Tell us a little about yourself and your involvement in the sport (your location, awards/other certifications you hold, etc):
My name is Debbie Hill. I operate my own farm/training business called Debbie Hill Dressage in Palm City, Florida. I have been involved with dressage since 1990, and am a USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist with Distinction. I’ve also earned my Gold Freestyle Bar. I have been a dressage trainer since 2000, and I enjoy starting young horses and developing them through the levels to become FEI horses. I also enjoy teaching dedicated riders at any level. In addition to having trained and competed seven horses to the Grand Prix level, I’ve won many regional and national championships and competed in the Markel/USEF Young and Developing Horse Championships 12 times.
How long have you been a USDF member? What made you decide to participate in the USDF L Education Program?
I’ve been a USDF member since 1991. As a young professional, I decided to participate in the USDF L Program to continue my education as a trainer. Specifically, I was interested in learning how to improve both my showing and my ability to prepare my students to show in a way that best presents their horses and earns the most points.
How long did it take to complete the program, start to finish?
I participated in a complete L program hosted by the Central Tennessee Dressage Association, which took just short of a year to finish.
Do you serve as a judge for schooling shows in your capacity as an L Graduate? If so, on average, how many per year?
I typically accept one to two offers per year to judge schooling shows. I’m super busy with a full barn, but I do plan to continue my judging education to eventually become a licensed judge.
What impact did the program have on your dressage knowledge?
I think this program was very helpful in improving my knowledge of what judges are looking for and how to best present horses in their tests. It also improved both my professional vocabulary and my understanding of the biomechanics of the dressage horse.
Name three things you took away from the program that you think every rider should know.
Three specific things I took away from this program and believe every rider should know are:
- The importance of understanding and prioritizing the essence of each movement
- A better understanding of the training scale
- The correct definition of each number score used in dressage judging
Tell us about your horse(s).
I don’t currently own any horses, but I have eight horses that I actively train and compete with. They include:
- Finely P, a 4-year-old Danish gelding who is competing at Training and First Levels
- Nike, a 5-year-old Dutch warmblood (KWPN) gelding who is competing at First and Second Levels
- Larry Ashlanes, a 7-year-old KWPN gelding who is competing at Third and Fourth Levels
- Romantika, an 11-year-old Westfalen mare who is competing at Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges
- Zackline, a 13-year-old Danish mare who is competing at Prix St. Georges
- Jantasy Ashlanes, a 9-year-old KWPN mare who is competing at Intermediate 2
- Parlay, a 10-year-old Danish gelding who is competing the Intermediate 1 and Intermediate A tests
- Alexis, a 12-year-old Danish mare who is competing at Grand Prix
Contact:
Email: Lhill454545@aol.com
Phone: 256-656-9762
Website/Social media: Debbiehilldressage.com; Debbie Hill Dressage on Facebook
