Debbie McDonald and Adrienne Lyle Face Olympic Showdown

Debbie McDonald often regarded as the first lady of dressage, has had an illustrious career as both a competitor and coach in American dressage. She earned a bronze medal as part of the U.S. Dressage team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and competed again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

This past Saturday, McDonald departed from her home in Hailey for Paris, where she will coach the American Olympic dressage riders including Olympic medallist Adrienne Lyle. Lyle began training under McDonald at the River Grove Farm, north of Hailey, 20 years ago. The 2024 Summer Olympics commence today.

The dressage events will be held from July 31 to August 4 in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, a location steeped in history where Marie Antoinette once hosted grand banquets.

“We’re heading over to compete against the world’s best” McDonald remarked before her departure.

In 2003, McDonald made history as the first American to become a World Cup dressage champion. She has been working with several American equestrians, including Adrienne Lyle, who secured a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics riding Salvino, with McDonald serving as team coach. Lyle also competed in the 2012 Olympics.

This time, Lyle will ride a new horse, a 12-year-old she only met in December—three months after the Olympic qualification period had begun. The horse, named Helix, didn’t arrive in the United States until January 15.

“Helix has tremendous potential, though he was previously ridden by a Swedish rider who had no Olympic aspirations,” McDonald explained. “The horse was put up for sale, and we tried him out, quickly realizing that Adrienne could elevate his performance.”

Lyle initially focused on basic exercises like walking and trotting. By the second month, she had formed a strong bond with Helix, leveraging his eagerness to please to secure a place on the Olympic team, winning at Terra Nova in their second international competition together.

Finding a horse with Olympic potential is a rare and challenging end, akin to finding a needle in a haystack, McDonald noted.

“It can take a decade to develop a grand prix horse, as their muscles need to be carefully conditioned for the demands of the sport. Sometimes, after investing six years, you may realize the horse won’t make the cut, forcing you to start over.”

The U.S. does not have a medal-winning team this year, according to McDonald. One of the stallions from the silver medal team in Tokyo is now too old for competition, and another horse is only ten years old, which is quite young.

“Adrienne is still getting to know Helix, but with this being her third Olympics, she brings a wealth of experience. She has a natural rapport with horses and trains them not through force, but by encouraging them to work with her. Helix enjoys the work,” McDonald said.

While McDonald flew to Paris on a passenger jet, the horses had a different journey. They traveled on cargo planes, accompanied by their grooms. The planes can transport up to 30 horses per flight, especially when quarantine is required at the destination.

Like people, the horses must go through passport control to verify their identity and confirm they have the necessary vaccinations and blood tests. They are then placed in pallets and lifted onto the plane by forklift, where they are secured in stalls and provided with ample hay and water.

Upon arrival, the horses go through customs. They also experience jet lag, similar to humans.

“Flying is generally smoother for the horses than being in a trailer on a bumpy road. If there’s no turbulence, they can even sleep standing up” McDonald noted.

At the Olympic site, the riders will train with their horses. Some days may include easy trail rides, workouts on a water treadmill, or a day off. The horses also benefit from a 32-degree cold water spa after workouts to help with recovery.

“The care these horses receive is extensive. They get treatments like acupuncture, massage, laser therapy, and treadmill workouts to maintain fitness without overstraining their legs,” McDonald explained. “The level of maintenance and care for these horses is extraordinary.”

Many of the horses have been in Germany for the past few months, training in challenging weather conditions, with temperatures in the mid-60s and heavy rain.

“Adrienne was competing when it started pouring. She squeezed her fist and water just poured out of her glove. We’re prepared for whatever weather Paris throws at us,” McDonald said.

Standing at five feet tall, McDonald initially pursued show jumping but switched to dressage after a fall left her with broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, and a fractured vertebra in her neck.

She trained at River Grove Farm, then owned by Parry and Peggy Thomas, and gained prominence with Brentina, a chestnut Hanoverian mare purchased at a German auction in 1994.

With Brentina, McDonald won Individual and Team Gold medals at the 1999 Pan American Games and was named the 1999 Equestrian of the Year by the U.S. Equestrian Federation. The U.S. Olympic Committee also named her Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year.

She and Brentina made history by becoming the first American pair to win the Dressage World Cup in 2003. They later placed third at the 2005 World Cup and won team silver and bronze at the 2002 and 2006 World Equestrian Games.

In 2010, McDonald was appointed as the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Developing Dressage Coach.

“After the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, I was already considering retirement. I knew it was time to pass the torch to someone younger. I left my two other grand prix horses with Adrienne to ride, and she did such a wonderful job that I asked her if she wanted to take over. Parry sponsored her until his passing, and then Betsy Juliano bought a stallion for her, with which she achieved great things.”

This will be McDonald’s fourth Olympics as a coach.

“I provide the riders with pointers on how to improve, focusing on small details,” she said. “Coaching is just as nerve-wracking as competing. In fact, it’s even more stressful because I can’t control anything. I’m a nervous wreck inside because I want success for them so badly.”

Today’s riders face more pressure than in McDonald’s competitive days.

“When I competed, there were four riders on a team, and the lowest score was dropped. Now, teams are limited to three horses, so every score counts, adding more pressure—no one can afford a mistake.”

This might be McDonald’s last Olympics.

“I will always be there for Adrienne and the others, but I don’t plan to spend the whole winter in Florida coaching anymore,” she said. “I want to spend more time in Sun Valley, where my heart is. My son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren are in Boise, and I want to see more of them. Sun Valley is home.”