Bruce Davidson Eventing

PRO Derbycross Returns to Wellington January 19th & 20th!!

2012-01-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again.........PRO Derbycross returns to Wellington 1/19th and 20th!!

Come join Team Farmvet/Cavalor consisting of Bruce, Buck, Will Faudree, Aaron Vale (SJ) and polo player Kris Kampsen for a fabulous event which blends elements of XC Eventing with GP Show Jumping. Each team will consist of 3 event riders, 1 show jumper and 1 polo player......with all team members tackling an exciting jumping course under the lights in Wellington.

Needless to say the Thursday night Calcutta is quite the party to attend, and the 7 teams in competition are all star studded. Check out the promo video below and see you there!!

For tickets call 772-633-6129 or email info@professionalriders.org

Boyd and Brewster!

2011-08-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

Recent post on Boyd's website regarding several of the Walker's new horses, including Brewster, one of Bruce's own home bred talents! An excerpt from the blog is below & you can click here for the full story!

Brewster, owned by Katie and Cuyler Walker. Photo Copyright Amy K. Dragoo

The second horse the Walkers purchased is Brewster, a brilliant-looking 4-year-old bred by none other than Bruce Davidson. This horse is about 1/16th Irish Sport Horse and is closely related to one of Bruce’s most famous eventers, Eagle Lion. Dave Leinhauser also got this young horse started over the winter, where Brewster got his education in the hills of Unionville, PA. Brewster has had a couple of starts this year and the horse has looked very impressive at the novice horse trials.

Catching Up with Bruce

2011-08-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to chat with Bruce last night after his exciting win on Keltic Lion this past weekend at Fair Hill! When I asked him about their weekend, he immediately went to how proud he was of David and his efforts on Looks Sweet and their 2nd place finish in the Open Intermediate!

Charlie (Keltic Lion) was just fantastic, and even with a small mistake in the dressage, and a XC round which he didn't press for time, he still came out on top. He is such an impressive and well mannered stallion who is a total gentleman in the barn and a real contender for the future! Bruce was also quite pleased with Here's Lola who was 4th, with Bruce taking all the blame for the rail down & break in the dressage. In addition, HRH Patricia, who was sold to Emily Beshear's barn, was 3rd on the weekend at FH & also at Loch Moy at the Training Level! See Fair Hill Full Results

Up next they will go off to Richland with both Prelim horses (Charlie & Lola), and David will take his young horse Look at Me in the Prelim as well. Looks Sweet will move up to Advanced after such a successful weekend at Fair Hill. Plantation will be on the docket for mid September and then it's back to Fair Hill International in the beginning of the fall.

The Eventing Issue of the Chronicle also gave the Chesterland crew their fair shake of the media. On page 24 there is a full 4 page spread titled "Bruce Davidson's Chesterland - BehindBarnDoors". If you are a magazine subscriber, you will be able to access the online magazine here, with your login & password! Many thanks to our friend Amy Dragoo for the amazing pictorial spread on the farm!!

There is also a wonderful 5 page article (page 38) on David's Mom, Vicky Koss, and her "Horse of a Lifetime: Goldmill" with a full page picture of the pair riding at Badminton, plus a great galloping shot of Goldmill and David during their partnership which helped teach David the ropes of eventing at the age of 17. David's quoted as saying, "I don't know that I would have started riding if it wasn't for Barney. But he was so great to ride cross-country, and we had so much fun". David rode Barney at his first 3 day event & even was able to experience the long format back in 2004. Barney really gave the Koss family his heart until he was euthanized at the age of 19 back in 2006.

It does seem that David has become a solid fixture at Chesterland, and the plans are for David to stay on to spend the winter down in Ocala, and to help bring along the now 7 headcount of coming 4 year olds, 2 of which belong to Vicky Koss. Looks like Bruce and David are going to have a busy winter!!

2011-08-09T19:14:00.001-07:00

Five Minutes With Bruce “The Bird Man” Davidson

By: Kat Netzler

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Peacocks have free range at Bruce Davidson's Chesterland farm.

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When Amy Dragoo, one of our most reliable freelance photographers, sent in her selections for our Behind Barn Doors at Bruce Davidson’s Chesterland (see Aug. 8 Eventing Issue, p. 24), we weren’t surprised by most of what we saw.
There were the rolling, green hills of Chester County, Pa. There were the classic red-and-white Dutch doors on his barn, the old black-and-white photos of famous mounts from decades gone by hanging in his office. There were all the horses and dogs and chickens and peacocks and parrots we’d expected...
Wait, what? Bruce Davidson has… birds in his barn?
“Oh yes, I’ve always loved birds,” he said matter-of-factly when I called him to make sure that neither my eyes nor Amy’s Photoshopping skills were deceiving me. “I’ve always had them around the farm.”
In fact, chickens and roosters have been commonplace in Davidson’s life since childhood. He grew up in Westport, Mass., right down the road from Adamsville, R.I., where the Rhode Island Red chicken breed was established, so they’ve always had a place at his farm.
“I love brown eggs, and they’re pets,” he said. “The horses like them and like having them around. It’s amazing to see how many of the little roosters and bantams attach to a horse and really become that horse’s friend. They’ll even learn to rest on that horse’s back. JJ Babu [who carried Davidson to the 1983 Rolex Kentucky CCI*** title and a team gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games] had a little rooster forever that went everywhere with him, and he loved it.”
But chickens are far from being Chesterland’s only feathered residents. Davidson also has two peacocks that run free on the farm and a yellow nape Amazon parrot named Lolita who lives in his tack room. At one time he had 27 different varieties of fowl, including golden pheasants.
But bird ownership isn’t all fun and games. With Chester County’s fox population plenty healthy, bird snatching is a common problem. Davidson said the intruders are bold enough to come right into the stable and steal a snack if he’s not careful. And what of the winter months?
“We have chickens in Florida, so each year a couple of them come down with us, and each year a few come back with us,” said Davidson, who spends the coldest months in Ocala. “They just go in the horse trailer with the horses, and everyone’s happy.”

If you enjoyed this article and would like to read more like it, consider subscribing. "Five Minutes With Bruce 'The Bird Man' Davidson" ran in the Aug. 8, 2011 issue. Check out thetable of contents to see what great stories are in the magazine this week.

Rock on Rose!

2011-08-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

We've been in contact with Lusty's new owner, Whitney Weston, to get an update on Lusty and their new partnership. They had a great run at Rebecca Farm and I've made a slideshow of some of her photos, as well as attached a great interview by our friends at Eventing Nation. This pair clearly has a great future together!

Rock on Rock on Rose!

By Samantha L Clark on July 24, 2011 11:05 AM, Filed Under SamanthaLClark.com

I think taking on a four star ride from a top level rider must be one of the hardest things to do in eventing, so I was interested to see Rock on Rose go this afternoon when I saw her name in the programme in the intermediate division. When I spoke to Bruce Davidson about a month ago, he'd mentioned how well Lusty was doing, but hadn't gone into any further detail. Happily, it seems Lusty has certainly landed on her feet with a new owner, Whitney, who couldn't possibly love her any more. They posted a lovely clear around the intermediate track this afternoon here at Rebecca Farm to add just six time penalties to their dressage score, and Whitney kindly talked to me after her ride. FULL ARTICLE & VIDEO

iPhone Gallery

A Working Vacation!

2011-07-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've always said that I have the best job on the planet. I have fabulous equestrian clients & access to involvement with the top riders in the world.......so why wouldn't I love my work!

I came down to Unionville on Monday with my horse and kids in order to ride, catch up with clients & to see my family. I had an impromptu lesson with Bruce, which was such a thrill and positive experience. I'm not sure who was more winded, Rhythm or myself! I would encourage any amateur, who would be otherwise intimidated by riding with the great Bruce Davidson, to come ride with him because he is so encouraging & approachable. He certainly put up with all my mistakes!

I think the highlight of my 2 days was riding cross country with Susie and her new horse Tuf. I grew up riding across this countryside & rarely find the time to treat myself to the all that scenery! Susie's new quarter horse has a real purpose in the barn, and earned his keep when he led my stubborn pony into the pond! It's so great seeing her back in the tack.

I think Rhythm and the kids found a new love in the mighty 9h Sweetums, who's in many of these pictures. The whole crew at the barn, including working students David and Rachel, are such hard workers & have such a great upbeat attitude. I'm so thankful for all their help over the past few days & as Susie so perfectly put it, "We have a lot of fun around here"!

Thank you everyone! LT

Bruce Davidson - Still Going Strong, part 2

2011-06-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

Bruce Davidson - Still Going Strong, part 2

By Samantha L Clark on June 29, 2011 12:59 PM, Filed Under Rider Profiles

We continue the second and final part of our interview with Bruce Davidson today. Click here for part 1. We resume the conversation as Bruce talks about Buck, his legacy, and the future.

So what advice did Bruce give his son before he left for Badminton this spring, where incidentally he finished 21st after a clear round cross country, and the best of the North American contingent,

"I didn't have to say a thing! I said, 'Good Luck, and, Show 'em how to do it!' He knows I have all the faith in the world in him, and he's been there since he was a kid. I can remember the English saying to me when Nancy (Buck's sister ) was about four, and Buck was about five, 'Bruce, exactly what do you expect them to get out of this experience?', because you know the English children should be seen and not heard (!), and in that case probably not even seen!

"Here I was at Badminton with my two little kids in the owners' tent and the riders' tent, and Buck telling everybody whether they were hitting the right spot or not at the first fence! As we walked the course I'll never forget him saying, 'Well, Dad, Harry could jump this one!' and there we go, so let's go and look at the second one then, and by the time we'd got round he'd decided he probably could have jumped about three of the ones that were at Badminton that year. They came home and they built a Vicarage Vee and a Normandy Bank and things like that in our back yard so that he and his sister could race around on foot and practice jumping, and when they got ponies they could do it, and there he is, now he's doing it, and I expected him to do it. He's a good guy, he's a good athlete, a good horseman, a good competitor. I couldn't be prouder, he's an exemplary young man and a very kind person."

Buck of course progressed from jumping on foot at home, to representing the US last year on home ground at the WEG in Kentucky. I asked Bruce if, looking back, team medals or for example, a Badminton or Burghley title, gave him more satisfaction.........FULL ARTICLE

Bruce Davidson - Still Going Strong, part 1 on Eventing Nation!

2011-06-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Samantha and our friends at EN for this great article!

Bruce Davidson - Still Going Strong, part 1

By Samantha L Clark on June 28, 2011 12:22 PM, Filed Under Rider Profiles

You could be forgiven for thinking that Bruce Davidson had perhaps finally settled into a comfy chair to enjoy watching his son, Buck carry the torch in those famous red and yellow colours; after all with a fistful of medals from every major Championship in almost each colour, a Badminton & Burghley win to his credit, having been a mainstay on the US leading rider list for many years, and now a member of the US Eventing Hall of Fame there wouldn't seem to be much left to achieve. You would be forgiven, but you would be wrong! I made just this mistake and Bruce very kindly described to me exactly how busy he is, what excites him these days, and why we most definitely shouldn't discount seeing him back at the very top of the game again. I'm incredibly honoured and grateful to Bruce for his time, and also completely bowled over by his utter lack of ego, willingness to talk, love of the game and, above all else, of course - the horse.

"I have some nice, young horses, and I've been doing some low-level things with them - training and preliminary. They're pretty fancy horses so I'm not pounding on them but they'll come out in July and do a couple more preliminaries, and then I'll step them up at the end of the summer. That's my stallion, Keltic Lion, and I have a very, very nice grey mare called Here's Lola, and I ride a mare for Sophie Dupont called Expensive Playmate. I have those three, and that's all I'm doing with them, and then I have any number of young horses on the farm that I play with."

There's a common thread or two that run along the breeding lines of all the horses in Bruce's programme, lines that hark back to Eagle Lion and JJ Babu, but the threads tend to weave and tangle together; I tried to keep them straight in my head as Bruce talked to me, but in the end all that matters is that Bruce is breeding some jolly nice horses,

"Keltic Lion is out of a sister to Eagle Lion and he's by Lux Z, the german show-jumper. Patricia Nicholson bred him in Ireland and he's out of that great family. We thought it would be great to put the mare to the German horse once, and Keltic Lion could also be a pure show-jumper, he could do that as well but he has enough blood in him and he has enough gallop that I don't think that eventing would be an issue either. He's a six year old and I'm having a great time with him; he has a great temperament, he's good on the flat, he's a great jumper, he's very much an Eagle Lion type horse, he's just a really, really nice horse. I suppose he might be my reason to come back and do another four star, he's that good of a horse, and he's pretty straightforward, so as long as I don't fall off too much he's my big white hope!"

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Update from Bruce!

2011-04-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

I had a great chat with Bruce today regarding the past month's adventures at Chesterland South. We talked about the fun PRO Derby Cross event held down in Wellington March 5, 2011 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Rocking Horse and the plans for this season.

iphone Gallery Link

Bruce rode Petite Flower in this team competition which consisted of riders from the disciplines of Eventing, Show Jumping and Polo! The course was a combination of show jumping and XC questions, where speed, time, and a clean round qualified the rider to jump the final optional fence for 4 bonus points off their time. Buck, Will Faudree (fastest round of the day), Aaron Vale & the team polo player, Kris Kampsen rounded out this winning team. This was a great outing & with the inclusion of other disciplines really created some great camaraderie within horse sports, and their TEAM FARMVET/CAVALOR won!!

Rocking Horse Wrap Up
All of the young horses have benefited from their time down in Florida and are exceeding Bruce's expectation. Here’s Lolo, a big fancy grey mare, who's a beautiful mover and exceptional jumper,
went training again and has gotten a ribbon every time.

Expensive Playmate (chestnut mare pictured) also continues to impress with a win the last time out, but had a bit of bad luck 3 or 4 fences from home when her bridle snapped, and since they were riding in a gag Bruce was left with one reign and had to pull up. She jumping into the sunken road, glanced off the narrow and then Bruce was able to circle her so they could stop. A bit of a hair raising moment, but both horse and rider pulled up without incident.

Bruce was also proud of student David Koss won the Intermediate on Sweet Thing! David's running in the CIC 3* this weekend at the Fork then will head to Jersey Fresh in May. This will be their first attempt at the 3* level, but Bruce has confidence in their abilities and is also looking forward to David's trip back to Unionville where he will stay for the season.

Keltic Lion continues to impress everyone in the barn with his ultimate disposition, calm intelligence (he ships to the events with 3 mares), great work ethic and competitive talent!! He topped the Prelim division at Rocking Horse his second time out at this level, and the plan it to move him up to Intermediate in the Fall.

This special stallion has the makings of an international event horse and is gaining the attention of several owners, including Absolute Liberty's owner Sharon Will who bred and raised this talented mare. Buck has been riding her for Sharon who recently decided to breed Liberty to Keltic Lion through a surrogate. Breeding and producing top international sport horses has been a lifelong achievement at Chesterland Farm, and Bruce is happy to see that most people are now realizing that you've got to produce your next upper level prospect from the ground up!

Enjoy Susie's photos from Derby Cross and Rocking Horse and we'll have another update shortly after The Fork!!

Pro DerbyCross in Wellington!!

2011-03-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

I have to thank John Thier & Eventing Nation for taking great footage of Team Cavalor/Farmvet during their winning performance down in Wellington last night. What great fun it must have been to have Boyd & Leslie acting as MC's, along with such a star studded cast of riders. Next year I have to find a way to make this fun event!!

Check out this great footage of Bruce making it all look so easy. Can't wait to catch up with Bruce & Susie at Red Hills next weekend & I plan to get some of my own footage to share on the blog!

Here's Susie's Recent Photos of the Crew!

2011-02-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Click here for iPhone and iPad Users!

Test for iPhone Users

2011-02-17T07:46:00.001-08:00

Were having a problem viewing the slideshows with iPhone & iPad users.
The problem is that iPhone's cannot view flash programs.
We're going to try embedding our videos in a different way, so here goes!!
So much for the simplicity of technology!!

Winter Update from Chesterland South

2011-02-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

We had a great first run at Rocking Horse I, and all the young horses are more than outstanding this year. We’ve brought down a whole string of exceptional horses and 5 of them are out of our own Windsor Bonnett (Sal, HRH Patricia, Dancing Queen, Spike and Queen Wannabe).

Keltic Lion went Training & was 3rd. This was Lola’s first event & I knocked a poll in show jumping which bumped us down to 5th when we were in contention for the blue. HRH Patricia completed all 3 phases well & we had really fun weekend at Rocking Horse.

Our students & clients also had a stellar weekend! David Koss, who is working & training with me this winter in Florida, comes to us from Sun Valley Idaho & is from a talented riding family. His mother Vicky and I competed at Badminton a number of times together, and it’s great to have her son in our barn. David, who is 23, rode Look Sweet at Rocking Horse & was 6th in Intermediate. He is an aspiring young rider & this mare has done one Advanced. This was his first competition on the east coast and he plans to go advanced at the next event, and he also has a young horse who is starting out at training level.

Of course I’m proud of Buck who cleaned up this past weekend, and congratulate Randy was second to Buck on his horse James. Clarissa Wilmerding won the other Intermediate Division with Buck in second & Fanny Lee was 4th on Hadley Harbor. The whole crew made an impression this weekend.

There is another new face in our barn this winter. Joanna Dorin, who is from Ireland, is a real gem, a enthusiastic & cheerful addition to the Chesterland effort. She’s a tremendous help at the competitions as well as a big help exercising the horses back at the farm & in the early mornings at the track. Don’t forget that we brought 6 of our young 3 year olds down to Florida this winter, and 2 of them are headed to the track. David & Joanna are gaining the experience of working with young race horses in training at the race track by doing their morning gallops!

Enjoy the attached slideshow of photos & we will send out another update about Keltic Lion shortly.

Happy New Years From Ocala!

2011-01-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to catch up with Bruce tonight, after he had finished a day of training down at Chesterland South, in Ocala.

Everyone has settled into the southern way of life, with a barn full of horses & top level riders. Bruce made the decision this year to bring down his younger horses, so there are 6 two year olds & 6 of the three year olds enjoying the milder climate in Florida.

One of Bruce's exciting young horses is a mare by the name of Here's Lola (the striking grey mare in our photo album). Lola is out of Our Staple (out of JJ Babu’s full sister) by the NZ stallion Heroisity, one of the few TB stallions that stood at Hilltop and was approved for warmblood stud book. Owned in partnership with their friend & client Christina Watkins, Here's Lola remains in training with Bruce in Ocala Fl. They plan to show her at HITS in the hunter/jumper ring this winter in preparation for the eventing season. The grand plan is to send her to Lyon D’Anges in France for their 2* for 6 & 7 year old event horses. There is an in-hand portion of this event, which adds an interesting element to the development of these top level prospects. The best event trainers and riders in Europe send their best prospects to this event, and Bruce is looking forward to attending with HRH Patricia as well.

This year Gerd Zuther & Fanny Lee have returned, as well as Buck and Randy. Top young rider Nina Ligon, who has 5 of her own horses in the barn this year, perfects her dressage skills with Gerd, and is also calling Chesterland South home base for the winter. So the barn is definitely a busy scene each day.

At 6, Keltic Lion is proving himself to be one to watch, with a fabulous work ethic on the flat & tremendous form over fences (please see the striking bay in the slideshow). The plan is to get him into the jumper ring at HITS, then start out the eventing season at Rocking Horse, going Training Level. He has produced some wonderful foals over the past 2 seasons & we are all anxious to see how he performs out in competition!

It is always fascinating to pick Bruce's brain on his training goals with his home bred youngsters. Among the horses that he has bred for the sport horse world, he has also produced several young thoroughbreds for the track. They have 2 coming 3 year olds (a colt & a filly) in the barn who will be leaving shortly for formal race preparation at the track down in Florida. Bruce wisely states that having race horses in training teaches everyone in the barn so much about the conditioning of horses & makes them better event riders!

We also want to mention that Petite Flower was recently purchased by Caroline Martin, a young rider from NJ who trains with Buck. She goes to the George school in Newtown Square, but goes down to Ocala on her breaks to work and train with Buck. Petite Flower has gone with Buck to Florida to prepare for the event season, but Caroline will fly down for certain events & will kick off her event season this weekend at the Horse Park! Bruce had only high praises for this young lady and for her bright future as an upper level event rider.

We're hoping to get new pictures and videos to you throughout the winter season, so please check back soon for updates. Keep warm & safe riding!!

Boyd's New Upper Level Prospect!

2010-10-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

New Horse from Bruce Davidson

I am the proud new rider of a very fancy looking 3-year-old gelding by Salute The Truth out of Eagle Lion's full sister! The gelding was purchased from a local breeder/Olympic & World champion, Bruce Davidson.

Being born at Chesterland Farm, his current name around the barn is 'Chester'. He is a perfect mix of 15/16 thoroughbred, 1/16 Irish Sport Horse. He is a beautiful mover, and should be a wonderful jumper considering his uncle, (Eagle Lion).

I plan to spend the next few months gently teaching Chester the basics. Standing proud at 16.3hh tall, he looks mature enough to start eventing early next year.

I would like to thank Bruce and Susie for giving me a great deal on such a promising looking horse. Below is a video of me having my test drive on him.

Boyd

Pre-WEG Update!

2010-09-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

There continues to be a lot of activity around Chesterland these days. Bruce has bounced back well from his back surgery and continues to keep his horses in regular training and has been out at the events competing as well. Expensive Playmate (aka Phoebe) is proving to be a great young horse, winning at Fair Hill on her second start at the Prelim. level.

Richland was another positive event, with both Flower and Cruise having 2 fabulous dressage tests.....setting both up very well for their performances this past weekend at Plantation Field International where Flower was 3rd at Intermediate & Cruise took 3rd in the Advanced!

There's also been quite a bit of activity with our sales horses. Bruce is quite happy to see two of his young homebreds, a 3 year old 1/2 brother to Petite Flower, and a 4 year old out of Memorial Cap, go to a top West Coast rider, Kelly Prather. Notably, Kelly has been a two time winner of the Rebecca Farm CIC World Cup Qualifier in 2007 & 2009 on Ballinakill Glory.

Of course the ultimate news around the farm is Buck's naming to the US Team for the World Equestrian Games. This is certainly the biggest excitement around Chesterland & we are anticipating great things for the whole team down in Kentucky. Check back next week for live coverage from Lexington!

We hope you enjoy this slideshow of photos, taken by Susie, at several competitions and around the farm. Cheers!!

Rock on Rose has Sold!

2010-07-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

A note from Boyd:

Lusty has found a new home with a young professional rider, Whitney Weston, out in Portland Oregon. Thanks to Hawley Bennett and Buck Davidson for acting as agents on the sale of this talented mare.

It has been an honor and pleasure working with Lusty and Bruce over the past 12 months……and I have gained invaluable knowledge and wisdom regarding the art of training horses through both of these characters! Although I am saddened to see this mare move on to a new career and rider, the goal from the beginning was to put her on the market.

Lusty and I had some wonderful rides and top finishes over the past year at the Jersey Fresh CIC 3*, Bromont CCI 3*, Richland CIC 3*……finally culminating with our remarkable 11th place finish at the Rolex 4*! In fact, Lusty’s recent finishes were so impressive that we were contacted within the past few weeks by the American selectors to discuss putting her on the short list.

I must say that she is one of the most talented horses I have ever ridden. She had all the right ingredients; guts and stamina in XC, style and class in the show jumping and plenty of character and finesse in dressage.

I wish her new owner all the best and look forward to seeing her compete at the upper levels for years to come. Again, I’d like to say a big thank you to Bruce and Susie for allowing me to train one of their own. Their experience and wisdom on how to prepare for a 3 day event will stay with me throughout my entire career!

Boyd

Top photo credit Mike McNally
Bottom photo credit Lisa Thomas

Keltic Lion's Fabulous Foals!!

2010-07-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

We have 7 beautiful & correct babies on the ground at Chesterland! The new crop of foals are out of our own Irish Sporthorse stallion, Keltic Lion, who is out of the renowned stallion Lux Z, the world's leading show jumping sire.

We are extremely proud of the young stock that we produce here at Chesterland. As foals, they grow up in an environment of rolling hills & fertile soil which helps develop strong bones, correct confirmation and wonderful temperaments. Our young prospects go on to do very well in multiple disciplines beyond the eventing world, due to their superb movement & jumping ability.

We hope you enjoy the photos of our new youngsters & we invite you to come see our young stock to consider an affordable investment in a top level sport horse. Create your next future champion!

Spring 2010 Slideshow.

Update From Chesterland!

2010-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone is back in good form at Chesterland. Bruce is feeling great after his surgery and is currently working 6 to 8 horses a day getting fit and ready for the Fall season. The plan is to compete Cruise and Petite Flower at Intermediate, and Expensive Playmate at Preliminary.

Buck had a great ride on Sal at Bromont finishing 6th in the 1*. Sal is one of Bruce’s top homebreds and he is only 6!!  He will step up to Intermediate at Richland, then the 2* at Plantation to qualify for Fair Hill in October.   Thus far this has been a fabulous pairing!!

Here is our planned schedule for the remainder of the summer/fall season:

Fair Hill August 7th/8th 
Richland Park, Mi. , August 26th - 29th
The AEC’s September 9 - 12th 
Plantation 
Fair Hill 2nd weekend Oct

Even though we’re having record breaking heat, don't hesitate to think about your winter plans! Bruce will be taking a limited # of clients for training at Chesterland South......and once again Gerd Zuther will be joining him in Ocala. Gerd will be available on a limited, private basis and this is an exceptional opportunity to have access to two top international talents in the eventing and dressage communities!

For more information, please email Bruce and Susie.

Exercise Rider Needed!

2010-05-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Bruce is in need of an educated horse person who can exercise his horses. This person will need to be competent grooming and handling young stock, as well as riding both green and seasoned horses out cross country for trot/canter sets.

If interested, please email Bruce & Susie. Thank you!

Buck & Boyd on Short List for the WEG!

2010-05-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

Updated: 2010-05-14
from USEF

Lexington, KY - A partial Short List for the 2010 Land Rover US Eventing Team has been named to represent the United States at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY.

Additional horse/rider combinations may be named to the Short List after the final selection trial held at Luhmuehlen CCI4* June 17-20, 2010. Up to 18 horse/rider combinations can be submitted on the Nominated Entry, which is due August 16, 2010.

Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Breed/Sex/Owner

Buck Davidson/33/Riegelsville, PA/BallyNoe Castle RM/10/Irish Thoroughbred/G/Carl and Cassandra Segal
Buck Davidson/33/Riegelsville, PA/My Boy Bobby/14/Irish Sport Horse/G/Carl and Cassandra Segal
Phillip Dutton/46/West Grove, PA/The Foreman/14/Thoroughbred/G/Ann Jones
Phillip Dutton/46/West Grove, PA/TruLuck/13/Thoroughbred/G/Ann Jones and Rebecca Broussard
Phillip Dutton/46/West Grove, PA/Woodburn/14/NZ Thoroughbred/G/Ann Jones, Mardie Faucette and Acorn Hill Farm
Will Faudree/28/Hoffman, NC/Pawlow/11/Irish Thoroughbred/G/Jennifer Mosing
Becky Holder/40/Palmetto, GA/Courageous Comet/14/Thoroughbred/G/Tom & Becky Holder
Boyd Martin/30/West Grove, PA/Neville Bardos/11/Australian Thoroughbred/G/Windurra USA, LLC
Boyd Martin/30/West Grove, PA/Remington XXV/14/Hanoverian/G/Henley House Stables
Karen O'Connor/52/The Plains, VA/Mandiba/11/Thoroughbred/G/Joan Goswell
Amy Tryon/39/Duvall, WA/Leyland/10/Thoroughbred/G/Elisabeth Nicholson

All Short Listed horse/rider combinations must participate in the 2010 Land Rover/USEA American Eventing Championships which takes place on September 9-12, 2010 in Fairburn, GA.

For information about the Land Rover US Eventing Team for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please http://usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alleventing/WEG.aspx.

For information about the Chattahoochee Hills venue, please visit: www.chatthillseventing.com

For information about the Land Rover American Eventing Championships, please visit the www.useventing.com.

Rolex Interview with Boyd

2010-05-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

See some great stadium footage of Boyd on Lusty at the 2010 Rolex Event!
Watch this interview with Boyd & Club Equestrian (the USEF)!!

Final Results for Rolex!

2010-04-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

What an amazing trip it was to Rolex. Boyd and Bruce couldn't have been more pleased with Lusty's performance. From her relaxed dressage test, which I witnessed, to her XC and nearly clear stadium (only 1 rail), Lusty took Rolex like a seasoned professional!

Out of 70+ entries, Lusty finished 11th with a solid score of 63.2 in a highly competitive international field!

For all the results & story, please visit the official Rolex website.

Boyd's Comments on Rolex Showjumping

2010-04-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

For an update on Boyd's show jumping on Lusty, please check out Boyd's Blog!

Double Clear for Lusty

2010-04-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

I met with Boyd briefly after his 3 rides today.....and caught up regarding his ride on Lusty. He reiterated what a thrill & honor it was to ride in Bruce's colors aboard such a great mare. She went like a pro & only on a few occasions did her eyes get a bit big at some of the questions.....but otherwise, "the mare doesn't have a stop in her."

I was able to snap a few amateur photos at the head of the lake of both Boyd & Buck.

Till tomorrow......LT

Buck's Interview on the Homepage of Rolex Website!

2010-04-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

A FAMILY AFFAIR
Buck Davidson has a rich history here at Rolex. He has been coming to this facility since the 1978 World Equestrian Games when his legendary father, Bruce Davidson, claimed back to back gold & made history. When asked about his earliest childhood memories here, he harks back to the time during the 78 Worlds where he spent the majority of the event playing under the grandstand with his tractor, until the repo man came to town. Poor Buck still misses that tractor.

With his family, Buck has been coming to Rolex throughout his entire life. As a competitor, he rode his first Rolex as a 17 year old (early 90’s) on a horse called The Wolf, who was an enthusiastic runaway, taking 20 minutes to pull up on XC and knocking down most of the rails in stadium. Back then, Buck generally rode the horses that were handed down to him. Some were a bit challenging, but most were tremendously talented as well, which was apparent in the fact that he made it to Rolex at such a young age.

During an Olympic year, Bruce had a busy schedule at Rolex with Eagle Lion, Heyday, Squelch and The Traveling Man….leaving Buck with the ride on Transama Flirt. Buck pulled out all the stops (not literally), securing 4^th place and beating his Dad on all his other mounts. But Bruce still had the final say for Buck’s consideration for an Olympic spot, pulling him from the list for consideration, citing that he felt Buck wasn’t ready just yet. Since then he’s certainly proven himself as one of the top horsemen in this country & internationally.

This year Buck is riding one of his newest stars, a handsome grey Thoroughbred gelding who he co-owns with his loyal friends, owners & supporters, the Segals. When Buck originally purchased Titanium, he wanted to find a way to repay the Segals for all of their support. After one of their initial events, where Ti scored a 65 in dressage, had a stop on XC & dropped rails in stadium……he introduced Ti to his new co-owners in the trailer. Buck still grins at the thought of their facial expressions when he unveiled their newest present. I’m sure their apprehension has long since faded with this talented horse.

Originally entered for Rolex were his two leading contenders for the WEG, My Boy Bobby, who was the 2009 Chronicle Event Horse of the Year& Ballynoe Castle RM. The decision was made not to run them here at Rolex in preparation for a shot at the World Equestrian Games back here at the horse park in late September. Both horses are positioned right where Buck wants them in their training. Buck plans to take Reggie to several where he can keep him schooled & relaxed in his job. In regards to Bobbi, he feels that his win at The Fork proved that he doesn’t need a lot of runs prior to his contention for the games.

There is so much history here for the Davidson family, so Rolex has become a type of “coming home” for Buck. Every year he has anticipated the excitement of spring & the trip to Kentucky. “Kentucky is where every American who events strives to come”, and for Buck it’s a reward for his team & all of their hard work. After Rolex this year, he plans to team up again with his Dad by taking the ride on Cruise Lion until Bruce is fully recovered from his back surgery. Their plan is to run Cruise at Bromont in preparation for Bruce to get back in the saddle for the WEG. He shares so many memories of the horse park with his father; nothing would make him happier than to return here with his Dad for the WEG.

Lisa Thomas is founder of Mid-Atlantic Equestrian Services, a Website Design & Equestrian PR business which proudly supports several of the Rolex competitors including Boyd Martin, Hawley Bennett & Bruce Davidson.

What a Star!

2010-04-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

Lusty entered the ring yesterday looking like she had done this a million times. Her relaxed & content attitude was evident in her expression throughout the entire test. Boyd commented that "I was thrilled with Rock on Rose – she was second to last to go and there was a packed house. She showed how much she’s matured in her training and I was over the moon."

I rang Bruce & Susie while we were back in the stables after the test. It was great to hear Bruce so satisfied with his mare. He & Susie were able to watch the entire warmup & test at home in high definition. He is so thrilled with the pairing between Lusty & Boyd, who has "clearly done his homework" and has given this mare such an educated ride. This has been a great partnership.

Ciaron Thompson also deserves a ton of credit for Lusty's wonderful dressage test yesterday (pictured here with Boyd's wonder groom Shannon). He has constantly been grazy, grooming & doting over this mare since they walked off the trailer. It truly takes an army to make this event happen.

The XC course is BIG, but this is where Lusty excels. They run XC today at 3:25. Here's to their clean & safe return. Enjoy the pics...........LT

We Miss you Bruce!!

2010-04-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to a great chuckle from my roomate saying, "ahh, did you see this line on Eventing Nation: Rolex without Bruce is like Christmas without Santa!"

That sentiment is being echoed throughout the horsepark, in the media area & back at the stables. So many people have asked about Bruce's recovery & we are all looking forward to his rapid return to competition.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Bruce & Susie for my beautiful blue & white bracelet, which has enabled me to keep up to date on Lusty, Boyd, Buck & Hawley. I just returned from interviewing Buck for the official Rolex Website, and that article will be front & center tomorrow morning on the home page.

Back at home, my husband is green with envy, likening my experience to his dream of being backstage at The Masters. What a charmed life I lead!! More later...............LT

Greetings From Rolex!

2010-04-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

I arrived early yesterday afternoon to catch the tail end of the jog. Being a life long horsewoman, yet a newbie to Rolex......I couldn't wait to watch the pomp & circumstance surrounding this portion of the sport. On the technical side, the horse inspection is such a critical portion of this event.....but being a girl, I'm really there to see all these beautiful animals slicked up & looking so magnificent. It's also so much fun to see the competitors strutting their stuff!!

Lusty being a typical red-headed woman, was just a wee bit tuned up to show off her svelt self. I watched her entire jog through the eye of the camera.....so did not take note of any funny steps or signs of stiffness. If anything she was just tossing her head a bit due to the excitement. Much to my surprise, they held her to be represented & then announced that they were going to take a break! This rookie immediately went into anxiety mode! What in the world could they have seen?! After a painful pause in the action, Boyd brought her back up to represent & down the tarmac they trotted. "Rock on Rose............Accepted." Whew!!

I was also able to watch part of Buck's jog with Titanium. What a striking horse & I was suprised to find out that he's all TB with all that presence & bone. Definitely a pair to watch for the future!

I'm jetting off to catch Boyd's dressage on Neville, but will be reporting in later from the event. For a full list of the event timetable & live results, go to http://www.rk3de.org/timetable_dres.php

Signing off for now! LT

Reflections on Rolex

2010-04-21T02:39:00.000-07:00

Here we are entering the last few days before Rolex and it’s an exciting time for the crew at Chesterland. Lusty has been back at the farm for the past few weeks, since Boyd returned from Aiken, and she is positioned so well for the upcoming challenge at Rolex. She is in fabulous shape and this paring has proven to be a top choice. We’ve opted just to gallop her a few times since her 3rd place finish at The Fork, as we both feel she’s fighting fit and she’s such an athlete that we don’t want to over train. We’ve focused on her dressage work & have approached it slowly & methodically to ensure she remains relaxed.

This year definitely threw us a bit of a curve ball with my recent back surgery. Of course there is a certain level of disappointment as I won’t be able to compete with my son this year, but I still get to enjoy several other roles as owner, trainer & father. There is no greater fulfillment in life than to see my son share the same passion & personal achievement within the sport that we both love so much.

Buck has truly dedicated his life work to eventing, and it is fabulous to see how our lives have come full circle since the 1978 World Championships in Kentucky. Buck was then 2 years old, (please enjoy all these old photos) and happily came along to watch me defend my World Championship title on Might Tango. He spent a good amount of his time playing with his trucks under the grandstands until they had to take them away so it wouldn’t be a distraction during show jumping. What an honor as a father to now be able to watch him give everyone a run for the money, as he is such a hot contender this year!

After Rolex, Ciaron Thompson, Buck & Boyd will continue on with the horses back at the farm. Buck is going to be evaluating his partnership with Cruise & if all goes well he will run him in the Bromont 3* in mid June to qualify for Worlds.

I’m really encouraged by my rapid recovery & reduction in pain. My plan is to be back in the saddle shortly after Rolex to manage the horses' preparation, flat work, etc. If everything goes swimmingly, nothing would make me happier than for Buck to have another possible contender for September. But as one knows in this sport, there are so many variables with both horse & rider being able to keep sound. Lots of stars have to align.

There is some bittersweet news this year that Janie Atkinson will be retiring after more than 30 years of skillfully organizing Rolex Kentucky. She has done the best for this sport and the trainers, competitors, owners, staff, volunteers & spectators at the Kentucky Horse Park. Janie is not a push over and there are not enough like her in this world. I’ve been connected with her every year, and with every encounter she has stood up for her opinion & always done the right thing for The Event & everyone involved. I’m sure Janie would say that I’ve been a big challenge over the years, with my inconsistent communications and correspondence. But Janie has put up with me & has remained a friend. One more reason to love her! We will miss her desperately.

Lusty Rocks It at The Fork!!

2010-04-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

It was a stellar weekend for Boyd Martin aboard Lusty (Rock on Rose) at The Fork . This impressive pair finished a close third in the Advanced Division on a score of 37.7, just being edged out by Bruce's son Buck and Hannah Sue Burnett.

Most importantly, Boyd feels extremely well primed for their lead up to Rolex.

"Rock on Rose, better known around the barn as Lusty, had the best weekend that she’s had this year. I finally figured out how to get a relaxed dressage test out of her and it’s definitely not pushing her and forcing her through moments of tension. This time I went completely the opposite way and when she got tense and nervous I simply hopped off, loosened the girth and gave her a bit of grass to eat until she completely calmed down.

She felt very strong and confident in the cross-country and show jumping phases and it was a nice feeling to finally give Bruce Davidson a ring to tell him how successful his homebred mare had gone, especially as he’s recovering from back surgery right now. I feel like this mare’s primed for Kentucky. She feels a million dollars and more importantly I feel her attitude and personality is upbeat and happy."

For the full story, please visit Boyd & Silva's Blog and please enjoy this photo gallery courtesy of Amber Heintzberger!

Photos of Boyd Rock on Rose courtesy of Amber Heintzberger, not for reproduction without permission.

Kick On Hector & Casper!

2010-04-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

Two of our sales horses, Hector (top photo, credit GRC) & Casper are going on to new homes!

Rowdie Adams (with a name like, your destined to ride event horses), who rides with Mike Huber, will be developing Hector into her next top competitor. Good luck to both owners with their new partners. Kick on!!

A Little Bump in the Road

2010-03-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here it is March and we’ve been gearing up for a successful road to Rolex. As any athlete knows, preparation for a big competition is always punctuated by unpredictability. In our sport, if you’re afraid to break a finger nail, then you don’t show up to the start box. In my case, I’ve shown up to the start box on multiple occasions & have had a few bumps & bruises over the years.

This past month has been a bit challenging. As someone who has competed in this sport for several years, (or decades) I’ve had my share of physical setbacks. Fortunately I have always bounced back, and I expect this time to be no different. Unfortunately, my back decided not to wait until after Rolex to remind me that I’ve logged some time in the saddle.

Last week I went into the hospital for surgery on my back from herniated discs, which are the result of years of wear and tear. The condition is degenerative & not the result of a fall or a recent accident on a horse. Both Jam and Cruise are fit and ready for Rolex, but I am not going to be in the tack.

While recuperating from surgery (as pictured above), I’ve had several days to sit & think. What is certain is that I’m not going to Kentucky as a rider. At this point we have not made any decisions about Jam or Cruise. Boyd will clearly keep the ride on Lusty (Rock on Rose) and I am eternally grateful that I will get to cheer on both Boyd and Buck. My plans are for a full recovery, and my hopes are to be back in the tack by this summer. As Susie says, “Don’t rule out this old dog quite yet”!

Back in the Saddle!

2010-03-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

It was an exciting day when Susie got her first leg up since her accident over a year ago. Many thanks to Sue Moffit, a friend & client from Michigan, who brought "Talking Some Trash", a Quarter Horse from a famous cutting horse line, down to Florida for Susie to ride.

Kick on Susie!!

There's Plenty of Talent in the Barn!

2010-02-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Our focus is not only on our 3 top horses that we're taking to Rolex. We also have a string of talented homebreds and sales horses with us down in Ocala. Over the past few weekends, we have taken these horses to Rocking Horse and the Ocala Horse park. All of them have performed very well respectively, with Sal securing a 5th place prize in the Open Prelim A, and Petite Flower taking a 4th in the Open Intermediate B section of Rocking Horse. (Pictured up top is Sal & Petite Flower on XC at Rocking Horse)

As listed on our website, we also have several other horses who are just starting to move up the levels. Hector, Sal & Expensive Playmate all were in the top 10, with Sal & Expensive Playmate coming in 7th in their Prelim divisions. They are all very talented prospects. We also have a lovely homebred mare, Roll-X, who would be a dreamhorse for any Junior or Amatuer rider. She is so quiet and easy to ride, being a perfect Training/Prelim mount, and she also foxhunts! We'd love to see her placed with an ambitious Jr or Amatuer rider who wants a fabulous all-around horse...and she's priced very appropriately.

Pictured below is:
1. Roll-X with Ciarron in the irons & Bruce following aboard Expensive Playmate.
2. Hector taking on the water complex.
For a full list of our Sales Horses, please visit our website!

Advanced Results from Rocking Horse II

2010-02-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

We're off to a busy beginning of our season. We took all of our advanced horses to the Rocking Horse II Horse Trials to kick off our season, and with great success and some areas for improvement.

Cruise Lion was a star, winning the Advanced Test A division, with a solid 36.30 dressage score and 15.6 XC time faults, to finish on a 51.90 . Bruce didn't want to press Cruise too hard, as it was his first event out since August.

Jam put down a respectable dressage test, but had an uncharacteristic rail in stadium and felt back sore on XC. The goal this week is to determine the source of her soreness and to get her back on track.

Rock on Rose, with Boyd Martin in the irons, had a fabulous stadium course, but missed a stride into the narrow on XC and Boyd was bounced out of the tack. Thankfully both horse & rider are fine!

Fanny Lee, on a horse she purchased from us, Hadley Harbour, competed in their first Advanced test & finished in 6th! To round out the Advanced Test B division, Buck took top honors on Ballynoecastle RM, finishing with the top score of the day, a 37.30.

We also took all of our youngsters & will have those results for you shortly. We're off to a great start!