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Monday, March 26, 2007

California Dressage in the Spotlight - A Dressage Affaire to Remember
By Lita Dove for DressageDaily.com

Debbie McDonald Proves She's No One Horse Wonder

Also everywhere is Debbie McDonald. Riding the Thomases’ superstar, Felix, she got scores in the 70s at Intermediaire Two. “He’s 10 now,” says Debbie, “and really coming into his own. She feels confident in Felix for the Grand Prix. “I think the piaffe-passage is international, even more phenomenal as his strength increases. The pirouettes are already good. It is such a learning process,” she smiles, “ to take a young horse, legs flying in every direction, and get everything connected and through.”

She says she has been very happy with the judge comments, noting that Anne Gribbons said, “that little girl sure can ride!”

Photo: Amy McCool

Debbie is equally proud of Adrienne Lyle, who is also now riding for the Thomases’ River Grove Farm. “She came to take lessons during the summer, and her work ethic and feel—both were outstanding. It was just ‘right place, right time’, ass we were sort of looking for someone,” Debbie laughs.

Adrienne has been showing Wizard at small tour and several young River Grove horses at lower levels, all to excellent scores and comments from judges.

Intermediare II Open
(E) Gribbons, (C) Moritz, (M) Macartney,

• 1/Debbie McDonald/ Felix/ 71.057%
• 2/Nick Wagman/ Buon Giorno/ 62.927%
• 3/Nicholia Zamora/ Nimbus/62.439%
• 4/ Tina Caldwell/ Markant/ 50.650%