WELLINGTON, Fla.--Riding Davidson, an up-and-coming champion horse, Callan Solem of Chester Springs, Pa., rode a double clear in the $35,000 Equinimity WEF Challenge Cup on Thursday, Feb. 15 in week six of the Winter Equestrian Festival to finish third behind Olivier Philippaerts of Belgium and Francisco Musa of Brazil.
Philippaerts, who, in the Challenge Cup recorded his first win at WEF, immediately followed it up with a second win, this time in the $132,000 Rushy Marsh Farm Grand Prix CSI 3* on Friday, Feb.16,
In the Challenge Cup, which had 54 competitors, Philippaerts rode H&M Ikker, who is still owned by his breeder Roger Van Nuffelen, to finish in a blistering 37.61 seconds, almost two seconds faster than Musa on Catch Me Imperio Egipicio,with the only other clear in the jump-off coming from Solem on Davidson, who finished third.
"Davidson is a 10-year-old that I've had for a couple of years," said Solem. "I'm so excited about him. He came from VDL, and I have high hopes for him. I think he's capable of being a champion horse."
"He's a sharp horse, so it's taken a little time to get him to where he is," said Solem. "I was so excited on Thursday. It feels like he's turning a corner, but I'm also trying not to get ahead of myself."
"He was double clean, but he also jumped a very good round," said Solem. "I've watched the video a hundred times."
DAVIDSON is owned by Five Star Partners, which is a syndicate headed by Solem's main sponsor, Collin McNeil, who is Joint Master of Radnor Hunt.
"Davidson has been knocking at the door," said Solem. "At the Palm Beach Masters, he had one rail down in the qualifier. I had the flu. He got a ribbon in a 1.45m class. It's been really fun to produce him."
"Davidson is on the cusp of doing really well," said Solem. "I'm going to take him to Ocala (for HITS) in a couple of weeks."
"I also have a 10-year-old mare, Imogen de Regor, by Darko, who got a ribbon in the Welcome class at the Palm Beach Masters," said Solem. "She's on the same cusp of doing really well as Davidson is. I've had her almost a year. She's really brave, she's brave as a lion. She's a fun horse. I'm going to show her in the grand prix here."
"Wizard jumped really well in the qualifier at the Palm Beach Masters, but unfortunately he also had one rail down," said Solem. "It's so nice for Wizard to have a couple of horses to share the work load with hm now."
"I also have a couple of 6- and 6-year-olds that are doing the Young Jumper classes," said Solem.
Kevin Babington of Gwynedd Valley, Pa., finished fifth in the Challenge Cup on Mark Q, the second fastest of those with four faults.