Debbie McDonald and Lendon Gray discuss young riders’ careers in dressage, their opportunities for riding different horses, spending time with horses out of the barn, and the importance of horsemanship in the sport. A fascinating conversation with two great horsewomen, so take a listen…
Thousand Oaks, CA – September 2, 2010 – This spring Para-Equestrians were treated to a dressage clinic with Olympian Debbie McDonald. The clinic took place during the Dressage Affaire at the Del Mar Horse Park in Del Mar, California on March 15-16, 2010. This informational clinic was a wonderful opportunity for riders that are preparing for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. For McDonald this clinic proved to be a learning experience not only for the participants but for herself as well.
McDonald noted, “This clinic was a learning experience not only for them but for me. I have never had a rider that was paralyzed from the neck down. At first I was not sure exactly on how to work on each of the riders but I developed a strategy to work on controlling the body. These exercises included sitting up taller, increase stretching, and many other techniques to increase their strength. I worked with the para-equestrians just as I would school my own riders.”