2003 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

Personality Profile: The Dynamic Davidsons

By Amber Heintzberger

The bionic Bruce Davidson is back in the shark pool with the top riders at the Rolex Kentucky three-day event, sitting in fourth place behind the three British leaders. The view from the top of the leaderboard in Kentucky is familiar scenery for Davidson, who has competed here for most of the past 25 years on multiple horses and taken home enough Rolex watches to keep track of time in several time zones.

Riding at Rolex this year was no sure bet for Davidson, who broke 11 bones in a fall that turned lethal for the Irish stallion High Scope that he was riding at the Over the Walls Horse Trials last fall. Bruce’s son Buck Davidson also suffered a severe injury last year, breaking his back and neck, but went on to compete at both Radnor and Fair Hill in the Autumn.

“I knew that if I’d ride again, I’d ride again,” Bruce said. “I’m lucky to be comfortable and sound again and I’m grateful for that. I never want to come that close again.”

Commented Bruce on his gelding Little Tricky, (Babamist x Bay Leggs), “The one thing this horse does well is to go cross-country. It’s what he loves.”

Course designer Michael Etherington-Smith changed the layout of the cross-country course this year so that the track ran in reverse of the past several years. Conditions were superb, with a light rain on Friday night and the sun shining mildly on Saturday. Bruce said, “To me this year the time was easier than ever before. The footing was just right, the horses were happy. It was reflected in the way the horses went.”

Both father and son are riding homebred horses by the stallion Babamist. “We have a breeding program at home so we don’t have to spend a lot of money on horses to get here,” said Buck. “That means the ones we don’t sell are the ones that we ride, so we’re not always on the most talented horses that we produce, but it keeps the pipeline filled.”

Buck, who is riding Mystic Mike, (Babamist x Annwyn), continued, “The ideal event horse is changing. The horses by Babamist tend to be tough and sound and excel at cross-country but are difficult to ride in the dressage and stadium jumping. We’re trying to breed in more of the dressage and jumping ability now because the sport is changing. As the sport evolves we’ve got to change with it.”

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