Local equestrienne Lucy Davis lived the dream at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she helped the United States capture the silver medal in show jumping. Davis also advanced to the finals of the individual competition aboard her 12-year-old warmblood gelding Barron. Davis grew up near Mandeville Canyon and started riding ponies in Sullivan Canyon. She went to preschool at Calvary Christian School before attending St. Matthew’s Parish School, then Harvard-Westlake High and Stanford University. The 23-year-old was the youngest rider in the field at her first Olympics and shared her thoughts on the competition with the Palisadian-Post.
PP: What were the accommodations like in Rio? Did you stay in the Olympic Village?
LD: Yes, I did stay in Olympic Village. The Village reminded me a lot of a college dorm, where the atmosphere was much more important than any factor. You got to make friends with people within your house (the USA house for me obviously) but could also meet people at the dining hall, gym, etc. It was an awesome bubble.
PP: How nervous were you in the team competition knowing that with Beezie Madden out the margin for error was slim in order to medal?
LD: When Beezie’s horse got injured, it left the rest of us in a bit of a precarious spot. There was really no room for error, but honestly there rarely is in showjumping! We all tried to focus on what we could control, and luckily my two teammates, Kent [Farrington] and McLain [Ward], are two of the best riders in the world, so we were able to win the silver.
PP: What was the best part about these Olympics for you? Were you able to go see any other sports while you were there?
LD: I saw a lot of sports! I am a huge sports fan in general, so I made a point of seeing all the living legends (Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, etc.). I get very inspired by watching other athletes train and compete, so that was fantastic. But, the best part of the overall experience was hearing from my family and friends throughout the month. I was overwhelmed by all the support, and got to hear from people that I haven’t seen in a long time. It was very special.
PP: How would rate your performance and your team’s performance and what did you learn from this experience that will make you a better rider?
LD: I think that our team’s performance was amazing, particularly because we had to deal with losing one horse/rider combination. This put us at a huge disadvantage. Two other teams also lost a pair during the week, but we were the only one of the three that medaled and some have said the only three-man team that has medaled in history.
I was very pleased with my personal performance because I was able to help out the team and keep us in medal contention. I was not happy with my performance in the individual final, but that is where more experience will help me to deal with the stamina and pressure in the future!
PP: What was the hardest aspect of the competition? What was running through your head during the medal ceremony?
LD: The hardest aspect of competition, especially for equestrian sports, is the mental aspect. There is so little time and such a small margin for error in our sport. The biggest challenge is to go in and ride your horse like you always do and not freak out because it is the Olympics!
The medal ceremony was surreal. My family and friends were in the stands in front of me cheering and heckling me, so I was just enjoying the moment with them. I still have to remind myself sometimes that it actually happened.
PP: Did you have friends and family there watching you and if so how much time did you spend with them?
LD: I had the best of my family and friends that made it to Rio. My parents, brother, grandfather, and two cousins all went, as well as my two best friends from St. Matthew’s (Christine Kanoff and Kellie Barnum) and their families. I am eternally grateful for their support and the effort they made to get there. It really made the difference.
PP: What are your plans now? When will you be returning to the U.S. and where will you be training?
LD: I have been competing in Europe since the Olympics and just returned to compete in the Los Angeles Masters. I’m taking a week holiday to be at home, then return in mid-October to Holland where I will be based for training and competing this year.
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