The U.S. Equestrian Federation ran a Developing Dressage Clinic with Debbie McDonald in Chesapeake City, MD at Hassler Dressage at Riveredge right before the Thanksgiving holiday.
McDonald, one of the most successful U.S. dressage riders in history, travelled from her Idaho home to this spectacular facility to teach seven horse/rider combinations. USEF Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons was also there to advise and observe.
Two of the horses who were very successful at the American Young Horse Championships this summer showed continued progress in their training. Sharon McCusker rode Wrigley, who was third in the 2011 U.S. Developing Horse Dressage Championship and Silva Martin rode Aesthete, who was third in the 6-year-old Championship at the U.S. Young Horse Championship.
The other participants were: Heather Mason, who was the second alternate for the 2011 Pan American Games with Warsteiner. She rode both him and Respekt at the clinic. Caroline Cheret rode Fiorette; Stacy Parvey-Larsson rode the Reserve Champion from the 2010 U.S. Young Horse Championship, Benidetto who is now a 7-year-old; and Tami Batts rode Ranko, this pair was named to the USEF Developing List along with McCusker and Wrigley, Martin and Aesthete, Mason and Warsteiner, Parvey-Larsson and Benidetto.
McDonald was impressed with the facility, the level of riding and the quality of horses: "I am very excited about the combinations that came to the clinic. There were several new faces there which are always great to have. I can see some future stars possibly coming up out of this group. I look forward to watching their progress and hoping to see them in the other developing clinics coming up."
Anne Gribbons was equally excited. "It was a great satisfaction to me to observe the competent, detailed and consistent way Debbie approached each combination," said Gribbons. "Her vast experience training and teaching showed by the way she immediately identified a problem and then works on them in a way that is understandable to both rider and horse. This was a group of very talented horses and capable riders. Every horse was on its way to a promising competition season. I was very inspired, and I know Debbie enjoyed working with each and every one."
This was the fourth and final Developing clinic of 2011, they will resume in Florida in January.
Photo © Richard Malmgren
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