Neue Schule Ambassador Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM Wrap up the Year with Top USEA Titles
Neue Schule Ambassador Buck Davidson has achieved an outstanding year of victories in 2014, and as the year drew to a close he earned recognition prestigious enough to match his eventing talents. At the 2014 United States Eventing Association (USEA) Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, Davidson was Buck Davidson (USA) and Ballynoe Castle RM at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.
Photo: StockImageServices.com named the USEA High Score Rider of the Year. Davidson's mount Ballynoe Castle RM was named the USEA Highest-Scoring Horse of all time—breaking the record held for the past eight years by three-time Rolex Kentucky winner Winsome Adante. Davidson, the son of back-to-back world champion eventer Bruce Davidson, has led an impressive riding career in his own right. Just in 2014, he was named the 2014 Adequan USEA Gold Cup Champion, and finished third on Ballynoe Castle RM at the Rolex Kentucky 4*. The pair also made their second World Championship appearance as members of the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In 2013, the impressive duo received the Pinnacle Trophy for Highest Placed U.S. Rider at the Rolex Kentucky CCI****. Davidson says that fourteen-year-old Ballynoe Castle RM, an Irish Sport Horse gelding affectionately known as Reggie, is "without a doubt" his favorite mount. "Horses don't do what he's done. He gives the best effort every single time you ride him. He's the smartest horse I've ever been around," the champion eventer states. For a world-class pair like Davidson and Reggie, fluent communication between horse and rider is the key to a perfect performance. Like many top-notch riders in the industry, including U.S. Olympian Steffen Peters and eventer Kim Severson, Davidson relies on the revolutionary design and proven quality of Neue Schule bits. Mette Larsen, owner of Metlar Premium Performance Saddlery (Neue Schule's U.S. and Canadian distributor), is proud to sponsor such successful competitors as Davidson. "We could not be more thrilled for Buck," she said, congratulating him on his USEA High Score Rider of the Year title. "We are proud to be part of his team." Neue Schule offers an innovative range of high-performance bits constructed to increase comfort and rider-horse connection. The bits are ergonomically designed using the latest engineering and computer aided design (CAD) technologies. They incorporate a unique patented metal alloy called Salox Gold®, which is the most thermally conductive bit-making material on the market. This enables Neue Schule bits to reach the temperature of the horse's mouth more rapidly, while the metal's decreased bioactivity remains tasteless to the horse— resulting in a more relaxed acceptance of the bit. Through soft, consistent contact with the horse's mouth, the Neue Schule design increases responsiveness to the rider and alleviates problematic issues that can occur between the horse and the contact with the bit. With a Neue Schule bit joining them, horses like Ballynoe Castle RM and riders like Buck Davidson can rise to the height of performance in their sport.