Denielle Gallagher to Debut SenSation FOD at 2025 CDN Ocala

Dressage

Canada

Canadian Grand Prix rider Denielle Gallagher-LeGriffon is debuting a new catch ride at the CDN Ocala on 13 - 16 December 2025. She will be competing Carol McPhee's SenSation FOD at medium tour level.

SenSation is a 12-year old Westfalian gelding by Sunday out of Donata (by Dancier x Lanthan x Aragon). He is bred by Alfons Bergjohann in Germany.

Michael Bragdell and Laura Graves

Purchased by McPhee in November 2015 sight unseen as a 3-year old gelding, Sensation arrived at the owner's yard, Field of Dreams farm in Bath, PA., after being saddle broken in July 2016 and was first developed as a youngster by Michael Bragdell.

Bragdell and SenSation HW finished 7th at the 2017 U.S. Young Horse Championships and won the 5 and 6-year old division at the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Young Horse Championships. At the end of 2019 SenSation returned to McPhee's yard, where Cara Klothe continued the gelding's training to FEI level.

Graves received the ride on the Westfalian in the spring of 2020 as her big successor for her top horse Verdades. She debuted him in April 2021 in Ocala in the Prix St Georges. Ten months later in February 2022 she rode him in his second show in Ocala and did three more nationals to qualify for the 2022 U.S. Small Tour Championships, which they won. The pair only competed in one CDI in 2022 at small tour level. They pulled out of the March 2022 CDI in Wellington after a successful trot-up. At the CDI Ocala in April 2022 they placed second in the PSG (72.353%) and fourth in the Inter I (68.431%).

After the U.S. Championships a 9-month show break followed and in May 2023 the pair did its first two Intermediaire II test in Ocala, posting 71.324% and 70.294%. In September 2023 they had some bobbles in their third Inter II test (63.971%) but in October 2023, Graves and Sensation scored 72.353% in the Inter II. It was their last competition together.

In January 2024 SenSation returned to McPhee, who decided to ride the horse herself.

Denielle Gallagher

McPhee initially trained SenSation with the help of Lehua Custer, but since the spring of 2025 she has been extensively working with Denielle via lessons in person and virtual help.

"Denielle’s education and techniques have made Sen and my other horses the happiest in their mind and body and enjoy being ridden," McPhee told Eurodressage. "Denielle and I collectively decided with her experience she can help Sen put the Grand Prix pieces together and help me along the way since Grand Prix is green to me."

SenSation moved to Denielle's in September for some fine-tune training and will return home at the end of December.

"Carol is very ambitious and has really evolved with him this summer," Denielle added. "So I am showing him to see how he is and help him relax in the show ring. He is an awesome horse. So fun and Carol is a really nice rider and great to work with."

Denielle will be showing SenSation this weekend at the CDN Ocala in the Intermediaire A and Inter II. Carol is showing the 9-year old Hanoverian Furst Belagio (by Furst Belissaro x Rotspon)) and the 13-year old Rhinelander Feeling (by Feedback x Ferragamo) at small tour level.