullest potential. For more information on the USET, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.