Lexington, Ky. – Bruce “Buck” Davidson Jr.’s horses came through for him again today as they mastered the CCI1* cross-country course with ease. He kept three of his four horses in the top three and maintains the lead with Legion Kat, on a score of 37.50, for the USEF One-Star National Eventing Championship for the Richard Collins Trophy at the Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day & Team Challenge. Sydney Hagaman and Diablo Tejano also tackled the course perfectly to remain on their score of 38.30 for the USEF One-Star National Junior and Young Rider Championship for the Harry T. Peters Trophy. 

The course provided horse and rider with plenty of questions and offered several challenging double and triple combination obstacles for a one-star course. Nearly all the combinations navigated the course flawlessly. Davidson’s great dressage scores from yesterday helped keep his horses in the lead going into Saturday’s show jumping phase. Davidson was simply looking to give Natalie Sandler’s 2006 Thoroughbred gelding Legion Kat a good ride today. They succeeded despite a little hesitancy at the Hillside Brushes. They finished in 7:09, under the optimum time of 7:30, with no penalties.

“I was really happy with Legion Kat. He floundered early but switched on late. He was a little wiggly in the angled brushes. I was not on as good of a line as I was with the other horses, but he came back to me nicely afterwards. He’s just a nice, honest, laid back horse,” said Davidson.

Davidson and Summer Sleigh Ride, his wife Andrea’s 2008 Thoroughbred gelding, also finished in 7:09 without error to remain in second place with a score of 40.30. He sits in third place, on a score of 42.10, with Escariz Du Rona, Andrea’s 2009 KWPN mare, after completing the cross-country course in 7:12 without penalties.

“Summer Sleigh Ride and Escariz Du Rona couldn’t have ridden better. They both felt great as Andrea has them trained up well,” added Davidson.

In the Junior and Young Rider one-star division, Hagaman gave her own 2003 Thoroughbred gelding Diablo Tejano a good ride to finish in 7:04, despite her worries about the angled brushes before taking the course. 

“We had a bit of trouble with angled brushes earlier in the year, and we finally conquered them. In the warm up, he was perfect; he was angling left and right, just constantly turning his head back and asking where is the next jump? We were here two years ago, and the course was not as hard as it was today. It is more technical, and the turns come up quick,” said Hagaman. 

Remaining in second place is Caroline Martin and her own Danger Mouse. She ran the course a little more conservatively with the 2008 Quarter Horse gelding and finished in 7:23. However, nothing was hurt as she remains on a score of 44.70.

“All the questions that were presented were fair, but they were hard. They gave you options. It was a really strong one-star course, and he coped with it well. He was amazing in the skinnies and the coffin, and I’m proud of him; it was a fluid round. Every question that was presented, he understood and kept going,” said Martin. 

Moving into third place is Chelsea Kolman and Dauntless Courage, her 2007 Percheron/Thoroughbred cross gelding with a 50.70. They blazed through the cross-country course quickly and accurately for a time of 6:58, which boosted their placing.

“This was a fun course and rode really well. The second to last jump we knocked a little bit, but he’s a big horse, and that’s coming downhill. He handled all the combinations perfectly. The coffin combination, he saved me, and I’m just very happy with him,” said Kolman.

Showjumping begins tomorrow at 11:00 am EST.

Complete Hagyard Midsouth Three-Day & Team Challenge Results