Bruce Davidson (equestrian)

Bruce Oram Davidson ( born December 31, 1949 in Rome, New York) is an American horse breeders and eventers. With two Olympic victories and three world titles, he is one of the most successful riders of this discipline.

Career

Davidson had in his childhood first no relationship at all to ride and discovered this sport until after the family had moved to Westport, Massachusetts. Each summer he bought at an auction a pony to a low price, coached it and sold it before the end of the school holidays at a higher price. This process he repeated for several years until he was finally able to afford a top quality horse itself.

From 1971, denied Davidson international competitions. The breakthrough came at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich in second place in the team standings. Two years later he won the gold medal in the individual and the team standings at the World Cup 1974 in Burghley. In the competition of the Pan American Games in 1975 Davidson was stopped during the terrain Ritts by the jury because he had been mistaken for a disqualified rider: but he was able to continue his ride and won two silver medals (individual and team).

At the Olympic Games in 1976, the American team was again victorious. 1978 followed in Lexington another individual World Champion title as well as a bronze medal with the team. In 1980, Davidson because of the American boycott not participate in the Olympic Games in Moscow. On the other hand, he won in 1984 in Los Angeles again the team gold medal. In 1995 he was individual winner and team silver medalist at the Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. A fourth Olympic medal in 1996 added in Atlanta when the American team took second place.

At World Equestrian Games Davidson won two bronze medals in 1990 in Stockholm ( Single) and in Rome in 1998 (Team ). With a total of six hits he is record winner at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day, in each case once he won the Badminton Horse Trials and Burghley Horse Trials the. In 1993 and 1995 he led the world ranking of World Equestrian Association FEI.

Although Davidson is still active in sports, but now take up its duties as manager a larger space a. He coached many successful riders, including Olympic gold medalist Phillip Dutton. In Unionville, Pennsylvania, he runs a stud farm, the Chester Farm.

His son Buck Davidson (actually Bruce O. Davidson junior) is active as an international event riders.

Achievements

• Olympic games 1972: Silver team (on Plain Sailing )
• 1976: Gold Team (on Irish Cap )
• 1984: Gold Team (on JJ Babu )
• 1996: Silver team (on Heyday )

• World Championships 1974: Gold Single, Gold Team (on Irish Cap, as part of the Burghley Horse Trials )
• 1978: Gold Single, Bronze team (on Might Tango, as part of the Rolex Kentucky Three Day )

• World Equestrian Games 1990: Bronze Single (on Pirate Lion )
• 1998: Bronze team (on Heyday )

• Pan American Games 1975: silver individual classification, Silver team rating (on Golden Griffin )
• 1995: Gold Single Ranking, Silver team rating (on Heyday )

• Other major tournaments Badminton Horse Trials: Winner 1995 ( on Eagle Lion )
• Rolex Kentucky Three Day: Winner 1983 and 1984 ( to JJ Babu ), 1988 and 1989 ( to Dr. Peaches ), 1993 ( Happy to Talk)

Links and References

• Website by Bruce Davidson

• Olympic champion ( Eventing )
• World Champion ( Eventing )
• Olympian (United States)
• Horse Breeders
• Reiter ( United States)
• Born in 1949
• Man