Mary Anne McPhail to Support Olivia Lagoy-Weltz on Lonoir

Dressage

American Dressage News

Longtime U.S. dressage afficionado Mary Anne McPhail has decided to take up a collaboration with American Grand Prix rider Olivia Lagoy-Weltz in support of her career on her number one horse Rassing's Lonoir.

The 33-year old Lagoy-Weltz and her 13-year old Danish warmblood gelding Rassing's Lonoir (by Romanov x Loran) have made a strong debut at international Grand Prix level in Wellington this year. Most recently they won the 3* big tour classes at the 2017 CDIO Wellington with over seventy percent scores.

McPhail first noticed Lonoir in 2014 when he had a stellar year at small tour level. In March a collaboration was announced, but concrete details about the sponsorship are still not yet finalized

"I had been admiring Olivia as a very talented rider and her phenomenal horse Lonoir for a while and approached her to ask if she would be interested in working together," McPhail told Eurodressage. "We are still working out the details of our arrangement."

Mary Anne McPhail serves on the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Dressage Committee, the USET Board of Trustees, and the board of the Vinceramos Therapeutic Riding Center in Florida. She and her husband Walter, retired CEO of an automotive parts company, divide their time between Michigan and Florida. McPhail was a founding member of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, at the time held in Loxahatchee, FL, and she also established the Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine. That position was held by Dr. Hilary Clayton from 1997 until her retirement in 2014 and in July 2015 Dr. Stephanie Valberg became the new Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair.

Initially trained by Lars Petersen and now working with Debbie McDonald, Lagoy-Weltz had made a giant leap in his training level and on the score board.

Walter and Mary Anne McPhail at the 2002 Palm Beach Dressage Derby "Debbie and I have been working together now for about three years but I think hers and my relationship as coach/mentor and rider/student came to a different place this year," Olivia told Eurodressage. "She got to spend a few weeks riding him 2-3 times a week when I got injured by another horse at the beginning of the season and I think that too gave our relationship a boost because then she knows the feel of him. That combined with the fact that Lono has really settled into the work has made for a very positive start to 2017. He's much stronger this year and is in a really happy and confident place in his mind."

Olivia is aiming to compete Lonoir at the 2017 U.S. Grand Prix Championships in Gladstone in May to open the door to more in 2018.

"My goals for this year are to keep gaining strength and experience and confidence," said Olivia. "I think he just coming into his own and there's still so much that I hope to improve on. We will go to Gladstone in May and are hoping to be selected for one of the nation's cup tours this summer."