miles a day, but some days that was reduced to a few steps at a time. For one clinic and one horse show, I had to use a golf cart to get around on the cross-country. I was completely mortified, but it ended up saving my energy enough so that I could ride.” Throughout the chemotherapy, Debbie was fortunate
enough to be able to turn to Al and the rest of her horses to keep her going to work towards her goals. “The horses are my life and love, so to be able to work and ride throughout was an amazing gift,” she says. “Al, who can be somewhat of a rebel, was all business, so I think he knew something was up.”
DARE TO DREAM After the 2009 Rolex and her great finish at Rebecca Farm, Debbie had one goal for the upcoming year: to compete Rolex again. Although she was suffering through surgery and one chemotherapy session after another, she refused to give up the dream. “The main reason was that I’m old and I have a great
horse!” Debbie smiles. “Who knows what can happen in a year. I figured, why not at least try? My family thought I’d lost my mind, but that’s not really anything new!” “My friends all nodded and smiled chiding, ‘Sure you
are, babe!’ with the exception of Christie Wise, my friend who grooms for me, and Andrea Pfeiffer, my friend and coach. They didn’t have as many doubts as I did!” But Debbie’s incredible drive and strength powered her through the doubts and she climbed back in the saddle and started preparing Al for Rolex. “Al became fit pretty quickly, so that was the easy part,”
Debbie remembers. “I was a different story. Chemo raises your working heart rate, 30+ beats per minute in my case, so while I had kept up with Pilates and weights, my cardio was a drama! I started doing some of Al’s hill work on foot with him. That was cool. I had to increase my time on the elliptical in five minute increments…starting with five minutes! That was truly horrifying to someone who could spend all day on the darn machine. In the end, if only out of shear paranoia, I think I was fitter than last year. But then so was my horse, so I still got dragged around!” All the preparation was worth it as both Debbie
and Al were as fit as could be and ready to take another shot at the Kentucky event. When the time came, Debbie packed the trailer, loaded her friend and partner Al, and started the trip to Kentucky. Debbie drove for more than 2,000 miles through deserts, mountains, and plains before arriving in Lexington. Al and Debbie took some time to relax at a friend’s farm before making the final trip to the Kentucky Horse Park. “Everything became real for me when we arrived at my friends Tanya Davis and Evan Haller’s farm in Lexington to
Warmbloods Today 23
“My family thought I’d lost my mind, but that’s not really anything new!”
layover before moving into the Horse Park,” Debbie recalls. “Al jumped out of the trailer and went running around the pasture! It was the best sign ever!” When it was time, Debbie and Al arrived at the
Kentucky Horse Park to do the final preparations for Rolex. Debbie says that she was absolutely overwhelmed with the support that the other competitors gave her as she prepared to compete against them.
THE BIG EVENT On Wednesday, Debbie was all smiles as Al passed the first horse inspection with flying colors. On Thursday morning, Al turned in a beautiful dressage test, and Debbie’s smile never left her face. “Dressage was our personal best so far…the ride, not the score!” Debbie gleams. “He was such a good boy!” Saturday is always cross-country day at Rolex, and this year was no exception. Only nine horses would be able to
After their dressage test at Rolex in 2009. Photo by Erica Larson
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