28 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Lauren R. Giannini
Debbie McDonald became the frst American rider to win the
World Cup Finals in Las Vegas (2005) with Brentina when they
danced into frst place and the hearts of the world, earning R-E-S-
P-E-C-T. Previously, the duo harvested team and individual gold at
the 1999 Pan American Games; which led to Debbie earning 1999
USEF Equestrian of the Year and the U.S. Olympic Committee
Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year. In 2002 and 2006 they won
team silver and team bronze at the World Equestrian Games and
in 2004 team bronze and fourth place individually at the Athens
Olympics. In 2005, Brentina was honored as the Farnam/Platform
USEF Horse of the Year and four years later retired offcially at the
World Cup Finals in Las Vegas. In 2010, Debbie was named the
USEF’s Developing Dressage Coach, a role designed to identify
and cultivate future U.S. Dressage stars. She had a head start
by several years, having taken on Adrienne Lyle as a working
student at River Grove Farm in Sun Valley, Idaho.
How does it feel to train the next generation of
Olympians?
It’s very emotional to be here with Adrienne and Wizard. It’s
great to be able to give that to somebody young, let them know
what to expect. You can get yourself so worked up about trying for
that ride, for those six minutes in the ring that you sometimes don’t
open up and enjoy what’s happening around you. I told Adrienne,
‘You take this and you live every single moment of it, because you
e
Dressage
Debbie McDonald - Passing the Torch
may never get another chance – yet again, you might have many
more.’ You just really can’t take it for granted and she never would
anyway!
How do you rate the US Dressage riders?
Adrienne is riding as an individual. As far as the team situation,
we have a good chance to medal if everybody is on their game
and has their best ride. But remember - we’re riding horses. We
can’t ever determine what’s really going to happen.
What have you shared with Adrienne so she doesn’t
fold under all that pressure?
That’s one thing I have to say for this kid – Adrienne’s such a
cool competitor; but that was something I struggled with in my
career. She was born to do this. She doesn’t get worked up. She
keeps herself in a great mental place all the time. Wizard can be
a little bit of a diffcult horse in the fact that he’s temperamental.
She is the best personality in the world for this horse. So I don’t
really worry about her in that light. I feel really comfortable with
her there, which is a cool place to be. I’m the one who’s a nervous
wreck that I have to keep under wraps so she doesn’t pick up on
me. It’s much harder to watch than it is to ride.
Was it “fate” that Adrienne was your working student
when Wizard didn’t really suit you?
Wizard is a big horse and Adrienne’s just shy of six feet, so she’s
a very tall girl herself and that has helped to make that
combination what it is. He has incredible talent. He’s
such a cool horse; but again he’s very temperamental.
If something sets him off, I go, ‘oh no, please behave
yourself!’ – and it’s not that he’s spooky. He’s usually
at his best in an environment where you look at him
and think, ‘OMG, he’s ready to explode’ and yet he’s
still under control, because he gets amazingly brilliant
and expressive. But when you have to work too much
to create that [energy], he’ll get a little ‘ya know I
don’t think I want to play so hard.’ I’m hoping that the
environment will do that for him in London.
How much of a miracle was it to get to
London?
Never did I ever think that in the seven years we’ve
been training this particular horse that all this would
happen so quickly! We all know how many people
have been working all their lives to have it happen.
The fact that it’s in the era of our sponsor, Parry and
Peggy Thomas, is great. Parry just celebrated his
91st birthday and has been my sponsor for 34 years
and Adrienne’s for seven. Now, with London, he has
taken two riders to three consecutive Olympics. To be
able to have him give us this opportunity is something
that may never happen again. You learn not to take
anything for granted and you work day to day. Some
days are better than others, as we all know with
horses. I think that the whole thing coming together,
like I said, in a seven year period with the frst horse
Adrienne brought up to Grand Prix level is pretty
amazing.
A magical team: Adrienne Lyle, Debbie McDonald and Wizard in the UK,
ready to head to the Olympics