54 SIDELINES APRIL 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Continued on page 56
By Jenny Johnson
Members of The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club have a
lifetime of experience and are a wealth of knowledge, whether
they know it or not. What might seem like a general observation
to them may just be the right piece of advice or bit of encourage-
ment that another rider needs to hear. This month, we wanted to
share some “words of wisdom” from a few of our Century Club
members. We hope that you can fnd some inspiration for your
own riding adventures.
e
Bob Mayne
The Dressage Foundation’s Century Club is a program
designed to honor senior dressage riders and their senior horses.
To become a member the ages of the horse and rider must add
up to at least 100 years and they must ride any level dressage
test before a judge or dressage professional. With that in mind,
we have given you the ages of both horse and rider and you can
do the math. No matter their combined total, it adds up to a great
deal of wisdom.
All photos courtesy of The Dressage Foundation
A Century
of Wisdom
Stayner Haller
Lillian Floyd
“One is never too old to
realize a dream.” –
Lillian
Floyd, of Florida, who
competed at age 73 with
Dreamer, age 28.
“Do something with your horse every day, even if it is only saying ‘hello.’ Try
to ride as much as possible. You have to understand the horse you are riding
and adjust your riding to him. Dressage is a sport, so try not to think of it as
anything else. Try to laugh at your mistakes, move on and enjoy the ride.” –
Bob Mayne, of Oklahoma, who competed at age 73 with Romeo, age 29.
“My suggestion for dressage riders
would be to take your horse trail riding.
It is cross-training at its best! Navigating
uneven terrain, even if only at the walk, will
greatly aid your and your horse’s balance.
It will also make him much more acutely
aware of where his feet are and what he
is doing with them. An additional beneft,
which is very signifcant, is the break from
the mental discipline required in dressage
training, all the while furthering the physical
conditioning of rider and horse.” –
Stayner
Haller, of Michigan, who competed at
age 73 with LGM Challanger, age 27.