RIO DE JANEIRO – Lucy Davis '15 collected Stanford's 18th overall medal of the 2016 Olympic Games on Wednesday afternoon, bringing home silver as a member of USA's Show Jumping team.
The youngest rider in the field at age 23, Davis joined Kent Farrington, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward in booking spots on the podium, two years after the group won bronze for the U.S. at the 2014 World Championships.
Davis played a key role in propelling the U.S. into the final round with a clean slate of 0 penalty points.
Congrats @gooseydavis (and horse, Barron)!
— Stanford Athletics (@GoStanford) August 17, 2016
Make it 18 overall medals for the Cardinal in #Rio2016. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/JPRgdqnETN
The U.S. entered Wednesday's competition in a four-way tie for first with Brazil, Germany and Netherlands. Staying atop the leaderboard became even more of a challenge as Madden, a four-time Olympian, was forced to withdraw from the competition when her horse, Cortes 'C,' sustained a tendon injury. That meant Team USA did not have the luxury of dropping a low score, placing added pressure on Davis, Farrington and Ward.
Next up for Davis is Friday's individual jumping final, where she enters the competition tied for 18th. The U.S. is seeking its first gold medal in the event since 1984.
Davis' grandfather was a jockey agent and her mother grew up around horses, which helped create her interest. A Los Angeles native now based in Germany, Davis majored in architecture at Stanford while also riding professionally since her freshman year.
Davis rode horses at the Stanford Red Barn Equestrian Center every morning before classes. Davis began competing on her horse, Barron, in 2012 and broke on to the world stage with a victory at the 2013 Grand Prix in Lausanne. She calls Barron, named after Lucy's grandfather, a 'once-in-a-lifetime horse.'