When dressage finished up at The Fork on Friday afternoon, April 2, Buck Davidson on My Boy Bobby and Allison Springer on Arthur sat tied for first in the CIC*** with a 36.90 while Courageous Comet and Becky Holder, 40, led the advanced division with a 23.70.
Forty-nine teams completed dressage tests in the CIC***, and 45 rode in the advanced division over Thursday and Friday. Friday was a sunny day with the daily high temperature reaching 89 degrees in Norwood, N.C. Most horses seemed unaffected by the unseasonably warm weather.
Davidson, 34, and “Bobby,” winners of the CIC*** at last year’s Fork, laid down a consistent, flowing test to tie with Springer’s Thursday score. Will Coleman slotted into the third spot aboard Twizzel over Mara Dean on Nicki Henley.
“He’s just a genuine horse,” Davidson, Riegelsville, Pa., and Ocala, Fla., said of Bobby. Davidson also sits 13th in the CIC*** with Ballynoecastle RM, or “Reggie,” and seventh in the advanced with Titanium.
Springer, Marshall, Va., was pleased with how the work she did with Arthur over the winter paid off, allowing him to perform a strong test despite a small mistake in a canter transition.
“He was super,” Springer, 35, said. “I’m thrilled with him. We definitely still have stuff to work on, but it was excellent and I’m very pleased. This year we’ve tried to up the level of correct collection, and we’ve definitely taken that to new levels. He tried really hard, and I thought the overall quality of his trot and canter was excellent.”
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Courageous Comet and Holder, Atlanta, Ga., had a nearly flawless test, with Comet showing off his expressive extended gaits and flying changes. The pair is coming off a win at Southern Pines (N.C.) two weeks before. The advanced dressage field was strong and four pairs—Mara Dean on High Patriot, Phillip Dutton on Connaught, Hannah Sue Burnett on St. Barths and Amy Tryon on Leyland—are tied for second with 27.30 penalties.
The CIC*** cross-country begins at noon tomorrow afternoon and the advanced division will follow at 2 p.m. Horses in both the CIC*** and advanced divisions will have 24 fences to tackle on Capt. Mark Phillips’ courses with more than 35 jumping efforts. The advanced and CIC*** share several fences along the way, but advanced riders have slightly easier options in a few places.
“It’s a nice course. It’s not a piece of cake. I have good jumping horses,” said Davidson. “The only question is whether Bobby is fit enough.”
For full results check EventEntries.com.
