A conversation with Christopher Hector
Debbie McDonald is one of my favorite people, for starters she’s warm and wise, but you also have to admire the way she has developed and shaped a group of American dressage riders, who ride in the same, elegant, correct manner…
Let’s talk a little about rider position, one of my pet peeves is riders leaning back, looking like they are water skiing… It’s not just that it is ugly, but it is usually accompanied by a very harsh grip on the horse’s mouth. Where does that come from Debbie? I look at photos from the past, and riders didn’t waterski on horses…
“You know I wish I could really answer that question. All I can say is that it is my belief that if you get a horse on aids that are sharp and light, that are not so strong that you feel you have to be hand riding them, then you don’t see that. I also think that some of these horses are so hot, and bred in a way that they are a bit more powerful and strong, but I would still like to believe that you can change that to some degree, and try to make it look a little more harmonious.”
One of the stars Debbie developed, Laura Graves and Verdades at their first WEG
“There are some beautiful riders, no doubt about it, but I do understand what you are saying, and I do agree that it would be nice to see a little bit different style with some of the others, that’s for sure.”
None of your riders lean…
“I wouldn’t say too far, I mean some get a little back when the horses get a little long, and they are trying to get them a little more on their hind leg, I can only say, I have had some great influences in my life, Klaus Balkenhol being my biggest mentor. He was always sticky about things. Then through the US Federation we had the pleasure of working with Andy Thomas, and he was a physio, but very into horses and rider position and how it affects the movement of the horse.”
“I’ve always been a stickler on saddles, I see a lot of saddles that sit on the side of the horse’s back, and if you think about it you are fighting against the movement in one direction or the other, if the saddle doesn’t fit in the middle. I think it’s been proven by the Brits with a lot of research, that the saddle and the way it sits can make the difference between an 8, an 8.5 and a 9. I’m a stickler about that for sure – AND not riding with strength.”
Adrienne and Salvino at Aachen
“I can remember when Adrienne (Lyle) came to me, being very the opposite build to me – just a little Debbie giggles – and the one thing I didn’t want her to be perceived as, was just a rider who rode with strength. I’m not saying she isn’t influential in her way when she needs to be, but I really like the partnerships that she’s developed with her horses, and I think she’s passing that one to her students, which for me is everything – you hope as a coach that you leave something as a legacy, and I think Adrienne is going to be the one that does that.”
Marcus Ehning entertains the audience having a try at Hunter riding at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
Do you think that whole American hunter / equitation scene at least has riders thinking…
“About position. I think over here in Europe, they do have an advantage, you have so many European kids riding ponies and all these things are taught so much earlier in their lives – whereas the majority of our riders, I would say, do not pick up dressage as their first sport with the horses. A lot of them come from the showjumping world and some start later in life. I wouldn’t say all of them are perfect but I would like to believe that most of the US riders have a way of riding that the horses don’t look like they are only ridden from the front to the back. They ride from the back to the front.”
They all have a similar style, and I suspect that Robert Dover had something to do with that…
“Oh Robert was a stickler for that, and we worked together for many years. Laura (Graves) and Kasey (Perry-Glass), they were beautiful riders, and we were all on the same page. Saddles have to sit in the middle, riders have to sit in the middle, and the horses need to be able to do their job, and sometimes we need to just be able to stay out of their way.”
Laura and Verdades
Do you do any exercises with your riders to drive that home? Are you a stirrups crosser?
“It depends, if I have someone who can’t sit in changes, I’ll makes them take them away for a while so that they understand that their seat is a big influence in everything they do. If you are riding too much from your hand, you’re holding on – you are not sitting down and riding.”
“I think all of our riders are very much into staying in shape, they all work out, they either work with a physio, or they have regular fitness schedules that they keep up for sure.”
What does your team look like, going into the World titles, in Herning?
” It’s hard to say, we lost Sabine Schut-Kery’s horse for this season. I honestly don’t know, but she obviously felt it wasn’t in his best interests, to try to make him come back when she feels she still has more on him, so I’m hoping she’s try for World Cup next year… I don’t think we’ve seen the horse for the last time.”
“Then we have young ones. Hopefully we’ll have Steffen and Adrienne, and then I don’t know. I don’t know if the people who are in my place now, are thinking about the others moving forward. There’s a group of them over here in Europe competing right now and I think they’ve got to take a look at the trajectory of their performances. Some started on a high in Florida, and are now just moving down a bit, others started low and are moving up, we’ve always looked at that, and tried to put the right people in at the right time.”
As it turned out – this is the team for the World champs in Herning:
Katie Duerrhammer and Quartett, Ashley Holzer, and Valenti, Adrienne Lyle, and Salvino, Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper.
Which leads to a rather strange coaching situation for the worlds. The US Federation decided not to renew Debbie’s contract, despite her record of success and the support of the riders. The two senior members of the team, Steffen and Adrienne have both openly stated that they will continue to work with Debbie, while Katie Duerrhammer is coached by Adrienne, Ashley, is coached by Robert Dover and Katherine Bateson-Chandler.
Thanks again Debbie, for your time, and what you have done for dressage…
