the tail end
100 YEARS OF DRESSAGE: The writer and her Arabian gelding, Harmony, pose with judge Anne Howard after their Century Club ride
to enter a dressage show hosted by the California Dressage Society’s Lake County chapter, at Highland Springs Equestrian Center in Kelseyville. We scored 64.34 percent at Training Level Test 1, judged by Anne Howard, to great fanfare, no stumbling, robust applause, a cake, and a special Century Club ribbon and plaque. It was a most special day indeed. Although Harmony and I competed together for more than 25 years, riding 42 tests up to Second Level, I have to say that our Century Club ride was definitely the most fun. One of the most challenging things about doing this ride was trying to figure out how much practice time and then warm-up time at the show were appropriate for a 35-yearold horse. There isn’t much literature or guidelines on this topic! I stabled Harmony at the facility the night before the show to avoid the stress of trailering the same day as the ride. It was a gamble, as this was his first overnight at a new barn. The barn had a nice pile of straw in the paddock waiting for him—which unfortunately had to be removed, down to the last piece. Harmony lacks the back teeth to chew hay or straw well enough to swallow, so any that he tries to eat gets stuck in the back of his mouth and he drools until it is flushed out. This would definitely not work for his last public ride! We are proud to be Century Club team #244. When the issue of The Century Club News announcing our accomplishment arrived, it was an unexpected joy to read about the other new teams in the newsletter. In 2016, the year of our ride, only one of the 52 Century Club horses was older than Harmony. The coolest thing was to see two riders, each 90 years old. Again, I thought to myself, way to go! ▲
are horse-rider pairs whose combined age is at least 100, and who ride any judged test at a dressage show. New members receive recognition and an award from The Dressage Foundation. The seed was planted: I wanted to
Esther Siegel teaches riding in northern California. She is also a psychotherapist who uses horses in equineassisted psychotherapy. She continues to take riding lessons and rides her Morgan in local dressage shows.
Ride of the Century Century Club ride is a celebration of older riders and horses By Esther Siegel
M
any of us have marveled at seeing an elderly equestrian ride into the show ring. I would often wonder whether the person was new to the sport or a lifetime rider. Either way, I would think admiringly, way to go! It was six years ago that I heard about the Century Club, which is administered by The Dressage Foundation. Century Club members
do this special ride someday. I was 60 years old at the time, and it seemed it could be possible. I quietly hoped that both my 30-year-old Arabian gelding, Harmony, and I would remain sound long enough. Harmony was still giving riding lessons and doing light competition, and I was riding regularly without pain or injuries, so I kept my fingers crossed. Five years sped by, and in 2016
I officially became a “senior” rider. Harmony was still sound with only a little stumbling now and then, so I contacted The Dressage Foundation for information and a Century Club application. They made it easy for us
60 September 2017 • USDF CONNECTION
LANA THOMPSON
editorial@usdf.org