Buck Davidson and Quasar Best of Intermediate at AEC Lunch Break

Buck Davidson and Quasar. Photo by Sally Spickard.

It’s a hot and sunny day here at Texas Rose Horse Park, and we’ve just seen about two-thirds of the Merial Open Intermediate division ride dressage, with 10 more to come after the lunch break.

Buck Davidson and Quasar, a 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding, put in a lovely, rhythmic test to score 30.4 for the lead going into the lunch break today. Quasar is a new ride for Buck this year, and the pair has enjoyed success at the level, most recently notching a 12th place finish at GMHA last month. You can view a video of Buck’s test below.

Julie Richards and Urlanmore Beauty. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Julie Richards and Urlanmore Beauty took an early lead this morning, earning a 31.7 from the judges with an expressive test from the big Irish gelding. This horse really had a great presence in the ring, and Julie’s expert piloting earned them a very competitive score.

Elisa Wallace and Corteo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Julie is currently tied for second with Elisa Wallace and Corteo, who also turned in a lovely test. We featured the 6-year-old Dutch gelding on EN’s Got Talent nearly two years ago, and he really is an expressive mover who tried his heart out for Elisa today. This pair is coming off of a fourth-place finish in the CIC2* at Poplar Place. Fun fact about this pair: Elisa had Corteo here at the AECs last year in the Training division where they placed fourth. What a difference a year makes!

Sara Beth Anton and Blitz Volo. Photo by Sally Spickard.

Sara Beth Anton and Blitz Volo have had a successful year, earning four wins at the one-star and Intermediate levels in their prep for AECs. This pair rode an accurate and fluid test for fourth place currently on a score of 34.4.

Riding his first test in Texas after the cross-country trek, Matt Brown and Happenstance battled just a bit of tension to score a 35.6, which will slot them into sixth place for now. The handsome dark bay gelding really is a nice mover, and he seems to have a “can-do” attitude with Matt, but a couple of naughty moments hurt an otherwise lovely test.

Ellen Doughty-Hume and Fuerst Harrisburg. Photo by Sally Spickard.

I have to give a shout-out to Ellen Doughty-Hume, who really rode Fuerst Harrisburg well even though he was clearly already thinking about the next phase. This big Hanoverian gelding wanted to get a bit behind the vertical, and he just oozes power; Ellen definitely had to work to keep the medium canter in check!

We’re on a lunch break now, and Bailey Moran with Loughnatousa Caislean will kick us back off at 1:28 p.m. CST. I’ll be back after the conclusion of the Intermediate with a final recap, and then we’ll see the Advanced riders go later on this afternoon.