November 2025, page 22 | Arcadia News

November 2025

22 NOVEMBER 2025 By Mallory Gleich For the past nine years, Xavier sophomore Sami MacDonald has been mastering the art of dressage, a form of horseback riding that emphasizes precision, harmony and choreography. Dressage originates from the French word “dresser,” meaning “to train.” Horse and rider perform a series of choreographed movements from memory while judges score based on accuracy, fluidity, and how well the horse and rider work as a team. Sami’s been up for the challenge – she’s a 4x Arizona State Champion and won the 2025 National Dressage 16 and under Championship in Illinois this summer. Inspired by her mom’s childhood riding photos, Sami saddled up at seven years old for the first time and never looked back. “My mom rode horses growing up, and I was obsessed with them from a young age,” she said. “Seeing pictures of her with her horses made me want to be just like her.” Dressage isn’t just a weekend activity – it’s a full-on sport and an Olympic event that requires immense discipline, strength, and hours of training. Sami competes with the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, where she has qualified for the National Championships for three consecutive years. She placed second in the top varsity class as a freshman. “The goal is to show off the horse’s training, obedience, strength, flexibility, and harmony with the rider,” she explained. “Training is different for every horse and rider. They both have to develop gradually. The tests include various movements based on their difficulty level. The upper level tests have the hardest movements, and the lower levels are more basic.” Sometimes, it’s set to music in a routine known as a freestyle, where riders choose songs that match their horse’s movements and create an artistic routine. Sami’s horse is named Candy Crush, or Crush for short. For the past three years, this talented horse has been her partner in the ring, but as she moves up to more advanced divisions, it’s time for her to level up with a new horse. That means saying farewell to Crush, which she admits is “bittersweet.” Competition days are intense – Sami and her team are up early, feeding and braiding the horses, riding, showing, and cheering on teammates. An important part of dressage is the fashion. Riders typically wear white breeches, tall black boots, a navy or black jacket, gloves, and a helmet. But there’s room to express yourself, too. Sami and Crush once competed in red, white, and blue for a patriotic freestyle. As for what’s next, the teen hopes to head to the North American Youth Championships. To get there, she needs to be among the top twelve riders in the nation. “I also want to earn my silver and gold medals,” she said. “I’ve already earned my bronze, but the next levels are even tougher.” “At 4:30 a.m. the day of Nationals, I found Sami in the kitchen rehearsing her dressage program. I told her, ‘Just have fun today. You are prepared and trained, if the horse cooperates today you will win,’ and she said, ‘Dad, in six hours I will be the new National Champion!’” Kevin MacDonald said. “I am so proud of Sami. She worked very hard to achieve her goals.” It’s not every day you meet a teen who spends her free time choreographing routines with a thousand-pound dance partner, but Sami is proof that dreams can be built on four hooves and a whole lot of heart. YOU CAN LEAD A HORSE TO THE ‘DANCE’ FLOOR… Arcadia teen makes a name for herself in the competitive dressage circuit Sami with her mom, Kari, grandmother Ann, trainer Jess and dad, Kevin. PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN MACDONALD 7001 N Scottsdale Rd Suite C-138, Scottsdale, AZ 85253 Furniture | Lighting | Art | Accessories