Lucy Davis became the youngest GCT Grand Prix winner Saturday (GCT Press Office)
What an incredible conclusion to an amazing week here in Lausanne, Switzerland. The young and talented Lucy Davis took home the hard-fought victory against French titans Patrice Delaveau and Kevin Staut at the tender age of 20 years old. The young American talent blew the Swiss crowd away, last to go in the jump off, as she shaved .33 seconds off Patrice Delaveau's time aboard her incredible 9-year-old gelding by Nabab de Reve. Lucy Davis is the youngest to win this year and the youngest to win in Longines Global Champions Tour history, at the tender age of 20 years old.
The First Round
The first round was certainly difficult enough, but 17 international combinations were able to jump clear and qualify easily for the second round including European Gold medalist Ben Maher aboard Tripple X III and 2012 Olympic bronze medal combination Kamal Bahamdan and Noblesse des Tess. The first round certainly offered its challenges for top-rankings combinations such as Marcus Ehning and Plot Blue, Luciana Diniz and Lennox as well as Edwina Tops-Alexander and Cevo Itot du Chateau, who were unable to qualify through to the second round, leaving out serious contenders for the Grand Prix win.
Current season ranking leader Laura Kraut jumped a flawless round aboard her amazing "firecracker" Cedric. Delivering a strong clear for the USA, Laura was overjoyed to see fellow countrywoman Lucy Davis in the second round as well. The amazing Nick Skelton jumped a super first round, but not aboard the well-known Big Star. Instead, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist rode Jessica Springsteen's Vindicat W, a horse he knows well, as his fellow Olympic team mate Peter Charles, rode this amazing mount to win Olympic gold last year in London.
Last year's 2012 Season runner-up Rolf-Goran Bengtsson jumped an outstanding clear aboard the quirky Quintero Ask while France's Patrice Deleavu as well as Kevin Staut kept French hopes strong with two solid clear rounds aboard Carinjo HDC and Silvana HDC, respectively.
The first round concluded with a four fault score from Marcus Ehning and Plot Blue and riders waited as the dark clouds moved in, threatening rain. Walking the second round, wider oxers and bigger sets, some serious height would certainly demand a lot from the eighteen combinations to come back.
The Second Round
Belgium's Jos Verloy was the only rider with four faults to return in the second round. Therefore, the young 17-year-old jockey entered the ring first for the second round of competition. Riding his mount from the European Championships, only weeks ago, Jos Verloy returned with the very same horse in his European Championship debut. With an outstanding display of composure, the young talent showed the very same composure this evening.
But the stars of the second round were Brazil's Eduardo Menezes, Kamal Bahamdan, Scott Brash, Juan Carlos Garcia, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, Ben Maher, Kevin Staut, Patrice Delaveau and Lucy Davis.
Switzerland's very own Pius Schwizer and Niklaus Rutschi were the only two riders from the host nation to qualify through to the second round but neither was able to earn a double clear score. Pius Schwizer jumped an outstanding round aboard the 8 years old Toulago, but a single rail kept them from the jump off. Pius and Toulago were the fastest of the four faulters however, so they finished in 10th position overall.
The amazing performances from the 2012 Olympic medalists, Scott Brash, Ben Maher and Kamal Bahamdan would give everyone just a taste of what was to come in the exciting nine-horse jump off.
The Jump off
The victory lap (GCT Press Office)
It was Haras des Coudrettes' Patrice Delaveau aboard the lovely Carinjo HDC who landed the leading time as third in the ring, with a time of 38.90 seconds. A truly wonderful representation of the dominance of French show jumping. Patrice would hold onto the lead despite his fellow countryman, Kevin Staut's, best efforts aboard the amazing Silvana HDC. Only 0.07 seconds differentiated Kevin and Patrice from first and second place. As it stood, Patrice and Kevin both held first and second for France but California's Lucy Davis was last to go.
True appreciation must be made to the young Lucy Davis and her lovely ride, Barron. But truthfully, her youth and experience meant that many of those watching had already accepted the win for Patrice but as Lucy picked up her stride and attacked the first jump, everyone's heads turned.
Could this young 20-year-old talent, from the shores of California, possibly beat, not one, but two French titans? Her pace and stride was incredible and she landed from each fence, wanting more, asking more from her horse. It was truly outstanding sport to watch and half way through the jump off, almost the entire VIP and grand stands were on their feet, shouting and screaming with encouragement as this young rider chased the possibilities of the biggest win of her career.
Taking a long distance to the last fence, Lucy glanced up at the screen to see her time, and as everyone began to jump and scream around the international arena, the blonde beauty took another glance at the screen just to be sure. She had done it; Lucy Davis had taken the win from Patrice Delaveau and beaten two of the fastest and most competitive riders on the international circuit. At only 20 years of age, Lucy Davis had won the 2013 Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Lausanne with a time of 38.57 seconds.
As she circled the end of the arena, looking to her family for confirmation, Lucy could not hide her genuine look of surprise and amazement. She had not only made Longines Global Champions Tour history but she had earned her biggest career win yet, in front of her friends and family, and most importantly, in front of her grandfather; the very man who inspired her career in horses. Lucy's grandfather has a very special part in this young women's life. He inspired her to ride and upon his first trip to Europe this month, he was able to watch his talented granddaughter win aboard a horse she named after him.
"I still can’t believe it," said Davis, "It’s amazing because my family all came over from the States for this show to watch me, granddad and my dad and my mom, so it’s great to be able to share that with them."
Read more at www.globalchampionstour.com.