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.
Organiser Jo Young said of the Cross-Country, designed by 2000 Olympic gold medalist David O’Connor (USA): “David has made the course bigger; there’s more room for galloping and the fences are extremely challenging.”
Facts and Figures
34 riders started Dressage
3 nations represented (USA, Canada, Australia)
The Technical Delegate was Andy Griffiths (GBR)
Ground Jury was Kellie Towers (CAN), Gretchen Butts (USA) and Yulia Novitskaya (BLR)
32 riders started Cross-Country
26 completed (2 were eliminated)
23 clear rounds
4 inside the optimum time
28 started the Jumping
4 clear rounds
Results
1 Bruce Davidson Jr/My Boy Bobby (USA) 46 + 4 + 0 = 50
2 Bruce Davidson Jr /Ballynoecastle RM (USA) 48.7 + 2 + 0 = 50.7
3 Phillip Dutton/Woodburn (USA) 48.5 + 0 + 8 = 56.5
4 Kyle Carter/Madison’s Park (CAN) 59.2 + 0 + 0 = 59.2
5 Sinead Halpin/Manoir de Carneville (USA) 51.9 + 7.6 + 4 = 63.5
6 Phillip Dutton/Tru Luck (USA) 58.1 + 2.4 + 4/1 = 65.5
7 Mara Dean/High Patriot (USA) 55.0 + 0.8 + 12 = 67.8
8 Kendal Lehari/Understudy (CAN) 59.0 + 8.8 + 4 = 71.8
9 Kelly List/Minstral (CAN) 62.7 + 6 + 4 = 72.7
10 Jessica Pheonix/Exploring (CAN) 54.4 + 20/0 + 4 = 78.4
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