Sandra Donnelly was born September 26,1969 in Calgary, Alberta. She started riding as a child and came up through the Canadian Pony Club ranks, achieving ‘A’ level . In 1990 Sandra qualified two horses for North American Young Riders Championships (NAYRC) in both show jumping and eventing. In 1991 Sandra won the Alberta Show Jumping Associaion’s Modified Jumper Championship.

Sandra has her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary, however the pull of riding brought her back to develop Alborak Stable. Alborak Stable is one of Canada’s premier equestrian breeding and training facilities. Buenos Aires, her partner at the 2007 Pan Am games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was bred and trained at Alborak.The breeding program focuses on the modern warmblood and includes Dutch, German, French, and Irish bloodlines. The focus is on jumping and eventing horses with ancestors such as Alme, Ramiro, Abstatz, Pantheon, Silbersee, Cor de la Bryere, Grande, Landgraf, and Capitol.

The training program focuses on preparing horses and riders for competition in the Olympic disciplines. Riders of all ages participate in lessons, clinics, shows, and horse trials.

Sandra is an active member of the Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association (CWHBA) and the Alberta Horse Trials Association (AHTA). In 2007 Sandra represented Canada in Eventing at the Pan American games earning an Individual 6th and the Canadian team earned 2^nd. In 2008 she represented Canada at the Olympics earning an Individual 30th and the Canadian team earned 9^th.

In her spare time Sandra enjoys playing hockey.