Laura Graves Gives Up Ride on Paris Olympic Hopeful Sensation

Dressage

U.S.A

U.S. Olympian and former World Nr 1 ranked rider Laura Graves has given up the ride on her 2024 Paris Olympic hopeful, Sensation. Dressage-news.com broke the news that Sensation has returned to his owners, Scott and Carol McPhee.

Sensation is a Westfalian gelding by Sunday out of Donata (by Dancier x Lanthan x Aragon). He is bred by Alfons Bergjohann in Germany.

Sensation

He was first known as Sensation HW, with the HW referring to horse dealer Irine Hoeflich-Wiederhold, and then got named SenSation FOD with FOD referring to McPhee's Field of Dreams farm in Bath, PA.

Purchased by the McPhees in November 2015 sight unseen as a 3-year old gelding, Sensation arrived at the owner's yard after being saddle broken in July 2016 and was developed as a youngster by American professional Michael Bragdell.

Bragdell and SenSation HW finished 7th at the 2017 U.S. Young Horse Championships, they won the 5 and 6-year old division at the 2018 and 2019 U.S. Young Horse Championships. At the end of 2019 SenSation returned to McPhee's yard, where Cara Klothe continued the gelding's training to FEI level.

Laura Graves

Graves received the ride on the Westfalian in the spring of 2020 and has been taking her time with him to develop a partnership.

She debuted him in April 2021 in Ocala at Prix St Georges level. Ten months later she rode him in his second show in Ocala in February 2022 and did three more competitions to qualify for the 2022 U.S. Small Tour Championships which they won. The pair only competed in one CDI in 2022 at small tour level. They pulled out of the March 2022 CDI in Wellington after a successful trot-up. At the one in Ocala in April 2022 they placed second in the PSG (72.353%) and fourth in the Inter I (68.431%).

After the U.S. Championships a 9-month show break followed and in May 2023 the pair did its first two Intermediaire II test in Ocala, posting 71.324% and 70.294%. In September 2023 they had some bobbles in their third Inter II test (63.971%) but in October 2023, Graves and Sensation scored 72.353% in the Inter II. It was their last competition together.

Giving Up the Ride

Graves and Sensation at the 2021 CDN Ocala

On Sunday evening 28 January 2024, Dressage-News posted the end of the partnership between Graves and Sensation.

Gaves explained that, "when the relationship began, it was planned to last through Los Angeles 2028. In the late summer of 2023, we accepted a grant from The Dressage Foundation in hopes of qualifying for Paris 2024. A few months later the owners of Sensation FOD made me aware of their intention to bring him home. ‘after Paris’."

She continued, "I vowed to try my best and did everything in my power to advance the horse for this dream. As time passed and the final qualifying procedures were published, I felt in my heart that it would be too much pressure, in the time allowed for Sensation FOD to gain the confidence needed for this level. In complete fairness to Sensation FOD, his owners, US Equestrian, The Dressage Foundation and all of the donors, it was decided to send him back to his owners now."

To Eurodressage Graves added, "Sensation was very talented and could have been a great team horse for USA. Unfortunately his owners would rather ride him themselves."

Enjoying Her Own Horses

Owner Carol McPhee explained on Facebook that, "we have 100% trusted and supported all of Laura’s decisions while developing Sen and understand he’s not ready. (...). The decision made in Mid-November to bring him home end of 2024 was just for that reason. Sen was not pushed or asked to be pushed in a way (...) All of FOD horses are micro-managed with care. We don’t push and we listen to our horses."

McPhee further told Eurodressage that, "I love my horses and want to enjoy all of them." She added that "I do ride - that’s my plan," when asked who will become Sensation's new rider.

Waiting a Bit Longer for Mare Power to Come

At the 2019 World Cup Finals, Graves' last
big show on Verdades

Fans of Laura Graves, America's number one Grand Prix rider between 2016 and 2018, will have to wait a little longer for the rider to return to the big spotlight.

Since the retirement of Verdades in 2019, the Geneva, FL based Graves has competed four different horses at national level: Ibistrona, Fizau, Bellarini, and Sensation. The latter was the only one showing at FEI level.

Laura has two FEI horses coming along, both mares: Leslie Waterman's 8-year old Hanoverian mare Mercheri (by Millennium x Desperados) and Susan Shattuck's Hanoverian mare Bellarini (by Bordeaux x San Amour), who is nick-named Bubbles and was originally called Bongora.

"I do have two mares who are very special and a couple other younger (horses)," said Laura. Mercheri is a particular, but very talented and powerful mare. She is green but will get some show miles this year. Bubbles is 9 and she has a charming presence. Sensitive in nature and tries with her whole heart. I'm excited to have other horses to show."