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California Riding Magazine • May, 2009 French Light Dressage
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David Donnelly is an equal opportunity dressage trainer. In addition to the Warmblood and Spanish breeds that have dominated his 30 years of training experience, Saddlebreds, Quarter Horses and other non-traditional dressage breeds are thriving in the program he recently moved to the beautiful 50-acre Santa Rosa Equestrian Center in Northern California. Embodied in his French Light Dressage training business, Donnelly’s holistic combination of methods from the French and German classical dressage schools is equally effective with traditional and untraditional dressage breeds of any age and experience level. Through 10 years of operating French Light Dressage in Southern California, Donnelly personally selected and imported over 30 top class Warmbloods for clients. He was consistently successful campaigning these horses in USDF competitions in Southern California. His experience at Buena Park’s Kingdom of Dancing Stallions and, in turn, Medieval Times, has made him well known for training and riding Grand Prix and exhibition movements on the dramatic Spanish-bred horses showcased at the entertainment venue. While his accomplishments with the classical exhibition horses do not translate into show ring statistics, Donnelly’s video resume reflects his ability to prepare horses for all the demands of the highest level FEI work.
David Donnelly
Donnelly has a special affinity for young horses. The right foundation is critical no matter the breed involved and groundwork is the key to that in his program. His 4-year-old Palomino Saddlebred, Dalton, for example could do a leg yield, shoulder-in and various other advanced gymnastic exercises before Donnelly ever sat on him. Training horses to yield to pressure, adopt a frame and do lateral work, all accomplished through in-hand work, is part of the French Light system for training young horses and those who need to be re-started. “The result is a horse that goes very naturally, and without a lot of effort from the rider,” Donnelly explains. A specialist in gymnastic lunging, in-hand and long-reining work, Donnelly also incorporates pillars into his ground-based methods. “The combination of classical techniques is essential to the foundation of young horses being prepared for starting and should continue in concert with correct riding throughout training for the best possible outcome, a fully developed Grand Prix horse,” Donnelly explains. Relaxation, energy and confidence are traits evident in all the horses Donnelly works with. “These techniques will produce a horse that is animated while emotionally and physically relaxed and happy,” he continues. “The horse will be balanced in all postures from forward and down to up and out and all in between. A horse at any level that portrays these qualities can be considered well educated and a pleasure to work with.” Donnelly welcomes students of all ages and experience levels, so long as they are serious about advancing their dressage education. While basing French Light Dressage in Southern California, he was named the Interscholastic Equestrian League’s Trainer Of The Year in 2005 for the work he did with one of his high school age students. “I enjoy teaching any rider from beginner to advanced who is enthusiastic about learning and eager to improve.” Donnelly’s own classical dressage education began with the best when he started in 1979 at the Potomac Horse Center. There he worked with Pamela Goodrich, a student of the late Portuguese classical master Nuno Oliviera. Riding with Goodrich and observing Oliviera in action set Donnelly on a career path that has served him well. Of late, Donnelly is particularly intrigued by a modest trend toward dressage in the American Saddlebred industry. He had long admired the breed’s conformational suitability for the discipline: their uphill build, elegance and size. “I always wondered what would happen if you trained one of these horses for dressage,” he says. Donnelly got the chance to do that with his own Palomino Saddlebred, Dalton. It turns out he’s not the only one curious about the outcome. His video resume includes clips of Warmbloods and Spanish horses working at the highest levels of dressage. “Over a period of eight to 10 weeks, the Andalusians, Friesians and Warmbloods got between 50 and 100 hits,” Donnelly relays with some amusement. “But my Saddlebred got 1,000 hits.” He is aiming the young stallion for a Training Level year-end award this year, and hopes to start that campaign nicely during the CDS Sonoma Chapter’s Shelley Siegel Dressage and Breed Show May 29-31 at the Santa Rosa Equestrian Center. The show will also see the competitive debut of Verso Do Retiro, a striking, 7-year-old buckskin Lusitano owned by Tracy Underwood, who owns the Equestrian Center along with Wesley Leckner. Donnelly is thrilled to be based at the Santa Rosa Equestrian Center (California Riding Magazine, April 2009). At the first-rate, full-service boarding and training facility, Donnelly joins eventers Yves Sauvignon, Toora O’Mahoney and Jennifer McRonald. At presstime, Santa Rosa was interviewing hunter/jumper trainer candidates to round out its offerings.
For more information on David Donnelly’s French Light Dressage, please visit www.frenchlightdressage.com or call 949-697-6797.
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