Nobel Nobel was imported into the United States from Holland in August of 2004. It took two years to find this “World Class” horse. Debbie McDonald has labeled him as “very fun and special”. Nobel and Tracy started their training journey in Sun Valley, Idaho in October of 2004. The pair spent the next ten months with Debbie returning to Arizona for only three weeks while Tracy’s children were finishing up their school. The training was valuable and intense, specifically focusing on quality not quantity. Debbie taught Tracy how to be patient with this very sensitive animal, and encouraging Nobel to perform through connection and happiness. March 2005 was the first show for the duo, and it was a test for the trainer and rider, Nobel decided to challenge them. Nobel was so extremely sensitive that Debbie, and her husband Bob needed a new plan for this gifted Oldenburg gelding. Thanks to “patience”, the breakthrough was achieved, and the Prix St. George was won with a 70%. Debbie and Tracy spent the next month at Epona Farms in Thousand Oaks, California, where the two of them had time to focus and get ready for Del Mar National. The nerves were high because during this training period, was the upcoming World Cup for Debbie, and perfecting her new Freestyle was a MUST! The World Cup came with great success, as Americans cheered on Debbie, and Nobel stayed at home for the week before the Del Mar horseshow. This would prove to be the test for this highly sensitive type. He came to Del Mar ready to show, but Mother Nature had other plans, she flooded the show grounds. Nobel showed up in the ring despite his conservative rides, scoring 68%’s consistently. The summer months came and training back in Sun Valley, Idaho continued, focusing on the year title for the Region. Nobel won the Prix St. George Title for his Region in Colorado, and proved why with more focus and time he should be a candidate for the try-outs for the Pan-American games in the summer of 2007. Nobel and Tracy will return to Idaho in January, to continue their training and get ready for the 2006 show season, and start to perform their Intermediare Freestyle.