Adrienne Lyle - All-American Athlete is One to Watch in London 2012 Olympic

All-American Athlete – Utah Company Sponsors Rider Adrienne Lyle from Humble Roots to the Olympics

All-American Athlete is One to Watch-



Utah Company Sponsors Rider Adrienne Lyle from Humble Roots to the Olympics 



Sandy, UT (July 13, 2012) – Adrienne Lyle is living the American dream; from simple beginnings riding western on her parents’ cattle ranch in Washington state, Lyle is now a top dressage competitor and is headed to the 2012 London Olympics on Parry and Peggy Thomas’ 13-year-old Oldenburg, Wizard. Under the tutelage of American Olympic dressage rider Debbie McDonald, the duo rose through the ranks of competition over the past three years, dominating in the Grand Prix divisions. After an impressive ride at the 2012 Festival of Championships at Gladstone, Lyle and Wizard earned themselves a spot as individuals on the US Olympic Dressage Team, and will head to London to represent the United States and reap the benefits of their hard work.



“Adrienne is an inspirational rider and a true American athlete,” said Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian which is based in Sandy, Utah. “We are proud to be supporting Adrienne and Wizard as they exemplify the talent, perseverance, and sheer dedication that our country has been built on, and that continues to make the United States great. Premier is also based in the western United States and supports American suppliers and products, so it was only fitting that we support an American rider. We know Adrienne and Wizard will represent us and our country well in London.”



Lyle’s equestrian career began the same way as many horse-crazy young girls in the west, trail riding in a western saddle over the mountains and hay fields. Adrienne’s father, Greg, is an investment advisor and attorney, while her mother Ann is a pediatrician. She has one older brother, Andrew, and is also a registered member of the Cherokee nation. Her family was very supportive of her riding and she had many ponies over the years. After joining a local pony chapter of the United States Pony Club at the age of 7, Lyle had her first dressage lesson. In addition to riding, Lyle spent much of her childhood sailing with her grandparents, who circumnavigated the globe and took their grandchildren sailing on their 40 foot sailboat, Foreign Affair. Adrienne was also an avid ski fan, as her mother raced with the US Alpine Ski team for six years and grandfather helped start the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort near Seattle, Washington. But soon her passion for horses monopolized her time. She competed in eventing and mounted games, but soon became fascinated with dressage. Her forte of dealing with challenging horses meshed well with dressage, which she found as a useful tool to improve the strength and suppleness of horses working in a variety of disciplines. All of this experience with difficult horses paid off however, when she crossed paths with Wizard. Lyle has worked at River Grove Farm under the tutelage of American Olympic dressage rider Debbie McDonald for the past 8 years. McDonald is a decorated rider, and with her equine partner Brentina won a team bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, team silver and bronze at the 2002 and 2006 World Championships, and team and individual gold medals at the 1999 Pan Am Games. When Wizard came to their barn as a five-year-old, it was immediately clear that he and Lyle were well matched. That, combined with Wizard’s size and McDonald’s petite stature, earned Lyle the ride on the talented young horse. 



Wizard put in some truly magical rides over the past year, including top finishes in the Grand Prix Special at the 2012 World Dressage Masters and a win in the Grand Prix at the CDI 5* West Palm Beach. Lyle acknowledges a close rapport with the gelding, whose brilliance is a byproduct of his power and personality. “Wizard was a challenge, but I think any true success begins with a challenge,” said Lyle. “I am so grateful for all of the opportunities I have been offered, as well as the support of my coach Debbie McDonald, Wizard’s owners, my parents, and my sponsors like River Grove Farm and Premier Equestrian.”



Premier’s products are sold around the globe and world-class riders from a variety of disciplines support Premier. In addition to arenas, footing and jumps, Premier’s extensive website also includes equestrian necessities such as interlocking stall mats, base stabilization grids, carts, feed containers, water tanks, troughs and specialty hardware. For the rider, Premier offers helmets, gloves, Equine Comfort Products sheepskin saddle pads, educational material and training equipment. “We have some very exciting things for horse owners and riders,” Zorn said. Premier Equestrian also offers a complete line of horse jumps and horse jumping equipment, including jump standards, gates, walls, jump cups, horse jump poles, sponsor jumps, and cavaletti.



For more information on all Premier Equestrian products, visit their website at www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 800-611-6109. For more information on Adrienne Lyle visit her website at www.adriennelyle.com. To visit Premier’s YouTube channel, go to http://www.youtube.com/user/premierequestrian1.

 

Photo 1: Adrienne Lyle during her Pony Club years. (Photo courtesy of Adrienne Lyle) 

Photo 2: Premier Equestrian is proud to support American riders like Adrienne Lyle. (Photo courtesy of McCool Photos)