Photo by Lauren R Giannini

By Lauren R. Giannini

Bruce (Buck) Davidson, Jr was the only American to make it into the top five at this year’s Rolex Kentucky. My Boy Bobby’s four-star debut was stellar, adding only 1.2 penalty points to his 39.0 dressage score with a brilliant cross-country. Clear show jumping rounds on Sunday kept Bobby in third place and moved Ballynoe Castle RM up to 15th. Buck’s accolades included the Pinnacle Cup for highest placed American and the USEF National CCI**** Advanced Eventing championship. He won the Dubarry Style Award – those bling boots – for his appearance during vet inspections.
Buck’s competitive calendar for the autumn includes Burghley (UK) and Fair Hill International. He divides his time between training facilities in New Jersey and Florida, according to the season.
For information: http://www.buckdavidsoneventing.com

Sidelines: What made the difference with your dressage and results this year?
BD: Bettina Hoy sort of changed the way I train the horses. It’s very simple – first things first, get ‘em going – go someplace and then put them together. She made a few little tweaks here and there in my position. It really helped Reggie [Ballynoe Castle RM], and I’m still kicking myself [about dressage at Rolex]. I made a circle in the wrong place and Reggie’s score got hurt. He deserved better.
My dad and Oded Shimoni helped me a lot, Bettina helped me at times, Mark Phillips – you know, it takes years and many hours to get to this level.
I don’t know that I’m a helluva lot different than I’ve ever been. I just think I’ve got better horses and I’m very lucky to have those horses and the owners who provide me with those horses. I’m 33, and I’ve put in more hours than most people, so I guess I should be hitting my prime about now.

Sidelines: Physically, you look great – what’s the story there?
BD: As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten a little bit smarter, you know. I’ve started to take care of myself better. Whether it be getting sports massages, stretching or eating the right things. I’m not as young as I once was. I don’t know – all of a sudden I talked to some people about things to do. I never really knew what to do and now I do.

Sidelines: You have big plans for the fall – who’s going where?
BD: Reggie hopefully goes to Wit’s End in mid-August, and then he goes to Burghley, hopefully. Bobby goes to Wit’s End, he’s entered at Richmond Park and then he’s in the AECs [American Eventing Championships] and that will be it for him for the year.
I’ve got three or four to ride at Fair Hill, hopefully, in the three-star85 if everything comes the way it should go.
I’ve been nothing short of a train wreck at Burghley in the past. I’d like to change that this year, and I think I will. I have a fantastic horse, he’s young and he’s going really well.

Sidelines: Do you ever suffer from nerves?
BD: The only time I suffer is when I’m not nervous. I thrive on being nervous. If I’m not nervous, I work myself up to get nervous. I feel like I’m not sharp if I’m not nervous. I feel the bigger the stakes, the more pressure, the better I’m going to be. Nerves work for me, not against me. I’m definitely lucky that way.

Sidelines: Are you very competitive with your dad?
BD: Uh-huh – yeah! We were sitting at Maryland Horse Trials last week, comparing whose pictures were better from Kentucky. Of course, I won that one. We’re wicked competitive. I don’t want anybody to beat me and he doesn’t want anybody to beat him. I think we both want each other to be successful – I would have been real happy with first and second at Kentucky if he had been third and fourth. The fact that both my horses were ahead of his85 he can tell me how great his horses are, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say. I gotta be careful. If I get him too wound up, he starts playing dirty, but it’s all in good fun.