Debbie McDonald Steps Back from Active Role as Leading U.S. Dressage Trainer

Dressage

U.S.A.

Debbie McDonald, a stalwart high performance dressage trainer of numerous American squad riders, has hung up her coaching jacket and returned home to Idaho for a less busy chapter in her life.

McDonald's absence from Adrienne Lyle's side, her principal student and protegé, was noted at the 2025 Global Dressage Festival. It prompted questions on whether the training partnership has ended.

"After a lifetime of living on the road, competing and coaching, Debbie has decided to slow down and spend more time with her family in Idaho," Adrienne told Eurodressage. "She will always be part of my life and I plan to continue to work with her in some capacity, either in person or virtually, for a long time to come."

Under Debbie's Wings

Lyle began as an assistant rider for Debbie McDonald at Parry and Peggy Thomas' River Grove Farm in Idaho and worked her way up. Her career launching horse was Wizard which took her to the 2012 Olympics in London.

McDonald discovered Harmony's Duval in 2013 and had Lyle train him up to Grand Prix level. After Wizard's retirement a syndicate led by Akiko Yamazaki secured Salvino as a successor for Lyle in 2015. The stallion was later on secured by Betsy Juliano who supported Adrienne's career on this and other horses (Horizon) with Debbie McDonald as a constant by her side.

McDonald was instrumental in Lyle's rise to the top on Salvino and at that time also took over the training of riders Kasey Perry and Laura Graves, who all thrived under Debbie's tutelage and brought team U.S.A to unprecedented heights.

U.S. Team Coach/Technical Advisor

McDonald squeezing Graves' cheeks
at the 2016 CDIO Rotterdam

McDonald also worked for USEF as U.S. Dressage Development Coach as of 2009 and moved into the Technical Advisor position in 2019, succeeding Robert Dover.

In 2022 her USEF contract was not renewed as McDonald was named, along with her husband Bob McDonald and the 32nd District Agricultural Association (California), as defendants in a civil lawsuit. The suit was dismissed in March 2022 and McDonald got rehired as Technical Advisor (read team trainer) at the start of 2023 but ended the contract prematurely on 1 August 1, 2023 instead of until the 2024 Olympics.

Late 2023 Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite equestrian center took over the baton from Juliano as Lyle's principle sponsor and provider of horses. Humphries bought Helix and Lars van de Hoenderheide for Adrienne as Paris Olympic hopefuls while Salvino was retired from sport. It was Helix that took her to Games in Paris with McDonald by her side as Adrienne's personal trainer.

Back to Idaho

Debbie McDonald, who first broke through as a rider at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, introduced herself at the press conference in Jerez as "I'm from Sun Valley, Idaho, a ski resort." Debbie's one-hit-wonder was Brentina, a Hanoverian mare that won her the 1999 Pan American Games, the 2003 World Cup Finals, and team bronze at the 2004 Olympics and 2006 World Equestrian Games.

Although she spent the majority of her time in Florida as a personal and U.S. Team trainer in the 2010s, McDonald never cut ties with Idaho. She has now returned home to Hailey, ID to spend more time with her family and grandchild.

"Inner Excellence"

While Debbie will no longer be the lead trainer for some elite riders in Florida, a group of squad riders have decided to rely on each other and made a "trainers' union" called "Inner Excellence." The group includes riders such as Lyle, Perry, Bateson, Brock and more.

"Our goal at our barn is to carry on her (Debbie's) legacy of soft and compassionate training. I have expanded my network of eyes on the ground so I have people who are based in Wellington able to help as well," Adrienne told Eurodressage. "We have such a great pool of knowledge riders here in Wellington to help each other, and the camaraderie between riders is fun to build as well."

At the last World Cup qualifier in Wellington, where Adrienne secured her ticket to the 2025 World Cup Finals in Basel, it was Ali Brock by her side as eyes on the ground.

"I am looping Ali into the coaching pool and she's been fantastic, as well as some outside clinicians (Kyra Kyrklund), and I have Katie Duerhammer, who has been my student for 11 years, keep an eye on me and make sure i'm holding myself up the standard of excellence I want in my daily work," said Adrienne. "I think it can be so beneficial to have your peers there to watch you a little each day and make sure you don't allow bad habits to slip in. All the riders at my barn do this for each other. It elevates us all when we hold each other to the highest standard and support each other."