Team #722 Angela Canellos and Athena

Team #722: Angela Canellos and Athena
From: Dousman, Wisconsin
Ages: 74 & 26
Combined Age: 100
Test: Introductory Level Test A
Date: October 30, 2023

I started riding at age 38. At the time, I was taking care of my mother who had Parkinson’s disease. A friend of mine was taking riding lessons and asked me if I wanted to join her. I started doing it once a week and it was a wonderful escape from the caretaking.

After my mother passed, I got more serious about riding, and I bought a horse. I started out doing hunters and rode the horse that was Athena’s mother, a Thoroughbred, named Guenevere, for several years. I bought another Thoroughbred show horse and competed until my mid-50s on the “A” circuit in the Midwest. I retired him from my home property at 17 because he was no longer sound. He was my soul mate and died at 29. In the interim, I bred Guenevere, who was a very healthy horse, to an Oldenburg stallion.

I had a childhood accident that had nothing to do with horses, and at age 54 needed a hip replacement. My surgeon said I could ride but no more jumping, so I switched to dressage. I thought dressage would be boring after jumping but was delighted to find that it is fun, interesting, and challenging.

Athena has always been a safe horse and we also enjoy trail riding. In our older years, we both have arthritis but hope to keep going as long as we can!

I wanted to do my Century Club ride when we qualified this year, but I did not want to take Athena to a show over the summer because of the stress it would have been on her with the heat. I am grateful to The Dressage Foundation for protecting older horses from the stress of shows and allowing judges to come to your stable and judge a Century Club ride. I am thankful that Caryn Vesperman was available and willing to come to our stable.

I want to thank my trainer, Katie Joyce, and all my supportive friends at Rosebury Farm and my supportive “non-horse” friends. It is a great experience to be in the Century Club. Thanks again to TDF for this wonderful Club.