Jill Mante completes her ‘Ride of the Century’

Jill Mante of Warwick was recently inducted into a nationally-known group for senior dressage riders.

The Century Club recognizes dressage riders and horses whose combined ages total 100 years or more. There are fewer than 1,000 members of this special group.

Jill, 76, and Electric Slide, 26, qualified for this event.

Horses and riders perform a dressage test of any level. The ride is scored by a judge.

The Dressage Foundation provides a Century Club ribbon and a plaque for each team.

Dressage is a French word for “to train.” Dressage is a method of training and a competitive sport. This sport develops correct movements in a horse.

One of the tasks for these riders is to submit an essay after their ride about their journey to success. The following words are part of the essay Mante wrote after her ride. She hopes that her journey will inspire other seniors to make a quilt, write a book, compete in an athletic event, or do whatever their heart desires that they thought they could not do, and then do it:

“My horse died the day after he turned 25. My riding dream ended that day.

“A few years later, I resolved to realize my dream somehow. A recommendation led me to Electric Slide (Ella), an older Arabian mare. Ella was mostly retired and ridden by small children. After meeting with the owner of the farm where Ella lived, and the trainer, I was invited to start training for a horse show.

“Progress was slow. Many days, I was discouraged. A dear friend gave me a T-shirt with great advice on it. ‘When life gets bumpy, start posting.’

“After a few months, I began to feel like a rider again. Everyone at the barn was kind and encouraging. It is a serious show barn, but everyone made me feel like what I was going to do was the most important event of the season.

“As the show date approached, a friend sent me a stock tie and a pin, required attire. The pin had a charm which read: ‘She believed she could and she did.’

“I told everyone everywhere about my quest. People who knew what a Century Ride was were excited for me. People who had never been near a horse were also excited for me and wished me well.

“Thank you to everyone who cheered me on and helped me to realize my dream. Thank you, Ella, for letting a senior rider have her special moment. At the end of the day, I had my Century Club ribbon, three bouquets of flowers, balloons, (not near the horses), the highest score I had ever achieved, and much to my surprise and delight, my first blue ribbon.

“It is a day I will always remember.”