Bruce Davidson Jr (USA) brought the 2009 HSBC FEI World Cup™ Eventing qualifiers to a most satisfying climax, jumping clear in the final phase with both horses, despite a severe storm, to score a memorable one-two in the last qualifier, at Mansfield (CAN), and spring into 2nd place in the rankings behind Mary King (GBR).
Davidson led throughout on My Boy Bobby, the handsome liver-chestnut Irish-bred on whom he scored his best 4-star result, 3rd in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in April. He finished 2nd on Ballynoe Castle RM, also Irish-bred, swapping places with Phillip Dutton (USA) on Woodburn, eventual 3rd, when the latter hit two rails in the final stadium round.
Unsurprisingly, Dutton was without Cross-Country time penalties on Woodburn, who was 12th at Kentucky, but the only rider to enjoy the accolade of finishing on a completely clean sheet was Canadian Kyle Carter on Madison Park, 4th.