No offense to the Gods of American show jumping, Beezie, Mclain, and Kent. We love you guys. We’re going to love you until you’re old and gray and coaching developing nations programs for fun like Uncle George.
You do you, Uncle George!
But Lucy Davis is hands down our new favorite Olympian. This woman and her phenomenal horse Barron are putting a fresh face on the sport in the most likable and earnest of ways. Here’s our top six reasons we’re head over heels for Lucy Goosey.
- Her enthusiasm for the Rio Olympics is palpable. Lucy has been sharing her joy and awe on social media at being part of the Olympic games since her arrival last week, and there’s a new, unjaded enthusiasm to her posts that is markedly different from the old guard that’s been on dozens of teams and several games. While she was a member of the WEG team in 2014, this is her first Olympics, and she’s been more than happy to share her experience with her fans.
- She named her horse after her Grandpa. Barron is named for Lucy’s grandfather, Robert Barron Friez, who was her youthful inspiration to get involved with horses, as he’s a notable horseman in the racing industry. She shared this magical portrait yesterday:
- She Photobombed Usain Bolt. Need we say more?
- She’s a role model in and out of the ring. Lucy isn’t just a phenomenon on the grand prix circuit, she’s also a wonderful example to young equestrians everywhere of applying yourself to diverse interests and academic pursuits. The same semester she won a $350,000 CSI5* in Thermal, she was applying herself to her studies and finishing off a college career at Stanford University. She completed her degree in Architecture in 2015 before moving to the Netherlands to train and show with her string.
- She constantly gives the credit to her horse. Any time Lucy speaks about her success and quick rise to the top of the sport, she’ll admit she works hard and has applied herself, but she constantly credits Barron with being the reason she’s made it as far as she has. The love between these two is the kind that only comes from daily interaction, commitment, and top level horsemanship. It’s exactly what people NEED to see coming out of our sport during this era of questioning equestrian’s relevance to modern athletics.
- Her groom Tasha is one of the most inspiring people ever. We know good journalism when we see it, and we’re not ashamed to tell you we loved every word of this interview with Tasha on WorldofShowJumping. Tasha basically raised herself in rural New Mexico before hitchhiking to the east coast, and working her way up the system the hard way to become groom to one of the best combinations in the world. And we dare say that Tasha loves Barron every bit as much as Lucy does. #squadgoals
At just 23 years old, Lucy is a thrilling acquisition and investment for the United States, but also an inspiring fresh face to inspire enthusiasm for the sport in a whole new generation of fans. We’re so pleased that such a deserving rider is rocking some new hardware, and look forward to seeing her on many more teams for Team USA! (And of course, rooting her on in tomorrow’s Show Jumping Individual Final!)
Go Lucy, and Go Jumping.