Tag Archives: USEF Developing Dressage Program

McDonald Steps Down as USEF Developing Dressage Coach

Debbie McDonald (USEF Archive)

Lexington, Ky. – Debbie McDonald, who has served as the USEF Developing Dressage Coach for over 10 years, has announced that she will step down from the position on May 1, 2016, in order to spend more time with her family and focus on personal clients.

“It has truly been an honor to serve in this role, and I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity,” said McDonald. “We have come so far with this program; I am grateful to the USEF sponsors and members, the USET Foundation, and especially Akiko Yamazaki and the Red Husky Foundation for their belief in seeing this program flourish. With their support, we have enhanced the impact of this program and are now able to give riders the opportunity to train and compete in Europe as part of the program. It has been such a privilege to see the riders and horses in this program go on to achieve great things at the highest levels of this sport. I will always remain supportive of all the USEF pipeline programs and now look forward to spending more time with my family and personal students.”

As the USEF Developing Dressage Coach, McDonald has been instrumental in the growth and success of the USEF Developing Dressage Program as a key step in the dressage pipeline, transitioning athletes and horses alike to the top levels of the sport.

“Debbie has been a tremendous coach for our Developing Program and instrumental in our shared goal of future Olympic Games and World Championship medals. I wish her well and know she will continue to be a strong force for the U.S. dressage community,” said Robert Dover, U.S. Dressage Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor.

“We are extremely grateful to Debbie for all her tireless work and the vision she brought to the USEF Developing Dressage Program. We wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavors,” said Hallye Griffin, USEF Managing Director of Dressage.

Details regarding the 2016 USEF dressage programs will be announced later this year.

From the USEF Communications Department

USEF Announces Plans for 2014 USEF Developing Dressage Program

Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce plans for the 2014 USEF Developing Dressage Program. The Developing Dressage Program is made possible by a generous gift from Akiko Yamazaki and Red Husky Foundation through the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation. Debbie McDonald returns in 2014 as USEF Developing Coach, as the program seeks to identify talented, developing combinations with potential for future team and international success. Once again the program will first focus its efforts on observing combinations at pre-determined observation competitions, from where selected combinations who have submitted an application will be named to take part in mandatory outings, e.g., training sessions with McDonald. The goal for the program is to provide funding following the winter/spring season for selected developing combinations to use towards European training and competition experience.

Anyone interested in being part of the 2014 Developing Dressage Program should plan to attend at least one of seven competitions selected for observation. Two competitions were designated in 2013 as observation competitions for the 2014 program. At these competitions combinations will be observed by up to two selectors.

The following individuals have been named as selectors by the USEF High Performance Dressage Committee:

Debbie McDonald, USEF Developing Coach
Robert Dover, USEF Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor
Jeremy Steinberg, USEF Youth Coach
Scott Hassler, USEF Young Horse Coach

Observation Competitions include:

Wellington Classic CDI-W/1*/U-25 Wellington, Fla., January 22-26, 2014
Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI-W Burbank, Calif., February 20-23, 2014
Wellington CDIO3*/3*/1*/U-25 Wellington, Fla., February 19-21, 2014
Palm Beach Derby CDI-W/U-25 Loxahatchee, Fla., Feb. 26 – March 2, 2014
Capistrano Dressage Classic CDI-W San Juan Capistrano, Calif., March 21-24, 2014
Global Dressage Fair CDI5*/3*/1*/U-25 Wellington, Fla., March 26-30, 2014
Golden State CDI3*/U-25 Rancho Murieta, Calif., April 3-6, 2014

The following 2013 competitions were designated as 2014 Observation Competitions:

NEDA Fall Festival CDI-W Saugerties, N.Y., September 18-21, 2013
U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions presented by The Dutta Corp Lexington, Ky., October 8-12, 2013

Any competitor in the following classes at these competitions will be observed:

CDI Classes: Prix St. Georges, Intermediaire I and U-25 Young Adult Grand Prix
National Classes: Developing Horse Prix St. Georges, Grand Prix and USEF “Brentina Cup” class

The application process for training sessions and grants will be announced at a later date.

For further information regarding the 2014 USEF Dressage Developing Program, visit https://www.usef.org/documents/highPerformance/dressage//2014/2014DevelopingDressageProgram.pdf.

For additional information, please contact Jenny Van Wieren-Page at (859) 225-6949, or via email at jvanwieren@usef.org.

USEF Developing Dressage Program Announces Training and Grant Opportunities

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation’s Dressage Developing Program, made possible by a generous gift from Akiko Yamazaki and Red Husky Foundation through U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, has gotten off to a successful start in 2013. The program opened with two observation competitions, at the Gold Coast Opener CDI-W in West Palm Beach, FL, January 17-20 and at the Mid-Winter Dressage Fair CDI3* in Burbank, CA, February 21-24. Debbie McDonald, USEF Developing Dressage Coach, and at least one other named selector (Lendon Gray, Anne Gribbons, Scott Hassler and Jeremy Steinberg) have attended these sessions in an effort to identify talented, developing combinations with potential for future team and international success.

The next step in the program will be for selected combinations to take part in mandatory training outings. These outings will be with McDonald, who will work alongside riders’ personal trainers to observe the combinations’ training.  Additional training outings will be held in California and other locations throughout the spring and summer; dates and information will be forthcoming.

The second Florida Observation Competition will be held March 14-17, 2013 at the WEF Dressage Classic CDI3*. Riders seeking to advance in the program are encouraged to participate in this session. The first training outing will be held April 2-3, 2013 in Wellington, FL. Riders will only be required to participate one of the two days and McDonald is able to travel to individual farms for the session. Riders wishing to participate in this outing and be considered for funding will need to complete an application by March 20, 2013. In order to be considered for future training outings, riders must submit applications to the USEF Dressage Department by June 1, 2013.

“Now that we have had two observation competitions, I must say that the quality of horses and riders coming up makes me very optimistic about the future,” said McDonald. “I am excited for our first training session in Florida and thanks to our amazing sponsor we are going to be able to give deserving combinations the chance to further their training through grants. This is a great incentive for everyone who thinks they have a nice horse to get out there and show it.”

The program’s goal for the Fall of 2013 will be awarding grants to selected top combinations, approved by the High Performance Dressage Committee, with the aim to provide funding for developing combinations to seek further training and competition experience.

The 2013 Dressage Developing Program Training and Grant Application can be found here: http://usef.org/documents/highPerformance/dressage/2013/DevelopingTrainingGrantApplication.pdf.

Further information on the observation competitions can be found here: http://usef.org/documents/highPerformance/dressage/2013DevelopingDressageProgramforwebsite.pdf.