Recently committing to her dressage dream full time, Australian FEI rider Sara McDonald proved that the added focus can lead to greater competition success. Aboard her 12-year old Australian bred Adlanta Rose (by Rotspon out of Adloo Georgia), McDonald scored two second places in the Prix St Georges and Inter I kur and a victory in the Intermediaire I at the 2013 CDI Boneo last weekend.
"I was really pleased with how Rosie performed at Boneo Park," said the 35-year old from Barwon Heads Victoria. "It is a really great competition to compete at, because both the facilities and the organisation is great."
Taking out first place in the Inter I, Sara scored a tidy 67.895% and felt that Adlanta Rose was relaxed and happy in her work during the competition. "I know there is still lots to improve," she admitted. "We have been working really hard and really enjoying our work, and the riding full time allows us more time and consistency, which I think really showed in our first competition of the season."
Sara descends from a completely non-horsey family and she decided for herself she wanted to ride horses. McDonald started hanging out at a local riding school in Milawa when she was about 16 years old. "Eventually I talked my parents into allowing me to get a horse, and I just loved it and wanted to learn more," she told Eurodressage. "We went to an FEI comp at Glenbrae and watched all these riders and horses doing amazing things. It was there that I saw Di Jenkyn riding Adloo Moonshine, and I started having lessons with her in Albury."
McDonald has bred the 13-year old Adlanta Rose herself using embryo transfer with her first dressage horse Adloo Georgia, whom she bought as a 4 yr old from Di and Peter Jenkyn. "I took Adloo Georgia through to FEI level and wanted to put her to Adlanta Rose's sire, Rotspon," she explained.
Sara broke in the mare herself and took Rosie through the grades with the help of trainer, Di Jenkyn.
"Rosie is a really fun horse to work with, she has a lot of personality and energy," she admitted. "She learns things really quickly, but hates to make mistakes. She felt like she had read all the books from her very first ride!"
Sara organises for Jenkyn to come to her own stable in Benalla for clinics once every 6 weeks. "I have been with Di from the very start, and she knows me and my horses so well," she said. "She is a very skilled coach and communicator. Not only is she my coach and mentor but she is also a really good friend."
Looking to have Adlanta entered in the Intermediaire II within the next 6 months, Sara will hopefully move her on to Grand Prix while at the same time she is nurturing some fresh talent. "Until we reach Grand Prix we will just be consolidating our training and competition skills," she said. "I will also be developing my own training and coaching business here in Benalla, as well as producing some exciting young horses, which we have bred to bring on."
MacDonald hopes to continue competing and training horses up to GP level with the help of her partner Stuart Brown, a veterinarian as luck may have it "Stuart and I are breeding dressage horses using performance mares (including Adlanta Rose), so hopefully we will have lots of stars for the future," she said.
by Sarah Warne for Eurodressage
Photo © Franz Venhaus
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