Will Faudree and Andromaque (Shannon Brinkman)
All Four Land Rover Competition Grant Recipients Occupy Top 20
Saumur, France – The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team continued to impress on the second day of dressage at the Saumur CCI3*. On Friday, the U.S. sent Land Rover Competition Grant recipients Will Faudree and Buck Davidson down centerline, with both riders producing solid efforts in the first phase. They head into Saturday’s cross country in eighth and 12th places, respectively.
Faudree (Hoffman, NC) and Andromaque’s classy performance on Friday was rewarded by the Ground Jury of Sandy Phillips, Luciano Cantini and Catherine Agaesse with a score of 47.8. The pair has enjoyed a very successful spring season in the U.S. that has often seen their names near the top of the leaderboard after the first phase and has continued the trend in France.
The 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games veteran was pleased with Jennifer Mosing’s talented 12-year-old Irish Thoroughbred mare on Friday but knows that there is even more to look forward to.
“She was very good; the canter work was right on par with how she has been going and the trot work is coming and there will be more in the future,” said Faudree of Andromaque. “I was very pleased with how she went today.”
Faudree, who is regarded as one of the quickest American riders across the country, is looking forward to Saturday’s test but knows there is a lot to do on the 28-obstacle track.
“The course is very challenging and it’s quite twisty. The combinations are very big and you need to keep coming,” said Faudree. “I’m looking forward to getting out there.”
The final U.S. entry to complete the dressage was Davidson (Ocala, FL) and Sherrie Martin’s impressive nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding The Apprentice. The pair scored 50.2 to lie just outside the top 10.
Davidson, Team Gold and Individual Bronze medalist from the 2011 Pan American Games, will use his wealth of championship experience over Pierre Michelet’s course on Saturday as he looks to produce a clear effort with the highly regarded gelding.
Fellow Land Rover Competition Grant recipients Hannah Sue Burnett (The Plains, VA) and Marilyn Little (Fredericksburg, MD) completed their dressage tests Thursday and stand 11th and 17th, respectively, after the completion of the dressage. Burnett and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot head onto the cross country on a score of 48.6 while Little and Raylyn Farms Inc. and Phoebe and Michael Manders’ RF Smoke on the Water will leave the start box on a score of 52.
Kitty King of Great Britain and Zidante hold the lead following the first phase on a score of 41.8.
Cross country for the CCI3* gets underway at 3pm CEST.
To learn more about the Saumur CCI3*, visit: http://www.saumur.org/cci/accueil-gb.html.
Follow the 2013 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team here.
By Helen Murray