Born and raised on Whidbey Island, Washington, dressage rider Adrienne Lyle was active in Pony Club while growing up, competing in eventing before focusing solely on dressage. Now working at River Grove Farm in Sun Valley, Idaho, as the assistant trainer to Olympic and World Cup Champion Debbie McDonald, Adrienne is on the fast track to a world-class dressage career.

Adrienne’s partnership with McDonald began almost by accident. “I came to Debbie in the summer of 2005 to see if I could get some lessons. Debbie and her husband Bob were kind enough to offer me a working student position after my first lesson. At the end of that summer, they offered me a job as a full-time member of Peggy and Parry Thomas's River Grove Farm team. For the past four years I have been working with Debbie, training and showing horses for the Thomas family,” Adrienne said.

Deborah Witty, President of Trilogy Saddles, said she knew from the minute she met Adrienne that she was a loyal team player and exactly the kind of talented up-and-coming rider she wanted to connect with. “She is modest, humble, very hard working and appreciative of every opportunity that comes her way,” Witty said, adding that Adrienne was successful before meeting Debbie, having ridden on the silver medal team at the 2002 North American Junior Dressage Team Championships and at the 2004 North American Young Rider’s Championships. 

While Adrienne is humble about her start with Debbie McDonald, it is a partnership that has turned out to be inspiring. In 2008, Adrienne and Wizard became the National Brentina Cup Champions, a championship named after Debbie’s beloved Brentina. While it was added pressure to try and win a championship named after her own mentor’s mount, Adrienne lived up to expectations and rode away with the victory.

Adrienne has continued to follow in Debbie’s footsteps, being invited to be the test-rider for the Grand Prix at the World Cup in Las Vegas. She also made her Grand Prix debut on Wizard and Felix, and qualified both for the USEF Dressage Festival of Champions in Gladstone, New Jersey.

Witty believes that part of Adrienne’s success is owed to a little magic gleaned from Debbie McDonald, but the rest is due to Adrienne’s own talent. Adrienne rides in the Amadeo Trilogy Saddle and loves the Amadeo because it places her in a position that allows her to use her seat and aids correctly and more effectively. “The Amadeo has a moderately deep seat which gives me a secure place to sit without making me feel restricted. In addition, the quality and craftsmanship of Trilogy Saddles is exceptional,” Adrienne said.

Witty is quick to praise Adrienne and looks forward to many successful miles ahead together with Adrienne and Trilogy. “After Adrienne rode in the Amadeo and loved it, I told her that she was my Trilogy girl forever and she was ok with that!” Witty said. “Adrienne rides with a ‘feel’ for the horse and what it needs that is far beyond her years.”