Featured Rider - Bruce Davidson

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Bruce Davidson (Part 2 of a 4 Part Series)

Since our last update, we have been preparing all 3 of the advanced horses for our first outing of the season, February 16th at Rocking Horse Winter II Horse Trials. For the most part, it has been business as usual. We’ve continued to work on their fitness level through trot & gallop sets. Gerd (pictured with Bruce on Jam) has remained with us for intensive focus on our dressage, and all the horses continue to show great improvement.

Five days prior to the event we worked on our dressage, then the following day we schooled some smaller cross country jumps: narrows, corners, ditches and put them through the water ….just to re-acclimate them to competition type questions. Over the weekend we did trot sets and the students did flat work with my advanced horses while I competed the other horses at the lower levels. My philosophy the week before an event is just like approaching an important exam in school: If you aren’t ready a week before the exam, you’re probably not going to be ready the day of the test!

Rocking Horse was an educational beginning to the season. Cruise went exceptionally well in all 3 phases, although we didn’t press him too much since it was his first outing since August. We were 2nd after dressage with a score of 36.30, and he jumped phenomenally well in stadium (also pictured) and cross country, to finish with a win in the Advanced Section A group.

Jam also put down a respectable dressage test, but uncharacteristically had a rail in stadium. Out on the cross-country course, she just didn’t feel right & we suspect that she’s got some back soreness, so we’re going to be looking into the source of her pain this week. Rock on Rose had a phenomenal stadium round, but according to Boyd they added a stride to the narrow on cross-country and she hit it with her front end, bouncing Boyd out of the tack. Both he and the horse came away from the incident unhurt.

The first outing is always a great wake up call. We know exactly what we need to focus on to improve before the next event & the waters have been tested. The day was an overall success with Fannie Lee, who purchased her horse Hadley Harbour from Chesterland, also having a great go at their return to the Advanced level, placing 6th. The Davidson’s dominated both divisions, with Buck winning the Advanced Test B on Ballynoecastle RM, finishing on a score of 37.30.

We'll talk again in March.

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